NEW ORLEANS EAST

New Orleans East is that area of New Orleans to the east of the Industrial Canal, bounded by Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet to the south. Development in the area began when M. L. Morrison, Frank B. Haynes, Robert H. Downman and others organized the New Orleans Lakeshore Land Company in 1910. Three major streets in the area are named for them. Over time, residences were built along the lake at Hayne Boulevard, off Downman in Pines Village, and in developments along Chef Menteur Highway. Chef Menteur Highway is a continuation of Gentilly Boulevard, and both are on the Metairie/Bayou Sauvage Ridge. For a number of years New Orleans East was known as Gentilly East.

Everyone is familiar with the colorful character, Chiquita Banana. The corporate giant whose bananas are marketed by this successful advertising creation is today called Chiquita Brands International, but was originally known as the United Fruit Company. Samuel Zemurray, who had masterminded the overthrow of the Honduran government in 1905 to establish a government favorable to his business, forcibly established himself as United Fruit's President in 1933. The company today owns approximately 100,000 acres of land in Central America. Along the way, Samuel Zemurray, whose residence was the magnificent home at #2 Audubon Place, acquired quite a bit of land himself including a huge tract in what is today known as New Orleans East. The Zemurray tract was acquired by Las Vegas casino operator, Joe Brown, in 1967. Mrs. Joe Brown became the owner upon Mr. Brown's death. A man named Marvin Kratta and his LaKratt Corporation bought the vast acreage from Mrs. Brown not long afterward. National Equities out of Chicago was the parent company, and a subsidiary was formed known as Lake Forest, Inc. Lake Forest became the new name for the huge tract.

Great care and planning went into the development of the many neighborhoods that were part of the Lake Forest area, many of which were built around beautiful lakes. Some of the new subdivisions were given classic British names like Kenilworth, Huntington Park and Wimbledon. The Faubourg de Montluzin is a 32,000 acre tract of land located on the Eastern side of town below Paris Road and extending to Chef Menteur. It comprises one-fourth of the land area of corporate New Orleans. Texas tycoon Clint Murchison owned this tract. New Orleans East, Inc., subdivided and developed part of this vast tract after NASA came to Michoud. A later campaign to change the name of New Orleans East to Orlandia met with little success, but today the whole area of Eastern New Orleans from the Industrial Canal eastward is known as New Orleans East. A more recent development is the opening of Jazzland, a large theme park in Eastern New Orleans.