Tag Archives: New Orleans

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June 1

My friend John is currently searching for a natural indicator to mark  the end of summer in order to bookmark the termites swarming at the beginning. If I know him, he’d be pleased if it could be another pest.

I always think the summer season is hard to decipher in New Orleans. Used to be that once JazzFest was over, people began to shut up their apartments and stores and head to other cooler places for a month or two, coming and going throughout August. With the arrival of the casino downtown, that changed. Or maybe it changed with  the addition of thousands of hotel rooms downtown through the 1980s and 1990s or maybe it just changed. In any case, visitors come year round now and festivals like Tales of the Cocktail and Essence are big draws in July and there are things in August too that I cannot remember at this moment, but I know I am always surprised when they come-oh yes, just remembered one: Satchmo Summerfest.

Maybe summer is really here when the figs ripen and drop and draw flies and make walking in alleys a distinctly squishy experience, except that fig trees are largely gone from the Quarter, courtesy of part-time residents and non-Sicilians who tore them out at the beginning of their renovations.

Or maybe it’s when the children finish their school year at McDonogh 15 and St. Louis Cathedral School, except that Cathedral is no more; soon to be condos I am sure.

Probably many locals would identify the start of summer with the official beginning of hurricane season, which is today, June 1. That’s as good of a choice as any, since summer is a largely hostile time here, unlike the land of my childhood, the shores of Lake Erie. There it is a glorious and kind season with lightning bugs in jars, sailboats always on the water and cool walks in the dark before bedtime.

Tonight in my adopted hometown, I went for a bike ride around the neighborhood with my hard cider in a koozie cup as I do many evenings before heading in for the night. The Quarter seemed different, slower and more neighborly than I have seen  in many recent evenings. Lots of people on stoops with the front door open, dogs pausing on their walks with their people attached (when did huge dogs become a thing in the Quarter? and why usually 2 of them?) The Square is quieter, but will have more overnighters than the spring does. Lack of air conditioning at home will drive many to catch any night breeze they can out there and hopefully pick up a buck or two or make some friends.

The chalkboards in front of restaurants and bars praise their fruity drinks and their cold air conditioning and hope for a few big groups to come in and spend and tip well.

Seeing the row of smokers in chairs in front of Cosimo’s Dauphine Street windows was lovely even though I know they don’t think so, in these new days of no smoking inside.  Of course, sitting out there may also just be a leftover experience from their crawfish boil season. In any case, a great bar with the best well drink in the Quarter in my estimation.

The  tourists in town this Monday are quiet and mellow. Few whoohooers or Hand Grenaders  seen (or heard). These kind of folks are always welcome as they proudly take a photo near architectural details rather than of the silver guy or the drunk passed out woman.

On Royal, I counted 4 tours and 2 more on Saint Ann this evening. I remember once a friend of mine hissed at me as we passed a ghost tour, “You know they make it all up” and I laughed out loud and said, “really? you mean they don’t just stick to the truth about our ghosts?”

Let’s hope the entire summer is as quiet and as sublime as this first June early evening was.

Here is a list of nola.com’s “favorite” summer festivals.

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Navy Week in New Orleans

http://nolanavyweek.com/

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Ships from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Great Britain and Canada will line the shores of the Mississippi River and you’re invited to join in on the action. Starting Friday, April 24th, the ships will be open for General Public Visitation – explore as many as you can! Hours for ships may vary by day, so take a look at our calendar or the individual ship’s pages and start planning. School and community groups are also invited to learn more about scheduling private group tours.

    Historic New Orleans Collection will have lectures for Navy Week

As part of New Orleans Navy Week 2015, The Historic New Orleans Collection will host a special presentation on April 27, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at THNOC’s Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street just a few blocks away from the riverfront, where the visiting ships will be docked.

The program will feature two lectures moderated by Cyril Lagnavec, who teaches at Jesuit High School and the US Naval College.

William H. Forman, professor at the Naval War College in New Orleans, will open the program with his talk “The 1814 Battle of Lake Borgne: Prelude to Victory,” which will examine the naval engagement between US and British forces that preceded the monumental Battle of New Orleans.

Jason Wiese, associate director of THNOC’s Williams Research Center, will follow with his presentation “United States v. Andrew Jackson: The Fight over Martial Law in New Orleans,” which will explore Jackson’s decision to impose military rule in New Orleans in December 1814 and to keep it in effect after the war’s end, as well as the controversies that ensued.

New Orleans Navy Week will take place April 23–29, 2015, with a host of events at venues throughout the city. The program at The Historic New Orleans Collection is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling THNOC (504) 523-4662 or emailing wrc@hnoc.org.

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Suspected bike thief arrested in wig disguise after ex-bounty hunter, Facebook group run stakeout

“Gray tailed him for a few blocks, when, he said, Wells found an easy target: a red cruiser bike tethered with a cable lock. With a snip, the bike was free and Wells was on the move, Gray said.

Wells pedaled up to the Lowe’s hardware store on Elysian fields where he tried to sell the ride to the day laborers out front, Gray said. Finding no takers, Wells approached Gray, he said.

“Know anyone who wants to buy a bike,'” Wells asked, according to Gray’s account.

Gray said he only had about $15 on him. Wells said that was good enough, and the deal was sealed, Gray said.”

Keep your eyes and ears out about suspicious behavior around bikes and report it to the Stolen Bikes Nola Facebook page. And DON’T use cable locks.

Suspected bike thief arrested in wig disguise after ex-bounty hunter, Facebook group run stakeout | NOLA.com.

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Nine Roses brings its Vietnamese food to the French Quarter

Finally, the French Quarter gets Vietnamese food! It’s always been hard to believe that the old Quarter missed the emergence of our region’s favorite Asian cuisine.
Nine Roses is my personal fav of the West Bank Viet spots, so you can be sure to find me here regularly.

A few years ago, while a staff member of the public market organization Market Umbrella, I did a series of short films under the name “Go Fish”; one featured an interview with the Catholic leader of the NO East Vietnamese community, Father Vien, who gave the history of the New Orleans Catholic Vietnamese community:

Nine Roses Café is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Nine Roses Café: 620 Conti St., New Orleans, 504.324.9450

link to menu

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Tennessee, so long

What is probably my favorite weekend in the Quarter is over. I would say that it is all over but the yelling, but that is prolly still going on at the Stella contest that ends the TWLF. (Although I’d like to know when they stopped ending this day with the happy birthday toast to Tennessee?)

I spent the big bucks for the mid-level pass this year, which gave me access to all panels and master classes. Not sure if I’d spring for the master classes next year, as I’ll wait ’til those become more of a class and less of a one-person panel. I did see some great panels, two of which featured my pal Nancy Dixon, editor of N.O. Lit, which in my opinion, was the book that should have been one of the 2015 books of the year. Lauren Cerand, literary publicist was another standout as a thoughtful and prepared presenter, as was Bryant Terry, author of Afro-Vegan and social justice warrior.

My available cash for this event is always limited but I do spend it. I wish the organizers understood how to give great value to the least as well as they do to those who spend the most. I’d suggest creating more focused tracks for a writer or a scholar to follow throughout the weekend, and maybe even offering a special price for those with LA i.d. to get more working writers there. Additionally, I’d recommend a salon room for writers and bloggers with access to internet and maybe some authors stopping by to keep the buzz moving in between the panels.
The highlight of this is usually the theater offerings, which for the first year ever (of around 20 for me) I did not attend any. Funds and scheduling were the issue there.

Having done all that complaining (as my grandmother would say), I urge every working writer to spend a little time at this event in future years, even if it is just to roam the halls or volunteer at an event to get a panel pass. You’ll walk away with a few nuggets and a renewed belief in New Orleans as a destination for readers and writers.

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We’re Still Here Ya Bastards

Roberta is an acclaimed urbanist who has published three previous books on the subject, including most recently The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs. Her writing has also appeared in the Nation, New York Times Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. She previously served on the NYC Landmark Preservation Commission and currently sits on the Sustainability Advisory Board for NYC. She splits her time between New York City and New Orleans.

2015 Publication Date- Preorder at your local New Orleans bookstore

2015 Publication Date- Preorder at your local New Orleans bookstore

By the way, my friends were the ones that had the sign with these words up at their place in MidCity; it was not graffiti as termed by the photographer of the original image. Instead it was carefully written on the back of an election sign for Marlin Gusman and situated on the most prominent corner of their building, with the aim to urge neighbors to stay and the powerful to be warned. I got back to town to first clean out my apartment on October 9, 2005, sickened and broken-hearted by what I was seeing on my way in from the airport. When I got to my place (across the street from theirs) I saw their sign and laughed out loud and thought to myself, “Oh we’re going to be okay.”


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