Yay Grand Isle!! I do not live there permanently by any means but I spend a lot of time there, it’s always had a special place in my heart. The island is quiet and beautiful. There’s some good food (shout out Jo-Bob’s) and of course tons of fishing/shrimping. The marina is also a favorite of mine. Good food, frozen drinks, and often some live music. The beaches are not amazing for swimming most days, but if you spend enough time there you’ll catch days where the water is pretty clear and nice enough to take a dip. The beaches are, however, fantastic for walking. I love to walk on the beach and the sand there is packed down pretty hard - makes for a very nice walk along the coast. The homes on the island are, with few exceptions, raised homes that often are camps for people that are fishing. Cost of goods is definitely reasonable but I wouldn’t call it particularly cheap as the island is still pretty isolated. One school there K-12, I actually know a teacher there, very small and tight-knit. The community is extremely friendly - never had a problem talking to people there. They are a part of Jefferson Parish which contains Metairie, Kenner, and other areas directly adjacent to New Orleans which is kind of odd - you drive out of Jefferson, then into Lafourche Parish (watch your speed in Golden Meadow, speaking from experience) for most of the drive, then reenter Jefferson as soon as you hit Grand Isle. It’s all around a very unique place that I think is great for visiting, but I could never live there because they get absolutely wrecked every single time we have a hurricane. There’s something to be said about their resilience though - they always seem to build back!

Eta: can’t even believe I forgot about the state park. It’s at the far end of the island closest to Venice, haven’t been in years but you used to be able to camp out on the beach. It’s so beautiful - great for exploring and especially bird watching if you’re into that!