West Bank Living

Anyone who know me knows that, to me, my car is just a way to get from point A to point B.  I’m not attached to it, don’t have a name for it…it’s just a car.  Which is probably why I don’t spend a lot of time washing, waxing, vacuuming or detailing it.  I’m sure there are some stray french fries in the back seat from the kids and more than one Diet Coke can rolling around the floorboard.

But even I have my limits for how dirty I’ll let my car get, and when it no longer looks black, but is instead a muddy shade of gray, it’s time to get it washed.  So, last week, on one of those beautiful sunny days we had, I stopped in at the General Meyer Car Wash.

As I was waiting in line, the owner came over and tapped on my window.  He said that since my car was pretty dirty (gee, he sure does know how to woo a girl!) I might not be too pleased with the job that the automatic drive through wash would do in cleaning it.  Amazingly enough, he offered to have me pull into one of the manual wash bays and he soaped and brushed the dirt loose and put me back in line for the auto wash.

Now THAT is customer service!  No extra charge.  No hand sticking out for a tip.  Just a local business owner who wanted his customer to be happy with the results.  Makes me want to wash my car more often….

You can visit the General Meyer Car Wash at 4933 General Meyer Avenue in Algiers.  Self service washes, vacuums, shampooing and more are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relocating to a new city is full of challenges and one of the biggest is what job opportunities are available in your field.  Are you considering moving to New Orleans, LA?  Perhaps your next military relocation is to NAS JRB New Orleans and your spouse will be looking for a job in the area.  Or maybe you have visited before, fallen under the magical spell of this historic city and feel her pulling you to return…not as a visitor, but as a resident.

Each year, City Business, a well respected New Orleans business periodical, polls employees throughout the metropolitan area to determine the best of the best - employers, that is.  Here are the most recent top 20 winners along with links to their websites.

Legal

• Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles
• Frilot LLC
• Adams & Reese

Accounting/Financial

• LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand
• Postlethwaite & Netterville

Software and Technology Solutions

• ReadSoft
• Diamond Data Systems

Energy and Oilfield Companies

• Superior Energy Services

Communications

• Broadpoint

Consulting

• Booz Allen Hamilton

Construction

• DonahueFavret Contractors Inc

Health Care and Related Industries

• St. Tammany Parish Hospital
• Coventry Health Care of Louisiana
• Ochsner Health System
• East Jefferson General Hospital
• West Jefferson Medical Center
• People’s Health
• Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Co.

Other

• Planet Beach Franchising

The complete list:  2007 Best Places to Work in New Orleans

Obviously, the health care and legal communities are some of the most terrific and highly regarded employers in the region.  I’m sure that this is greatly influenced by the prestigious educational institutions located in and around the New Orleans area, such as Tulane University and the LSU School of Nursing.

As the recovery and revitalization the New Orleans region continues, I’d like to welcome you to my hometown and my city.  New Orleans - Proud to Call It Home!

• West Bank Homes for Sale – Find a home for sale on the West Bank or other New Orleans metropolitan area.
• Contact Lisa Heindel for help buying or selling your New Orleans area home
• Free online home evaluation of your New Orleans West Bank home

Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.

The school social studies fair is this week for my 6th grader.  Of course, like all 12 year old boys, he has procrastinated on finishing up his project on the History of Mardi Gras.  With no school today, we were running around the West Bank, looking for just the right "stuff" to decorate his backboard and complete his vision of what he wants to do.

Driving through Gretna, LA we stopped in at the Educator and I had to share with everyone what a great place this is.  The store is filled to the brim with project supplies, school and art supplies and educational books, software and CDs.  What a wonderful West Bank resource for home schoolers, parents and teachers!

If I was a teacher, I could go crazy in a place like this - there were so many wonderful classroom decorations for every grade level, along with more paints, pens and art supplies for children than I’ve ever seen in one place.

I was greeted by the very friendly and helpful staff as soon as I entered, and directed to just the right section.  After we picked out our purchases, we wandered through the rest of the store, just browsing and looking through their huge selection.  Cute note and post-it pads, awards, ribbons, stickers…the list goes on and on.

If you are looking for a teacher gift, a gift certificate from the Educator would be a fabulous choice…they are good at both the Gretna and Metairie locations and never expire.  Much more useful than another "World’s Greatest Teacher" knick-knack, in my opinion!

The next time you are shopping for school or art supplies on the West Bank, be sure to stop in at the Educator.  Located at 1760 Stumpf Blvd in Gretna, store hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm.  Call them at (504) 367-8660 with questions or visit their website for current specials and to sign up for the Educator Newsletter.

Let’s continue to support our own West Bank businesses.

When buying or selling a home on the West Bank of New Orleans, you deserve local expertise and advice. Lisa Heindel provides full time, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in Algiers, Algiers Point, Belle Chasse, Gretna, Terrytown, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego and more.

West Bank Homes for Sale – Find a home for sale on the West Bank or other New Orleans metropolitan area.

Contact Lisa Heindel for help buying or selling your New Orleans area home

Free online home evaluation of your New Orleans West Bank home

Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.