Gretna of New Orleans, Louisiana Real Estate and Community Information

Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just across the river from uptown New Orleans, the city of Gretna is home to approximately 16,700 people. Known as a “Small Town with a Big Heart,” Gretna real estate offers a close-knit community with a low cost of living and a better-than-average job market, just minutes from the metropolitan amenities of “The Big Easy.”

Shopping and Dining

Despite its small-town feel, Gretna is home to an excellent variety of restaurants and pubs. Chopsti, in the Westside Shopping Center, offers a lunch or dinner seafood, sushi, and hibachi buffet, while La Fiesta Restaurant, on Stumpf Blvd., serves up real Mexican food six days a week. For a little bit of everything, any time of day, head over to Thanh Thanh. Known for its specialty Vietnamese entrees, Thanh Thanh also serves up delicious breakfast sandwiches and omelets in the morning, and flavorful soups, salads, and sandwiches at lunch. Whether you’re in the mood for Italian, Asian, Mexican, Cajun, or old-fashioned barbeque, you’ll find it in Gretna.

The newly renovated Oakwood Center is home to all your name-brand favorites, including Dillard’s, Sears, JCPenney, American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, Champs, GameStop, New York & Company, Old Navy, Payless, and more. Every-day necessities can be picked up in one of the many shops located in the Gretna Village Shopping Center, the Westside Shopping Center, and the Westside South Shopping Center. Fresh produce and other local goods can be purchased every Saturday morning at the Gretna Farmer’s Market.

Parks and Recreation

The Gretna Observatory is New Orleans’ largest public observatory. Open most Monday and Wednesday nights from dusk until 9 p.m., the observatory offers a spectacular view of the night sky. Mel Ott Park, home to the annual Crawfish cook-off, features baseball fields, picnic shelters, a gazebo, a playground, and a gym. Residents enjoy taking a stroll and observing area wildlife on the Gretna City Park Recreational Trail. New Orleans’ only BMX raceway is also located in Gretna.

Living

Gretna residents enjoy getting together as a community, whether it’s to ring in a new season, celebrate the arts, or just hang out. The annual Oktoberfest event, the Gretna Heritage Festival, takes place each year in the fall. Located in historic downtown Gretna, the three-day celebration features 75 local and international musical acts, dozens of local restaurants, more than 80 arts and crafts vendors, and a variety of fun activities for participants of all ages.

Every second Saturday from September through May, Gretna residents stroll beautiful Huey P. Long Avenue in the city’s historic downtown and browse local artists’ work. Homes for sale in Gretna include historic turn-of-the-century houses in historic downtown, upscale golf community houses in Stonebridge and Timberlane Estates, and starter homes throughout Terrytown. Median price for homes for sale in Gretna is $130,800.

Schools, Health and Transportation

The Jefferson Parish Public Schools system operates a number of public schools in the area, including the award-winning Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Students and the Ruppel Academy for Advanced Studies. There are also several private and parochial schools in the community. Area residents have access to a wide range of high-quality universities located within a 10-mile radius. These include Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans and Tulane University.

The Ochsner Baptist Medical Center and the Charity Hospital & Med Center of LA at New Orleans provide acute care and emergency services to area residents. Gretna residents wishing to travel into downtown New Orleans can hop on one of the many Jefferson Transit bus lines that travel from the Wilty Terminal into New Orleans. There’s also an Amtrak station within 2.5 miles of Gretna’s city center, and the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a mere six miles away.