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37-733: Gennaro was born in Metairie, Louisiana . He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Make Mine Manhattan in 1948. He followed this with Kiss Me, Kate (1948) and Guys and Dolls (1950). He first drew notice from theatergoers as a member of the trio that danced the Bob Fosse number "Steam Heat" in The Pajama Game (1954), and continued to hold their attention with the "Mu Cha Cha" number with Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing (1956). A year later, he broke out of

74-492: A Category Three storm, hit the area in 1965, causing extensive wind damage and moderate flooding. In 1995 the May 8th 1995 Louisiana flood , which dumped upwards of 20 inches (510 mm) of rain into Metairie in a twelve-hour period, also flooded some parts of the region, especially areas south and west of Metairie, including Kenner, Harahan , and River Ridge. In 1989, a Metairie district elected white supremacist David Duke to

111-491: A course that became Bayou Metairie. This flow pattern gave rise to river banks through alluvial deposition in that location. With time, the course of the river shifted to its present day location, leaving behind a stranded waterway that was Bayou Metairie. Its river banks of its past course remained as the long narrow strip of higher ground that is known as the Metairie - Gentilly Ridge. This ridge as it followed Bayou Metairie

148-510: A section of Metairie known as "Fat City", which is now the most racially diverse area in the New Orleans metropolitan area and is home to a vibrant restaurant scene. Several New Orleans radio and television stations have transmitter facilities in Metairie and Jefferson Parish; two of them, WGNO-TV and WNOL , now have studios and main offices in Metairie. Metairie has a large Mardi Gras season that touts itself as more family-friendly than

185-519: A small tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce, a practice also known as sharecropping (in French, métayage ). In the 1760s many of the original French farmers were tenants; after the Civil War , the majority of the community's inhabitants were sharecroppers until urbanization started in the 1910s. In the 1720s French settlers became the first Europeans to settle Metairie in

222-467: Is 62.5 in (1,590 mm) annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month. Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front. On average, there are 77 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or greater highs, 8.1 days per winter where the high does not exceed 50 °F (10 °C), and 8.0 nights with freezing lows annually. It is rare for the temperature to reach 20 or 100 °F (−6.7 or 37.8 °C), with

259-589: Is a principal community in Greater New Orleans . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the Metairie CDP has a total area of 23.2 square miles (60.2 km ), of which 23.2 square miles (60.1 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ), or 0.18%, is water. The climate of Metairie has been classified as humid subtropical . Like the city of New Orleans, it has short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average precipitation

296-429: Is called Metairie Road. An electric streetcar was installed running along Metairie Road in the late 1910s, opening the area to greater development. Upscale housing tracts were constructed off the road in the 1920s; this area is now known as "Old Metairie". The areas to the north and northwest of Metairie Road were not developed until after World War II . The land between Metairie Ridge and Lake Pontchartrain , which

333-632: Is part of U.S. Route 61 ) and Jefferson Highway (which is part of U.S. Route 90 ). The Earhart Expressway , running east–west immediately south of Airline Drive, is the only other freeway entering New Orleans from the west, but it ends as an expressway soon after crossing into Orleans Parish and well before the New Orleans CBD (in Central City.) For many of the major east–west roadways, the eastbound and westbound lanes are separated by large, open-topped drainage canals. These canals are one of

370-659: Is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area . With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and was (as of 2010) the fifth-largest CDP in the United States. It is an unincorporated area that (as of 2020) would have been Louisiana's fourth-largest city behind Shreveport if incorporated. Métairie ( French: [metɛʁi] ) is the French term for

407-481: Is the automobile. Mass transit is provided by "JeT" ( Jefferson Transit ), but it does not run on Sundays, holidays, or late at night, unlike many lines of New Orleans' RTA. JeT's coverage is also very limited in terms of usability. Interstate 10 runs east–west through Metairie. Major east–west roads (starting from north to south) include West Esplanade Avenue, Veterans Memorial Boulevard , West Napoleon Avenue, West Metairie Avenue, Metairie Road, Airline Drive (which

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444-761: The Jefferson Parish Public School System . There is one zoned public high school in Metairie: East Jefferson High School . Additionally, many residents are zoned to Alfred Bonnabel High School in Kenner and Riverdale High School in Jefferson . Previously, some residents were zoned to Grace King High School in Metairie. King closed in 2023. Magnet public school Private schools The most common method of transportation within Metairie

481-532: The Kraft Music Hall . With his dance troupe, he was a guest on Ed Sullivan 's CBS Sunday night variety show dozens of times, and was a member of the regular repertory company on the short-lived CBS variety show The Entertainers (1964–1965), which starred, among others, Ruth Buzzi , Carol Burnett , John Davidson and Bob Newhart . He also served for many years as choreographer for Radio City Music Hall , staging routines for The Rockettes . He

518-562: The New Orleans Mardi Gras . Metairie is located in eastern Jefferson Parish and is bordered by New Orleans to the east, Kenner to the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, and the Illinois Central Railroad tracks to the south. South of the railroad are River Ridge , Harahan, Elmwood , and Jefferson . The 17th Street Canal forms the border between Metairie and New Orleans to the east. It

555-595: The Pacific Coast League from 1993 to 2019. The minor league club played its home games at Privateer Park , home to the University of New Orleans 's NCAA baseball team, from 1992 through 1996, and at Shrine on Airline from 1997 to 2019. The training facilities of NFL franchise New Orleans Saints and the NBA franchise New Orleans Pelicans are located in Metairie. As such, many players reside in

592-808: The Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Paper Mill Playhouse . The family lived for a time in Paramus, New Jersey up to 1972. Gennaro died in New York City on September 28, 2000, age 80. He is survived by wife, Jean, daughter, Liza, and son, Michael. Metairie, Louisiana Metairie ( / ˈ m ɛ t ər i / MET -ər-ee ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana , United States, and

629-469: The lagoons in the lower part of City Park. Early real estate developers promoted the location based on its easy access to New Orleans. The Metairie - Gentilly Ridge, which followed part of the course of Bayou Metairie, is presently occupied by Metairie Road in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Indigenous people in the region referred to Bayou Metairie as "Bayou Tchoupitoulas", while Spanish settlers knew it as "Arroyo de la Alqueria". French settlers referred to

666-614: The CDP. As of 2019, population density was 5,607.7 people per square mile, with a median age of 40.6. At the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup was 69% non-Hispanic white , 10% Black and African American , 4% Asian , 1% multiracial, and 16% Hispanic and Latino American . According to 2017 census estimates, the racial makeup of Metairie was 67.5% White, 16.2% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, 9.9% Black and African American, 3.9% Asian, 0.7% from other races , 0.9% from two or more races, and 0.1% Native American . By

703-502: The Louisiana state legislature for a single term. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused a new migration from Orleans Parish, because housing was needed to replace what had been destroyed in the flooding of the city. It has been a racially neutral migration, with equal numbers of black and white residents moving to Jefferson Parish. The 2010 census showed that Metairie has increasingly become more diverse. Veterans Boulevard

740-480: The area known then as Tchoupitoulas and now as Metairie Ridge, a natural levee formed by an ancient branch of the Mississippi River, Bayou Metairie , which flowed through modern-day River Ridge , Metairie, Gentilly , and New Orleans East . It emptied into Mississippi Sound . The Acolapissa Native Americans used this ridge as a road; it is the oldest road in the New Orleans area. Paved in the 1920s, it

777-731: The area. Boxing cards have been held in the Copeland Tower Suites (formerly Landmark Hotel). Beginning in 2020, the New Orleans Gold of Major League Rugby play their homes games in Metairie at the Gold Mine on Airline . Jefferson Parish has created many parks in Metairie. Many of these playgrounds have organized sports leagues such as football, baseball, and basketball . Some of them also have other programs, such as low-cost piano lessons. The parks in Metairie are: Metairie's public schools are operated by

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814-417: The chorus line and into choreography when he collaborated with Jerome Robbins on West Side Story , notably choreographing (without credit) a majority of the "America" and "Mambo" dance sequences. In addition to his theater chores, Gennaro worked steadily in television, appearing in and/or choreographing such shows as Your Hit Parade , The Andy Williams Show , Judy Garland 's CBS variety program, and

851-486: The city of New Orleans. In the early history of New Orleans, smugglers and runaway slaves made use of Bayou Metairie and the accompanying ridge. As urban development continued in the region in the late 19th century and early 20th century, Bayou Metairie was filled in, with only remnants persisting by the early 1900s. Some of the remnants include the area around Dueling Oaks in New Orleans City Park and

888-463: The community claimed affiliation with Judaism . Metairie is home to Congregation Gates of Prayer, a Reform synagogue, and beside it is Congregation Beth Israel , the oldest Orthodox congregation in the New Orleans metro area. Beth Israel constructed its new building in Metairie in 2012, several years after its building in Lakeview, New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina . Metarie has

925-461: The community, and 92% were occupied; 59% of housing units were owner-occupied, and 64% of housing units were single unit structures. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $ 246,600, and the median household income was $ 60,404. Residents had a per capita income of $ 35,007 at the 2019 American Community Survey. In Metairie, 54.1% of residents identified with some religion as of 2019. Due to Spanish and French colonial influence, Metairie and

962-776: The headquarters of Rawbar Inc., which operates Acme Oyster House , a restaurant chain. Jefferson Parish Library operates public libraries. The East Bank Regional Library, which houses the library system's headquarters, is in Metairie. Other public libraries in Metairie include the Lakeshore Library, the Old Metairie Library, and the Wagner Library. Metairie was home to the New Orleans Baby Cakes Triple-A Minor League Baseball team of

999-399: The last occurrence of each being February 5, 1996, and June 26, 2016, respectively. Three Lakeway Center stands at 403 ft (123 m). According to the 2019 American Community Survey , there were 130,427 people living in the census-designated place. At the 2010 United States census , there were 138,481 people living in Metairie. The 2020 census reported 143,507 people living in

1036-565: The most distinct characteristics of the Metairie landscape. Similar canals once bisected many streets in neighboring New Orleans, but most were covered over in the mid-20th century. Multi-line, continuous north–south roads (starting from west to east) include Power Boulevard/David Drive/Hickory Avenue, Transcontinental Drive, Clearview Parkway, Causeway Boulevard, and Bonnabel Boulevard. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway 's southern terminus lies in Metairie. Bayou Metairie Bayou Metairie

1073-452: The narrow, elevated banks that comprise the Metairie - Gentilly Ridge had long been used by indigenous people in pre-colonial times. Subsequently, the land on the ridge was mostly used for small farms and gardens, being fertile soil on high ground, in centuries past of the region. Only intermittently was Bayou Metairie navigable, and then only by small boats, depending on wind and tide. Small colonial farms were established by 1708, pre-dating

1110-400: The present course of the Mississippi River. Eventually Bayou Metairie developed a northward outlet to Lake Pontchartrain , the outlet becoming known as Bayou St. John. The sections east of Bayou St. John came to be known as Bayou Savage and Bayou Gentilly. The locations of these distributaries and the Metairie - Gentilly Ridge can be seen in the 1849 Sauvé's Crevasse map. Bayou Metairie and

1147-762: The surrounding area have an overwhelmingly Catholic populace. Approximately 34.6% identify with the Catholic Church , served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ; 5.9% were Baptist , 3.1% Pentecostal , 1.4% Methodist , 0.6% Lutheran , 0.6% Latter-Day Saints , 0.5% Anglican , and 0.5% from another Christian group including the Metropolitan Community Church among others. Approximately 0.7% were Muslims and 0.4% identified with an Eastern religion such as Hinduism , Buddhism , or Sikhism ; 0.6% of

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1184-619: The time of the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 62.89% non-Hispanic white, 10.98% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 3.73% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 18.20% two or more races, and 18.42% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Among the population of Metairie, 52% were female in 2019. There were 56,421 households with an average of 2.63 persons per household. An estimated 52% of households were married couples living together, 23% non-family, 18% female householder with no male present, and 7% male householder with no female present. Approximately 61,354 housing units were in

1221-497: Was cypress swamps and marshlands, was drained with the Wood Pump . With development of this new land for residences, Metairie's population grew in the 1940s as a result of cheaper land, lower taxes, and larger lots as compared to Orleans Parish. The 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane , with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h), directly hit Metairie. Much of the community was under 6 feet (1.8 m) of water. Hurricane Betsy ,

1258-493: Was a stranded distributary bayou that was located in present-day New Orleans, Louisiana , USA, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana , USA, that extended from the area known as River Ridge to Bayou St. John . Bayou Metairie was filled in during the late 19th century and early 20th century although remnants of Bayou Metairie persist. The geologic record indicates that the Mississippi River 2600 years ago followed

1295-424: Was as much as a mile wide at its beginning, becoming much narrower as it progressed eastward, with a height of approximately seven feet. Water flow from the Mississippi River into Bayou Metairie was intermittent until approximately the year 1700 when it had ceased completely. Bayou Metairie meandered 20 miles eastward through present-day Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, following a path approximately parallel to

1332-607: Was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2002. Gennaro met his wife, Jean Kinsella, while working in Chicago and the two married in 1948. His daughter, Liza, is also a dancer and choreographer and Dean of Musical Theatre at Manhattan School of Music . His son Michael is the Executive Director for Trinity Repertory Company and previously served as executive director of both

1369-451: Was laid out alongside a drainage canal , and became a commercial center of the region. The central business district of Metairie is located on Causeway Boulevard near Lake Pontchartrain. Metairie also has one of the handful of major malls located in the New Orleans metro area. Lakeside Shopping Center is the highest-grossing mall in the New Orleans metropolitan area. In the 1970s and early 1980s, an area of bars and nightclubs opened in

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