Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and the most populous suburb of New Orleans, sprawling along the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It is not a destination in its own right for most travelers, but if you are visiting New Orleans, you may well find yourself here for the food. Many locals will tell you that some of the best restaurants in the metro area are actually in Metairie, where rents are lower and parking is easier.
The area is thoroughly suburban in character, built largely in the postwar decades, but Metairie Cemetery is a genuinely striking place to visit. Its elaborate above-ground tombs and monuments rival those of the more famous cemeteries in the French Quarter, without the crowds — and the story of its origin on the site of a racetrack is one of the better pieces of local lore. Fat City, a commercial district that had its heyday in the 1970s, has seen something of a revival with new restaurants and bars moving in. Lafreniere Park offers a green escape with a lagoon and good birdwatching.
For food, Drago's on North Arnoult Road invented the charbroiled oyster and has been doing it right since 1969.
Metairie makes a practical base for visiting New Orleans if you prefer easy highway access over the atmosphere of the French Quarter. The drive into the city center takes about twenty minutes outside of rush hour, and you will save a good deal on accommodation.