October is my favorite month. Not only is it home to my favorite holiday, it’s the start of my favorite season. I mean, who doesn’t love fall? The weather starts to cool (hopefully), you have the holidays coming up, (which may look different this year, but we will do our best), it’s football season and kids are back in school — OK, sort of. Yes, this year looks a lot different than every other, but I’m determined to stay optimistic that someday soon I’ll be walking out of the house into cooler, crisper air clad in jeans and a cozy sweater.
It’s funny how the simple things have become so big right now.
For Biz, October means it’s time for our annual real estate issue, and there’s definitely plenty going on. National trends are very much on display here, whether that’s an increased demand for homes with pools or increased demand (and therefore costs) of construction materials. We’re excited to have 12 top industry professionals share their thoughts on all areas of local real estate. Other topics covered in this issue include senior living, student housing, tenant bankruptcy options and affordable housing. We also have a look at a local real estate firm’s stunning new Garden District headquarters and talk to the star of the new HGTV show starring New Orleans that just launched last month. Plus, our esteemed columnist and dining guru Poppy Tooker delves into the fight for survival being waged by neighborhood bars, and our award-winning sportswriter Chris Price speaks with retailers affected by the altered pro football setup.
This month also marks Biz New Orleans’ sixth anniversary. Anniversaries are funny: On one hand, it feels like yesterday that Errol Laborde and I were trying to piece together the first issue. On another, it’s amazing to think of all the ways the magazine, and this city, have grown and changed. Thank you for sticking with us, and if you haven’t yet, I invite you to check out our new weekly podcast series, Biz Talks, on BizNewOrleans.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Finally, the idea for this annual real estate issue was the result of a partnership with NOMAR/CID to coincide with their annual Economic & Real Estate Forecast Symposium, which this year will be a 2-day virtual experience available to anyone interested in hearing the latest on “The New Orleans Economy: Pivoting to the New Normal” from industry thought leaders, researchers and investors. The symposium will take place Oct. 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit NOMAR.org.
Happy Halloween! And thanks for reading,
Kimberley Singletary, Managing Editor
