The word "Metiarie is  French meaning "Small Tenant Farm." In the 1970s, the majority of French farmers were ternant farmer owing part of their profit to their landlord.

In about 1915, a streetcar line ran along Metairie Road to Shrewsbury sparking development in the area. After World War II, development really progressed and now you will see homes of many distinct archetectural designs. Just a few of these are English Tudors, Neo Classic, Colonial Revivals and Mission Revivals.

Old Metairie today is a highly sought after and beloved community. It is so loved by even people wishing to build their own home that it is not unusual to see a home purchased and torn down for the sake of owning a piece of prime land to establish a new home.

The boundaries of Old Metairie today run along Airline Highway and Causeway Blvd to Veterans Memorial Parkway and the Seventeenth Street Canal.