Ponchatoula is a Louisiana city that is located about 40 miles to the northwest of New Orleans. The city is located within the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area. Nicknamed the “Strawberry Capital of the World”, Ponchatoula was first established as the location of a logging camp in the early 1800’s. It was not until 1861 that Ponchatoula was incorporated as a town. The name Ponchatoula itself comes from the Choctaw language. The term means “flowing hair”.
Shopping and Dining
The Berryland Shopping Center located off of Oak Meadow Lane is one of the most prominent shopping resources in Ponchatoula. This shopping center includes a Winn-Dixie supermarket, an H&R Block, and a Dollar General. There is also a Walgreens store located nearby. The Gateway Shopping Center is another important shopping resource near Ponchatoula real estate.
The Roux & Brew Seafood and Steak House is a popular restaurant for seafood and traditional American food in Ponchatoula. This restaurant is located on Southwest Railroad Avenue. Paul’s Cafe on East Pine Street offer typically diner dishes, and Mi Patio Mexican Restaurant on North Baronne Street offers traditional Mexicans dishes like quesadillas and burritos. Fast food restaurants located in town include a Pizza Hut near West Pine Street and South 8th Street and a McDonald’s on West Pine Street.
Parks and Recreation
Many parks are scattered across the map of Ponchatoula. Kiwanis Park stretches between South 6th Street and South 7th Street just to the South of West Magnolia Street, and Jaycee Park os located along West Willow Street. Just to the southeast of town, the Joyce Wildlife Management Area is a great resource for residents of Ponchatoula real estate who are interested in exploring the outdoors. This is a 16,394 acre expanse of wetland that is mostly managed by the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries.
There are many recreational resources in Ponchatoula run by the Ponchatoula Department of Parks & Recreation. Activities run by the department include line dancing, zumba, and piyo classes. The department also runs youth sports leagues including basketball, football, kickball, and baseball.
The Hammond Recreation Department also runs many recreational resources that can be reached within minutes of Ponchatoula real estate. Among them are the Hammond Recreation Center on West Coleman Avenue and the Chappapeela Sports Park.
Living
Ponchatoula boasts a fairly low cost of living in comparison to other United States communities. At $141,907, median home values in this community are roughly on par with median home values on average in the entire state of Louisiana. Residents of Ponchatoula enjoy the area’s low population density and surrounding natural scenery.
Schools, Healthcare, and Transportation
Young residents of Ponchatoula can attend school at either a public or private institution. Ponchatoula High School is a secondary school located in town on Highway 22. This school is run by the Tangipahoa Parsh School System. Other public schools in Ponchatoula include Ponchatoula Junior High School, Champ Cooper Elementary School, Tucker Memorial Elementary School, and Martha Vinyard Elementary School. This district runs schools in not only Ponchatoula, but also in communities including Hammond and Amite City.
St. Joseph School on North 8th Street is a possible options for Ponchatoula students who are interested in attending a private school. This schools offers an education to students between the grades of pre-kindergarten and eighth grade. For higher level education, Southeastern Louisiana University is located nearby in Hammond and the University of New Orleans is located just under 40 miles away in New Orleans.
The North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond is located only eight minutes from Ponchatoula real estate and offers healthcare services including childbirth care, robotic surgery, open-heart surgery, diagnostic testing, and more. For family medical services Ponchatoula residents can head to the Allens Family Practice Clinic on East Oak Street in Ponchatoula or Michael J. Kozel Family Medicine on West Oak Street.
There is no public transportation service offered in Ponchatoula itself. However, there is an Amtrak station located about six miles from Ponchatoula on Northwest Railroad Avenue in Hammond. There is also a Greyhound station located about 50 minutes away on Loyola Avenue in New Orleans. Ponchatoula has its own airport known as Steven’s Strip.
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