Gentilly : Neighborhood in New Orleans

The first part of Gentilly to be developed was along the Gentilly Ridge, a long stretch of high ground along the former banks of Bayou Gentilly. A road, originally named Gentilly Road was built on the ridge, and formed a path into today’s French Quarter. The high ground became Gentilly Boulevard and U.S. Highway 90, part of the Old Spanish Trail which stretches from St. Augustine, Florida to Los Angeles, California.

Settlement was originally confined to this long narrow ridge, since most of the ground between the ridge and the lake was swampy. The first residential section adjacent to the ridge, Gentilly Terrace, dating to the early 20th century, was built by excavating and piling up the earth in the shallow swamp to create blocks of terraced land where houses could be built. With the development of improved drainage pumps, land reclamation and higher lakefront levees, the land extending from the ridge to the lake was developed by the mid-20th century, and the entire area popularly came to be known as Gentilly.

Residents are drawn to Gentilly due to the New Orleans Fair Grounds that hosts horse racing and the loved New Orleans festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Along with the three colleges; University of New Orleans, Dillard University, and Southern University in the area.

Some of the neighborhoods included in Gentilly include Dillard, Filmore, Milneburg, Mirabeau Gardens, Edgewood,Gentilly Terrace, Gentilly Heights, Gentilly Woods, Pontchartrain Park, and St. Anthony.

When you need a real estate agent or broker in Gentilly, Burk Brokerage Agents are your neighborhood real estate experts!