Category Archives: French Quarter

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Resiliency to some, Reconstruction to others

Full confession: I am one of the (minor) organizers who contributed to the discourse around resiliency when it was first raised a few years back. I like the term, but, like other terms like sustainability and social entrepreneurial, it gets overused and used incorrectly.

I remember when right after Katrina when one of the architects of this resiliency stuff, Mary Rowe, was in our farmers market organization office and we told her that this “recovery”was seen as the new Reconstruction era. She was newly arrived from Canada and so nodded approvingly, or maybe absent-mindedly; we had to explain that we meant that in an entirely negative way.

To not create that situation,  all responses to crisis that are led by government or agencies operating within government cronyism need a separate, collaborative and issue-oriented citizen response.  That response must operate without interference by those within the system. So far, resiliency as as solution isn’t doing that, but it is early days, so let’s keep trying.

 

Link to my thoughts on resiliency from today’s Lens opinion piece. (darnola in comments)

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Parking rates go up and run later as of Jan 11

The city of New Orleans announced the change Wednesday with the increases set to go into effect Jan. 11. The hours of enforcement have also been extended.

Officials said parking meter rates will increase from $1.50 to $3 in areas of the French Quarter, Marigny, Central Business District and the Warehouse District. Elsewhere in New Orleans, parking meter rates will increase from $1.50 to $2.

Hours of enforcement will extend from the current 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Officials said a compromise was made to the proposal, which initially sought to extend enforcement to 10 p.m. Parking enforcement will continue Monday through Saturday.

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FQ Crowd Control Plan Dec 30-Jan 1

On Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Fan Fest at 418 North Peters Street will begin at noon and last throughout the day leading up to a concert performance by Usher beginning at 6:15 p.m. NOPD officers will be monitoring pedestrian crowds in the French Quarter and will divert vehicular traffic if necessary.

Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade
On Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at 3:30 p.m., the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade begins at Elysian Fields and Decatur Street, proceeds down Decatur Street, past Jackson Square and the Allstate Fan Fest at 418 North Peters Street, disbanding at Canal Street.

2016 New Year’s Eve Celebration
On Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in preparation for the 2016 New Year’s Eve concert and countdown celebration in front of Jackson Square, Decatur Street will be limited to one lane of traffic each way from Dumaine Street to St. Louis Street until approximately 2:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.

NOPD officers will be monitoring the pedestrian crowd and will divert vehicular traffic from Decatur Street/ South Peters Street, between Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue, if necessary. NOPD anticipates a large pedestrian crowd and encourages drivers to avoid this area.

2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl
On Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, for the Allstate Sugar Bowl, NOPD officers will be monitoring pedestrian crowds in the French Quarter and will divert vehicular traffic if necessary.

Parking enforcement personnel will be monitoring for illegal parking, including blocking hydrants, driveways and sidewalks, or parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, intersection or stop signs. Motorists are also reminded to park in the direction of travel on one-way streets and with the right wheel to the curb on two-way streets.

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2016 Sugar Bowl and Carnival kickoff, all in one week

I guess for most people, the holidays in December are where its at for events, get togethers and visitors, but for us New Orleanians – and esp Quarterites – nothing is quite like January.

First up, is New Year’s Eve  with its own rites with fireworks and gumbo pot drop at the river. We also host the Sugar Bowl every year on January 1 at the Superdome. This year, the city decided to add a parade on New Year’s Eve Day…

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In 2016, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State are coming, which means that vehicles and entire families or groups are more likely than some of last year’s crowd, which came from Alabama and Ohio if memory serves. I am sure that the Alabamans drove but I’d guess that few Buckeyes did. When the teams are from nearby, the spending is different, as is the vibe: Folks arrive in town later, bring more of their own food and drink and head out after the game if they lose. I hope someone, besides the disliked Allstate insurance company that did their best to make profit off Katrina, makes some coin off this stuff.

Since  many Ole Miss folks are New Orleans-savvy, they’ll be more likely to know the good places to eat and go (I’d look for the red and blue/Hotty Toddy paraphernalia and go where they are going…) I’d guess that Oklahoma folks will be new to the area, so I’d expect to see lots of orange and black map-wielding groups on the corners!

Welcome to all.

So, here is the schedule on Decatur:

Wednesday, Dec. 30

  • Usher Concert – 6:15 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 31

  • Oklahoma State Pep Rally – 1:30 p.m.
  • New Year’s Eve Parade – 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Ole Miss Pep Rally – 5:15 p.m.

The Allstate® Fan Fest is free to the public and open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31. Fan Fest is located at Jackson Square in the Jax Brewery parking lot off Decatur Street.

 

THEN, Carnival season begins on January 6 with the glorious Joan of Arc parade on Chartres, and Phunny Phorty Phellows on the St. Charles Streetcar route which will come all the way to Canal again. That is, of course, followed by over a month of visitors and parades in our neighborhood for the 2016 carnival season, which ends on February 9 of this year.

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Lee Circle no more: New Orleans to remove 4 Confederate statues 

 

The decision did not come lightly after months of public debates, penned op-eds and rhetorical firefights on social media enveloped Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s request in June that the statues be displayed in a museum, mothballed or discarded as vestiges of New Orleans’ racist past.

Source: Lee Circle no more: New Orleans to remove 4 Confederate statues | NOLA.com

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Walking over my own grave

Years ago I went to see the Coppola movie “Peggy Sue Got Married” with my dearest friend Roger. The movie was not meaningful to me (beyond being beautifully stylish), but upon getting to the car,  Roger (who was my mother’s age), looked at me with deep awe and said, “That was like walking over my own grave.” I have pondered that statement often; I assume he meant he had the sensation of having lived the reality being portrayed.

Tonight, I had an inkling of what he meant. I went to the Bike Easy annual party and membership event and remembered being in the middle of this work and yet had the sense that it was all new and far off.

I saw faces from 15 years ago when we began to organize the lane system with the city proper and also remembered those elders who were not there who had been working on bike advocacy and education for a generation or more before us. I felt both invisible and very visible at the same time. I also heard and saw the new energy around expanded advocacy for all mobility issues including the very cool folks of StolenBikesNola who are happy to get support for their work if you are so inclined…

I drank some beer, listened and remembered different issues and faces. And finally, decided I was grateful to have longevity in organizing and grateful for those who keep the work moving forward.

 

 

 

 

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Letter to the Editor on Royal St Mall

As a FQ resident, I am following the Royal Street pedestrian mall uproar with great interest. Here are my thoughts, also shared by some of my neighbors:

 

  1. I find the reasons for the NOPD closing the mall in the fall suspiciously close to the new arguments made by the businesses in the December letter. Shall we then assume that there was a prior conversation with the NOPD about summarily closing the mall without engaging the neighborhood associations or talking with the media first? If so, shame on you both.

 

  1. The argument against the mall for reasons of controlling terrorism are almost universally scorned by those I talk to in the Quarter. First, the LA Supreme Court sits across the street from the police station, second, the cross streets remain open and third, most people assume it would be easier for the bad guys if the street was open. Odd how other street closings have not been turned down for the same reason in any other situation or area.

 

  1. It feels like two issues are foremost for these businesses: convenience for deliveries/shoppers and reduction in the street culture that they believe negatively impacts their business. Neither of those will be solved with the loss of the pedestrian mall. As for the transient/homeless population in the Quarter, it is as large as I have ever seen it and many stay 24 hours a day on the same corner with noise and activity at high levels at all hours. It is clear to those of us who live there that the homeless and transient population problem needs more solutions and a process of its own and the dissolution of the five hour per weekday, 8 hour weekend per day mall will not alter it in the least. As for shopping, the amount of people who would find street parking is so minimal and counted against those who slowly and carefully make their way up or down Royal to shop slowly seems ludicrous.

 

  1. Statements like “the mall serves no benefit” are confounding to hear being spouted by business owners, especially those located on alleys that rely on foot traffic to reach their door. Really? No benefits at all? That sort of statement makes me believe that those against the mall have no interest in cooperating on a real solution. I hope they can listen to those of us who do find benefits to it: for example, some exciting and worthy musicians continue to use the mall to showcase the vibrancy that is the ever-changing New Orleans music scene.

 

  1. All day or night street closings in the Quarter have become constant for film productions, special events and repairs. It does not seem that these are coordinated with neighbors or businesses to control how many are closed at any one time or if one event over another should take priority. Seems to me a “heat map” of those closures and regular traffic back ups is something that a social entrepreneur may be able to help the city to collect data on to see what is really the main problem before we change 40 year old ordinance for a few businesses.

 

I’d ask that those that are in favor of this move actually openly prioritize the reasons they want this to happen and constructively work with their neighbors to solve their issues while realizing that many of us do see benefits to retain the mall.

 

D Wolnik

French Quarter