Pontchartrain Park & Gentilly Woods | New Orleans Real Estate & Neighborhood Info

Pontchartrain Park and Gentilly Woods are next-door neighbors, but two very distinct New Orleans neighborhoods.

Developed to be the first neighborhood for upper- and middle-class African-Americans to be homeowners, Pontchartrain Park was one of the last parts of Gentilly to be developed. It opened in 1955 and includes Southern University, a 200-acre golf course, and park and playground space. Pontchartrain Park’s opening was a massive leap in housing opportunities for African-Americans in New Orleans. As a result, there were paved streets, air conditioning, and washers and dryers. Residents who first called the area home were used to living in areas where their own children couldn’t play in neighborhood parks. Therefore, Pontchartrain Park offered a lifestyle not available elsewhere in the city for Black citizens.

Housing styles included cottages, brick ranches, and even some mid-century modern homes.

Gentilly Woods was once a “white neighborhood” that was developed in the 1940s. Finished in 1950, it provided many GI starter homes. Home to many brick ranches and cottages, it provides easy access to the interstate. While not extremely walkable, residents of Gentilly Woods will need a car to get around town. This New Orleans neighborhood has recently seen investors move in and begin renovating properties. Still one of the city’s most affordable places, Gentilly Woods offers off-street parking and fenced yards.

Lagniappe: Gentilly Woods was built around an old Native American portage, with curving streets throughout. Pontchartrain Park streets are curvilinear and have no direct routes outside the neighborhood. This design created privacy and improved pedestrian safety.