Belle Chasse, LA Community Information
Every neighborhood has a personality of its own. Residents born and raised in one part of town express extreme allegiance to that geographic spot. Belle Chasse—in Plaquemines Parish on the West Bank of New Orleans—is no exception. Residents are exceptionally loyal to this part of a sprawling neighborhood that stretches from the banks of the Mississippi River on the east to the state's flourishing bayous and wetlands on the south. Between those areas, Belle Chasse is one of the oldest developed areas on the West Bank and is a stone's throw across the Mississippi River to the French Quarter and the Central Business District.
Home buyers, renters and real estate investors looking for historic homes at very reasonable values have turned to Belle Chasse and its environs for more than 100 years. Newer generations may also choose from contemporary homes and traditional ranch styles in newer sections of town. The combination urban/rural neighborhood, the government seat of Plaquemines Parish, is a destination for home buyers looking to find a range of properties. Price ranges also run the gamut throughout Belle Chasse.
Residents express their love of the area's rural feel, even though it is a few minutes from New Orleans proper. Belle Chasse is also one of the areas on the West Bank where you will find a mixture of residents—those who can trace their ancestry back several generations living alongside New Orleans natives, newly transplanted young professionals and die-hard West Bankers—all proud to call this part of the New Orleans area their home.
Parks of Plantation uptown-style home.
Belle Chasse Location & Logistics
Belle Chasse stretches about 28 square miles from north of F. Edward Hebert Boulevard and the bend of the Mississippi River on the north, Buccaneer Road on the south, Engineers Road on the west and the Mississippi River on the east.
This community is easily accessible from New Orleans via the Crescent City Connection Bridge and the West Bank Expressway, the Huey P. Long Bridge and the ferries from Chalmette and Canal Street. Belle Chasse also leads south to lush fishing and boating, bayous and swamps.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is only about 20-30 minutes away, and rail and bus lines are also conveniently located throughout this region. Several independent air strips and helicopter pads are also located in Belle Chasse.
Mediterranean style home in Pleasant Ridge Estates.
Springwood Estates home.
Belle Chasse Home & Community Info
Belle Chasse is known as a close-knit community where residents seem to know each other well. It is home to the popular Bayou Barriere Golf Course and Club, the 30-acre Louisiana Medal of Honor Park and Museum, the annual Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival and the annual Orange Fest and Crawfish Fest.
Belle Chasse is also dotted with neighborhood parks and walking trails, sports facilities, plus street-side fruit and vegetable stands (selling produce from the many local farms in the area). The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is in Belle Chasse, home to the Naval Air Station for the U.S. Navy Reserves (along with the Air Force Reserve Fighter Squadron, the Marine Corps Reserve Helicopter Unit and the Louisiana Air Force Air National Guard). The military units are also among the area's most prolific employers.
This community is also close to the first-class shopping and dining destinations in the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans. Nearby Gretna, Terrytown and Harvey also offer exceptional shopping choices. Belle Chasse is dotted with neighborhood seafood, Cajun and ethnic restaurants, which are always a big draw with residents.
Belle Chasse Demographics
- Population: 12,500
- Households: 3,800
- Schools: There are nearly two dozen public, private and parochial schools (with access to hundreds more throughout the West Bank and the rest of Jefferson and Orleans Parishes), plus more than a dozen privately owned preschools.
- Healthcare: Ochsner Health System offers full services at its Health Center in Belle Chasse and Ochsner West Bank on Belle Chasse Highway in Gretna, while West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero and St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling also offer full medical services. Other local medical facilities, urgent care centers, surgical centers, medical office complexes and clinics serve residents throughout the West Bank and in all of Jefferson and Orleans Parishes.
- Churches: There are about 15 churches of every denomination in Belle Chasse proper and access to hundreds more throughout the area.
Home Buyer Resources
Springwood Estates home with a pool, Jacuzzi and cabana.
The Belle Chasse Auditorium is a gathering place for residents and a favorite venue for weddings, parties, fund-raisers and meetings.
Custon-built home in Springwood Estates.
Bell at the Public Library, from Benjamin's Belle Chasse Plantation. In French, belle chasse means "beautiful hunting." and many believe the town was so named because of the plentiful wildlife in the area. Others say it was named for Colonel Joseph D. Bellechasse, who lived in New Orleans around the late 18th and early 19th century. Alternatively, it is believed to be named after the plantation of Deville de Goutin Bellechasse.
Colonial two-story home in The Woodlands.