She Wanted a New Orleans Home Fit for a Parade
A Family’s Journey to the Heart of the Action
In the summer of 1987, Ohio University student Deidra Edwards moved to New Orleans for a special gig: working aboard a Mississippi River steamboat as it churned between New Orleans and Minneapolis. It led to a full-time job, followed by a marriage to a local, the birth of two children, and a comfortable suburban life on the city’s West Bank, across the river from the French Quarter.
Reassessing Life after Loss
When Ms. Edwards’s husband died in 2021, it forced her to reassess. Her son and daughter were attending school on the other side of the river, and the sometimes hourlong commute was becoming untenable. Plus, they were clamoring to move closer to their friends and to the heart of the action in New Orleans.
A Strategy for Success
“My kids were looking forward to getting off the West Bank, and I was thinking about my future,” said Ms. Edwards, 58. “In a couple of years when my kids are off to college, I wanted a cool place to be, where I can be part of the social culture of New Orleans. Like Mardi Gras.”
Over the years, Ms. Edwards has bought several properties in the area, sticking to a strategy. “I haven’t sold my houses — I keep them,” she said, describing how she turned her old home on the West Bank into an Airbnb. “Once you buy your first house and you realize that in a couple of years you’ll have equity, it’s a great feeling. You think, ‘Wow! I bought it for this, and now it’s worth this!’ I like seeing the value increase over time.”
A New Orleans Home Fit for a Parade
Last year, she zeroed in on New Orleans’s Uptown neighborhood, an area known for its century-old mansions. Running through it is St. Charles Avenue, perhaps the city’s second most famous street (after Bourbon), lined with oak trees and bustling with streetcars.
Proximity to St. Charles Avenue
Proximity to St. Charles Avenue carries significant cachet among New Orleans home buyers because the street hosts many of the city’s Mardi Gras parades. While tourists may experience Mardi Gras as a dazed stumble down Bourbon Street, many locals prefer it on St. Charles. It’s an important detail in any property listing near the street.
What the Agent Says
“Everybody wants to be walking distance to the parades so that they have access to a bathroom,” said Margaret Stewart, a local agent with Compass.
A Forever Home
Ms. Edwards spent weekends hopping from one open house to the next. She included properties that could be partitioned — meaning she could live in half of it and rent out the other half, allowing her to keep a flexible budget. She started in the $850,000 range, but could go over $1 million for the right “forever home.”
Wishlist
On her wishlist: three bedrooms for herself and her two children, and at least three bathrooms. A corner lot, to maximize light. And an Uptown location where she could enjoy Mardi Gras and host friends.
What Happened Next?
Find out the rest of the story by answering these two questions:
FAQs
Q: What motivated Deidra Edwards to move to a new home in New Orleans?
A: After her husband’s death, she wanted to be closer to her children and the heart of the action in New Orleans.
Q: What was her strategy for buying and holding onto properties?
A: She turned her old home into an Airbnb and kept other properties, focusing on increasing their value over time.
Q: What was her wishlist for her new home?
A: Three bedrooms, at least three bathrooms, a corner lot, and an Uptown location close to St. Charles Avenue for Mardi Gras parades.
