New Orleans Apartment Blog

A Staycation Vacation

With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, many people are mulling over what do or where to go for the holiday. And recent reports that the economy is ever worsening leaves some people wondering if it’s a good idea to travel at all. But this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a fun holiday weekend.  With so much to do in one’s own backyard, more locals are discovering the joys and savings of taking a staycation.

Staycations on the Rise

According to AAA, the average traveler spends $697+ during Labor Day weekend. And while 10% more Americans plan to travel this year than in 2009, travel trends are still lower than in years before the current economic crisis.  Overall, a vast majority of people are deciding to play “tourists in their own town” or are taking day trips to locations within 50 miles. In fact, 34 million travelers will stay closer to home for Labor Day, as it’s considerably cheaper.

Benefits of Staying Close to Home

In addition to saving on gas, hotels, restaurants, and other travel costs, there are many other benefits to vacationing at home. You can discover new things to do within your 1^st Lake apartment community and get to know your neighbors. And best of all: you can explore the vibrant New Orleans-metro area.

Staycation Activities

If the whole point of a vacation is to kick back and relax, who needs the added stress of airports, rental cars, jet lag, and high travel costs anyway? There’s so much to do locally. You can fill your days reconnecting with friends; you can catch up on sleep, start a new exercise routine, or take advantage of the many amenities your apartment community has to offer.

Here are a few other staycation activities:

• Try out a new restaurant  (check out COOLinary New Orleans)
• Take a cruise on the Steamboat Natchez
• Visit the New Orleans Museum of Art or stroll through the Arts District
• Go hear some great music at One Eyed Jacks, Maple Leaf Bar, etc.
• Organize your apartment
• Visit a local bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Garden District Book Shop)
• Spend a day in the French Quarter
• Check out the Southern Decadence festival
• Catch a flick at a nearby theater

Or, of course, you can spend each day in your pajamas and do nothing at all. Regardless of what you choose to do, a staycation is the best way to save money, relax, and discover something new at home.

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4½ Reasons for Renting an Apartment in New Orleans (vs. Buying)

The discussion surrounding the “American Dream” of home ownership has been all the buzz in recent months; many experts weighing the pros and cons of both. It seems “the dream” is not what it used to be, nor is it a realistic goal for many. Now, we recognize that as one of largest “landlords” for apartments in the New Orleans area our opinion on the subject may seem less that objective, but the facts are the facts, and here are a few to consider:

1. Credit: A home mortgage is sometimes not an option for those of us with less than great credit.  It’s interesting that apartment renting can actually build up poor credit and should be considered an investment in your credit rating.
2. Yard Care & Maintenance: If you have a small family or busy career, you have little time to devote to lawn care.  Apartment managers keep the community grounds clean and attractive with no additional fees from you, the renter.
3. Amenities: An apartment community may have amenities that are attractive benefits in convenience and in less bills to you.  Covered parking, access gates, swimming pools, tennis courts, high-end shared entertainment lounges, dry-cleaning and concierge services, and rooftop BBQ patios are just some extras offered at some communities that are all included in your rental rate.
4. Freedom: Renting an apartment offers you the flexibility of moving across town or across the country as life changes.  Career changes or growing family can be accommodated quickly with the freedom that renting allows.

* 4 1/2: If something breaks–inside or outside–it’s the landlord’s (our) problem, not yours!

The decision to rent or buy is a personal one that depends on several factors–some quantitative, some qualitative and even psychological. This handy calculator offered by the NY Times can help with the quantitative part.

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Save a Life This Weekend: Give TrueBlood

According to the American Red Cross, one pint of blood can save up to three lives, and every two seconds somebody is in need of blood. In fact, 60% of Americans will need blood at some point in their lives, yet less than 5% of the population donates. That’s where we come in…

This Saturday, August 28, join the 1^st Lake family for a blood drive at Sugarmill East Apartments. The donor bus will be parked at the front entrance of Sugarmill East Apartments from 10 a.m. to 1:00 pm & from 1:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., for all to donate.

Giving Blood is Easy and Fast

If you have never given blood before, not to worry, it’s not as bad as you think. It is a painless and safe process—and most people do not feel any different after their donation. You can resume your daily activities less than 15 minutes after donating, and your body will replace all lost fluids within 24 hours.

What to Expect:

1. Registration, then a little mingling with neighbors
2. A mini-physical—which involves checking your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin level in a sample of blood.
3. Your donation (which takes less than 10 minutes)
4. After donating, you can have a snack and drink and continue mingling, then enjoy the rest of your day

How to Prepare

There’s not much you have to do in order to give blood. There are a few minor eligibility requirements in order to donate blood, but a professional can let you know on-site. It is suggested that you eat well and drink an extra 16 oz. of water and fluids before your donation. And if possible, get a good night’s rest the day before.

Giving blood takes little time; it’s convenient, and it’s an easy way to make a big difference.

If you have any questions about this Saturday’s blood drive, feel free to contact us. We hope to see you there!

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New Orleans Area Apartments Pave the Way for Walkers

Most New Orleans apartment residents have limited walking opportunities within their communities. For those who do little other fitness activity, walking is an easy, low-impact exercise that can elevate your body to a higher level of fitness and health. As one of the body’s most natural forms of exercise, it’s safe, simple and doesn’t require practice.

Brisk walking has been shown to be as much of a workout as jogging. Proven health benefits such as prevention of type 2 diabetes, heart strengthening, improved cognitive function, increased bone density, alleviation of depression symptoms, reduction of breast and colon cancer risk, and improvement of cardio-respiratory fitness help you feel good inside and out.

Be sure to make your walk more enjoyable by wearing comfortable shoes and protective clothing that may be layered for the weather. Spend a few minutes warming up and cooling down, including quadriceps, calf and hamstring stretches. An extremely versatile exercise, walking can be done virtually anywhere. Whether you choose to stay indoors on a treadmill or take the family dog out for a lap on the local walking path, the benefits are numerous and results dramatically improve over time.

Reap the benefits of this low-impact, high-yield exercise in the comfort of your own luxurious community. Brightly-lit walking paths are available at New Orleans area apartment communities including Citrus Creeks in River Ridge and can be a great way to start or end the day.

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More Americans Are Renting in 2010

A recent report provided by the national Internet Listing Service indicates, more Americans searching for apartments this year. This conclusion was based on the record-breaking traffic and growth Apartments.com is experiencing in 2010.  Apartments.com reports an increase in visits to the site by more than 14% through June this year compared to 2009 plus an increase in the number of email and telephone leads to its advertisers by nearly 19%. According to Kevin Doyle, senior vice president and general manager of Apartments.com, this could indicate an definite increase in the number of renters.

“Over the past five months, we have seen a significant spike in site traffic and increase in both phone and email leads. This tells us that renters are doing more than just browsing. They are ready to rent and engaging the apartment communities.”

For the apartment industry, peak rental season extends from April to August.  Apartments.com saw a slight shift in this activity as the bulk of traffic was noticed in the first quarter. Apartments.com reports to have sent more leads to advertisers in the first quarter of 2010 than any first quarter in its 12-year history. 1^st Lake Properties reports that historically, the same peaks and valleys in traffic usually occur. But experienced a rather noticeable peak of traffic in February, showing more apartment rental traffic than March and April of 2010.

According to the ILS, “…renters are accessing apartment information on their mobile phones. Record growth for Apartments.com extends beyond the computer to the mobile phone as evidenced by a more than 250% increase in mobile activity, and the number of consumers accessing apartment community information through text has more than doubled.”

Local management companies such as 1^st Lake Properties, prepared for this possible upturn based on the lull in traffic the previous apartment rental season seemed to show. Offering not only renovation apartments for rent, but introducing into the market place rent events such as the “River Ridge Reduced Rent Event” & Event 2, and “Money 2 Move Now“, to assist a new influx of renter’s with move-in costs.

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