Old Metairie is one of the metropolitan area’s oldest and most sought after neighborhoods by families in the area. The area’s main vein, Metairie Road, is home to numerous retail shops, salons and other businesses that serve not only area residents, but also visitors from all over the city.
Boasting a bustling shopping scene, Metairie Road features various boutiques selling apparel and accessories, and FeBe has been on the scene since 2003. Featuring upscale women’s clothing, shoes and handbags, FeBe has been at their current location since ’05.
“We love that we’re a neighborhood store,” says Store Manager Ron Jones. “It allows us to really get to know our clients and be able to order merchandise based on their needs.”
FeBe’s fall collections are arriving now and feature a lot of leather, a continuing trend from last fall. Jones also highlights the return of the poncho in fashion and plans to stock them in several fabrications and weights, making it a perfect style of outerwear for the New Orleans climate.
New to Metairie Road but well known to New Orleans shoe lovers, Feet First opened their newest location in October 2013 with the same wide variety of women’s fashion and comfort shoes featured at their Magazine Street store. Some of their most popular brands include Kork-Ease, Naot, Bernardo, Sam Edelman, FitFlop and Volatile.
“Opening on Metairie Road seemed like the logical next step,” says co-owner Evie Poitevent. “It’s still in the Greater New Orleans area and doesn’t require a long commute. It’s a more convenient location for a lot of our regulars.”
Feet First
Another regular stop for Metairie Road shoppers, Banbury Cross is a one-stop-shop for children’s clothes, accessories and toys with special occasion attire, monogramming and more. In business for 20 years, Banbury Cross has spent almost half that time in Old Metairie.
Fall merchandise is now arriving daily with new attire to help show team spirit. Sure to be hot sellers, items in purple and gold as well as those featuring fleur de lis make up the local favorites.
“For the older girls, tweed, fur vests, leggings and boots will be a big hit this season. For boys, we have great basic gingham shorts and pants with matching shirts that are perfect for transitioning into the fall weather,” says Owner Peggy Roth.
Boudreaux’s Jewelers has been a New Orleans staple for over 80 years and is now in its third generation as a family-owned business. Next year, Boudreaux’s will celebrate its 30th year on Metairie Road, a testament to their commitment to customer service. A full-service jewelry store, Boudreaux’s offers sales, repairs and appraisals in addition to being manufacturers.
This September, Boudreaux’s will feature a new cut of stone, the L’Amour Crisscut from Christopher Designs. An elongated, cushion shape, the L’Amour Crisscut makes a stone look about 30 percent larger.
“Cut in a unique way, the stone is reflective and beautiful – one of the most interesting designs we’ve picked up recently and great for engagements,” says Boudreaux.
A more recent addition to the Metairie Road jewelry scene, Hiller Jewelry arrived in the neighborhood five years ago. Hiller Jewelry specializes in diamond engagement rings and high-end fashion jewelry.
“We are very excited about designer Meira T,” says Vice President Lisa Biderman. “We recently went to the Vegas jewelry show and purchased designs by Meira T including delicate charm pieces and edgy bangle bracelets.”
Hiller Jewelry recently launched a new website that allows clients the option of scheduling their own personal appointments. Shoppers looking for something unique can enjoy a one-on-one consultation with Hiller experts.
In addition to retail, Metairie Road is also host to a number of salons and spas. Emily LaBorde Cheramie is the owner of a new addition to Metairie Road and a growing trend in the salon industry. BLEU, a Blowdry Bar is a blowout-focused hair salon specializing in blowouts, up-dos and make-up applications – no colors or cuts. BLEU will celebrate one year in September.
“New Orleans is such a fun city, full of special events,” says Cheramie, who has enjoyed the salon’s proximity to surrounding attractions and the central convenience of Old Metairie to the rest of the city.
BLEU is a great resource for summertime frizz-control, and Cheramie is excited to now offer Keratin Express, a one-hour treatment that tames curly and unruly hair.
Hair is also the focus at Glenn Michael Salons, which has served clients for 20 years.
“Glenn Michael Salons is the perfect fit for the Metairie Road community as it services an upscale fashion savvy and active clientele of both women and men,” says Master Designer Glenn Michael Milliet. According to Milliet, the team focuses on delivering “confident beauty” through their products and services, which range from contemporary and classic haircuts to coloring, texturizing and hair restoration.
“Hair is a woman’s most versatile fashion accessory. It is an integral part of a person’s self-esteem and self-image,” says Milliet. Glenn Michael Salons offers the new Evolve Hair Restoration System for women experiencing thinning or hair loss and is the No. 1 Evolve Volumizer salon in America.
In addition to shopping for the self, Metairie Road features a number of options for the home. According to Carly Wilton, “JADE is the ultimate designer resource. We have a 4,000-square-foot contemporary showroom with fine furniture, art and accessories.” In addition to their showroom, JADE also offers interior design services through in-house designer Tina Lagasse. Brand-new to its site (but not to Metairie), JADE opened its new location in June.
“Since we are a business that revolves around interior home furnishings, it’s great to be located in the center of an active neighborhood,” says Wilton. The new showroom, lighting gallery and designer workroom allow JADE staff to focus on offering a one-stop-shop for all things home design.
Also featuring products for the home, The Linen Registry specializes fine linens for the bed, bath and table. Owner Lee McKee opened the location on Metairie Road in 1997.
“I grew up in Old Metairie and have always known that it’s a wonderful place to build a home and raise a family. When I decided to open my business, I couldn’t imagine a better area,” says McKee.
McKee is excited to expand their lines of linen sprays this year, which will include a new one for homes with dogs, called Good Dog.
“I have tested it in my own house, as I have two large dogs who don’t know they are dogs. The Good Dog spray helps neutralize that doggie smell. I love it!” says McKee.
The Linen Registry
Despite its plethora of boutique shops and salons, the Old Metairie area isn’t only for adults. Since 2012, Palm Tree Playground has served as the go-to indoor playground for birthday parties and walk-in play. A great escape for bad weather days, Palm Tree Playground is close to many Metairie neighborhoods.
“Our birthday parties and walk-in play continue to be most popular, but we now have character play dates,” says Co-Owner Heather Hays. “We partnered with a local company with experience at popular theme parks. Their characters come alive for both the kids and parents.”
Parties at Palm Tree Playground eliminate the need for planning with all details included. Exclusive for St. Charles Avenue readers, they’re offering $50 off parties through September 30.
Do not forget to grab a bite to eat while exploring what’s new in Old Metairie. Celebrating 18 years this year, Vega Tapas is a hot local spot for Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Offering full-service fine dining and a well curated wine bar, Vega Tapas offers local guests an annual “tour” of the Mediterranean every summer. A progressive tour of tasting menus (five to nine courses), each week showcases the exotic food of various countries bordering the Great Inland Sea. Featured countries in August include Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Spain.
Banbury Cross: 100 Atherton Drive, 837-0447
BLEU, a Blowdry Bar: 701 Metairie Road, Suite 112-2A, 309-5999, BleuABlowdryBar.com
Boudreaux’s Jewelers: 701 Metairie Road, 831-2602, BoudreauxsJewelers.com
FeBe: 474 Metairie Road, Suite 102, 835-5250
Feet First: 200 Metairie Road, 324-9124, FeetFirstStores.com
Glenn Michael Salons: 1623 Metairie Road, 828-6848, GlennMichaelSalon.com
Hiller Jewelry: 923 Metairie Road, 837-8200, HillerJewelry.com
JADE: 324 Metairie Road, 875-4420, JadeNola.com
The Linen Registry: 204 Metairie Road, 831-8228,
Palm Tree Playground: 3011 N. Interstate 10 Service Road E., 828-8164, PalmTreePlayground.com
Vega Tapas: 2051 Metairie Road, 836-2007, VegasTapasCafe.com
