Category Archives: French Quarter

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2016 French Quarter & Treme Holiday Concerts and Jackson Square Caroling deets

Caroling Sunday, December 18 Jackson Square
Sponsored by Patio Planters since 1946

Candles and song sheets provided. Gates open at 6:30 pm and Caroling begins promptly at 7pm. Free and open to the public.

St. Louis Cathedral Concerts
The St. Louis Cathedral concerts, produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. as part of Christmas New Orleans Style, generally run for an hour, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The concerts are open to the public and donations are welcome to help fund the cost of the series.
November 17, 2016 (6:30PM) The Jones Sisters (Gospel)
November 20, 2016 Jean-Baptiste Monnot (Classical)
December 1, 2016 Joe Lastie’s Family Gospel (Gospel)
December 4, 2016 Charmaine Neville (Jazz/R & B)
December 5, 2016 Rachel Van Voorhees (Harp/Classical)
December 6, 2016 Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots (Zydeco)
December 8, 2016 Greater St. Stephen Mass (Choir Gospel)
December 11, 2016 Tim Laughlin (Jazz)
December 12, 2016 Alexis & the Samurai w/ Guests (Pop/Folk)
December 13, 2016 Irma Thomas Sings Gospel (Gospel)
December 14, 2016 Tony Green and Gypsy Jazz (Gypsy Jazz)
December 15, 2016 Christmas Organ Spectacular w/ Emmanuel Arakélian (Classical)
December 18, 2016 (5:30) St. Louis Cathedral Annual Concert

St. Augustine Catholic Church Concerts
St Augustine is the oldest African-American Catholic church in the United States and is located at 1210 Gov. Nicholls Street in the historic Treme neighborhood. Free secure parking is available in the church’s parking lot – enter from Henriette Delille Street.

The St. Augustine Church holiday concerts, produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. as part of Christmas New Orleans Style, run for an hour, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public and donations are welcome to help fund the cost of the series.
December 3, 2016 James Andrews(Jazz)
December 10, 2016 Shades of Praise (Gospel)
December 17, 2016 Original Tuxedo Jazz Band

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Macaroni Factory

There are some eras of the French Quarter that are better understood than others. The 16-month history of the city under the Confederacy is beloved by many for example (likely for more divisive reasons), or how we dote on the later French Republic era versus the chaotic, earlier French colonial era. The Sicilian era is certainly well-loved but it lacks formal sites or places to stop and view its history. Yet Sicilians have had such an enormous impact on New Orleans, including the growth of truck vending, food production, corner store proliferation and attention to certain saints holidays.

This article is a lovely account of one such family history in the French Quarter.

Source: A skeptic finds her family’s roots in an old macaroni factory

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New Orleans fiction submissions encouraged

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! SPREAD THE WORD!

 

Crescent City Books is pleased to announce our new imprint, CCB. We (with sister store Commonwealth Books) have published a decade’s worth of acclaimed international poetry. We’re now venturing into prose, specifically that set in New Orleans. Not “Southern lit” or folky fiction, but the dual lens of a microscope on New Orleans and a telescope on the rest of the world. We’re looking for fresh style and voice.
Completed novels (again, only those set in New Orleans) may be submitted to ccbsubmissions@gmail.com Body of email should include query/brief bio/1st chapter. Word file or PDF of entire novel should be attached.

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Connect.the.dots.

I’m sorely disappointed in how many French Quarter/CBD business and property owners have outlawed bike parking on their gallery poles and are now threatening to cut or pour glue in locks that do park there. This is an assault on those of us who do our best to not over use heavy vehicles that damage those same buildings, as well as those who travel to the Qtr to work at low-paying jobs in service to all of us. Many riders start or finish their work day while most of us are in bed and then are being forced to walk blocks to find a safe place to lock their bicycle, further endangering their safety. Isn’t it better to have constant “eyes on the street” than a bike-free post for someone else to leave their discarded go cup balanced on or to pee against? What’s more is that few of those who have outlawed parking at their building do anything to get more racks or try to find ways to share the streets with us. And many of those here who have needlessly declared war on their human-powered neighbors are tsk-tsking over the actions of the government against DAPL protesters – how will we actually have a future that requires less of these actions you ask? Well, maybe by encouraging walkable/bikeable streets and using public transportation when necessary. I am very saddened by this turn of events among my neighbors.  And no, I do not need nor will allow any bashing of bicyclists here. Of course there are those among us who don’t move their bikes every 10 hours (so precious eyes don’t have to look upon someone else’s property touching theirs) or who ride in such a way as to make it harder for others, but the majority of us who do our best to be fair and careful are the ones who really suffer with these punitive actions. Design your actions in that direction instead. 

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Celebrate the birthday of the Baroness Pontalba

How funny- Maybe I should ask the Baroness a few questions since I am researching the commercial history of Jackson Square and of the Pontalbas. (And I wonder if the Grand Duchess will come back in town for this?)

 

At the Upper Pontalba Building, Jackson Square
THURSDAY, November 3th 5-7 p.m. 500 block of St. Peter Street
Meet the Baroness—Shop—Eat Cake—Enjoy Opera

A Celebration of the Life of Micaela Leonarda Antonia Almonester y Rojas, Baroness de Pontalba (Born: November 6, 1795, New Orleans, LA; Died: April 20, 1874, Paris, France). The Baroness Pontalba is the namesake of and responsible for the design, development, and construction of the Pontalba buildings on Jackson Square, the oldest continually rented apartment buildings in the United States. The Upper Pontalba Building is managed by the French Market Corporation and is part of the French Market District.

***Spend $25 in one of the participating Shops at the Upper Pontalba on Saint Peter Street and get a raffle ticket to win items from the Shops at the Upper Pontalba! You must be present to win. Raffles will be at 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. **

Event Schedule:

Enjoy extended shop hours, retail specials, live opera, historical characters in costume, and a chance to meet Dr. Christina Vella, the author of the definitive biography of the Baroness Pontalba, “INTIMATE ENEMIES”
Signed Paperback copies of the book will be for sale at Muse at 532 St. Peter Street throughout the evening
5:00-7:00 p.m. Louisiana History Alive presents The Baroness Pontalba in person!
5:30 p.m. Raffle #1. Spend $25 in one of the participating Shops at the Upper Pontalba on Saint Peter Street and get a raffle ticket to win items from the Shops at the Upper Pontalba! You must be present to win.
6:15 p.m. Raffle #2!
5:45-6:30 p.m. New Orleans Opera Association performs from a balcony above the Shops at the Upper Pontalba
6:00-7:00 p.m. Book signing by Christina Vella, author of Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of Baroness de Pontalba
6:30 p.m. Happy Birthday, Baroness! Join us in singing Happy Birthday and sharing cake
6:45 p.m. Raffle #3! Spend $25 in one of the participating Shops at the Upper Pontalba on Saint Peter Street and get a raffle ticket to win items from the Shops at the Upper Pontalba! You must be present to win.

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STRs

 Dear Councilmembers,
I wanted to give you my input once last time on STRs and thank you for your interest in hearing from everyone.
• I am in favor of limited owner-occupied or one listing STRs by on-site renters (with written approval of the owner) capped at 4 per calendar year for owner-occupied listings and 2 per year for one listings for on-site renters.
• I believe that STRS can be linked to property tax records,  especially to homestead exemptions. I believe penalties for multiple listings should result in massive fines to discourage scofflaws.That money should be set aside for a off-site (not at CH!) STR center for managing inspections and regulation to be housed. Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative may be a good location for this; I have no relationship to them, but think they could manage this well. This should be a public office and have a system for managing complaints against STRS including using affidavit system similar to taxi complaints.
• I am not in favor of whole house STRs under any circumstance.
• I do not believe that any neighborhood- including the Quarter or the CBD- should have any version of different allowances for the number of STRs than any other. I live in the Quarter and have friends that live in the CBD and we all deserve protection. The population of my area has risen in the last 15 years and is a world-class example of “mixed-use” done right. Allowing any version of unlimited STRS is death to any neighborhood held dear. It ain’t all rich folks and second homes. Please do away with unlimited STRS in commercial “zones.”
•I believe that this city could influence STR sites like airbnb to pin abutting neighbor reviews to the main page of any  legal hosting listing to encourage good neighbor STRs.
• To paraphrase Abigail Adams, I’d like you to consider the small hotels. I live across from one of these in the Quarter and it is  a great neighbor. Not only do they maintain their property very well, they are generous to their neighbors and offer 24/7 “eyes on the street” They need to be encouraged to remain by limiting any STRS within some distance of their site. Their hotels should also be allowed to be listed on any NOLa-managed STR site without needing to be licensed as such. The skyscraper hotels are bad for neighborhoods and for crime levels, (and for jobs, having worked in a few!) Limit any more of those in favor of small hotels in neighborhoods on main streets.
• I believe that every neighborhood organization should map their area and find 1-2 areas for zoning of boarding houses for long-term visitors. These folks often become permanent residents.
• The city should incentivize these efforts with small business assistance, business prep and tax forgiveness.
•A new program to incentivize residential rental should begin to encourage long-term leases (3 years or more).
 • Areas long undervalued should be given tax incentives and construction loans to add more affordable residential units, directed to certain sectors like the upper floors on Canal street for service industry workers.
• The issue that has risen with STRs points to the issue with rentals and renter rights in all versions of contracts and needs to be undertaken by a regional task force designed and led by this Council.
Thank you for your efforts.