A Streetcar Twittered Cemeteries
Mar 22nd, 2008 by Nola
I have recently found myself a bit addicted to Twitter. And I am now following many other New Orleanians. There is something even more intriguing about following the (mostly) silly details of a person’s day when that person is in your city–eating where you eat, enjoying (or not) the same weather, lamenting the same local political problems. It’s been very satisfying.
Yesterday, my sister came to visit Sun and me. We didn’t have any plans mapped out, and it was too cold to do the zoo and I was in no mood to run errands at the mall. So I twittered, “What to do today that is kid-friendly. Nothing with animals or malls. Suggestions?” And within minutes, YatPundit responded to me to “ride the streetcar,” and I knew immediately it was the perfect thing to do.
I decided to ride the Canal Street line since I’d never ridden that one and we’d be in the new red cars. YatPundit soon concurred with my idea to ride the Canal Street line, advising, “if you do it, do canal. start at cemeteries, end up at the old mint or vice versa,” but cautioning once we were settled on the green car (much to my confusion) that “the red streetcars aren’t running yet. all but one got flooded and are still being rebuilt.”
Armed with my camera and my Treo (and the baby and all her stuff), my sister and I were off. We approached the streetcar named “Cemeteries” (it says Special at the top but that is because the green cars are used for the St. Charles line–the piece of paper taped to the window gave it’s accurate name) and got its pic:
The point where the streetcar leaves from (Canal Street at City Park Avenue) has not less than six cemeteries. Here’s a shot of one of them:
Further along in Mid-City, Sacred Heart Church:
Then the neoned Walgreens downtown:
While stopped at a light, my sister noticed something odd on the side of a lamppost:
I got home and did a quick search on The Google to learn that the base of the majestic lampposts are decorated, and each of the four sides are different. This picture is of the first side; the second side has a castle and lion rampant, and states “Spanish Domination 1769-1803”; the third has the motto Deo Vindice (“With God as Our Defender”), “Confederate Domination 1861-1865.” And the last side has the American eagle and states, “American Domination 1803-1861, 1865 to Date.” I love the little things like this that NOLA offers for the observant.
At the foot of Canal Street, the car turns left and goes along the river in the French Quarter to the Old Mint Building. We saw the Mississippi River Bridge, the St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market, and the former Jax Brewery building:
Then we were at the end of the line. We paid another $1.25 each (young children ride for free; correct change is required). And we returned from whence we came.
It wasn’t all roses. We also saw various states of repair (including no repair at all) of homes and companies impacted by Katrina. We saw vacant lots where building stood before Katrina. We saw a tent city of homeless people under the interstate. We saw the cheesy t-shirt and tennis shoe shops peppering the downtown Canal Street.
And that is New Orleans. The beautiful intermingled with the ugly; the rich with the poor; the old with the new; the dead with the living. This ride was the most fun I’ve had in a really long time. I am ready to ride again.
fantastic shots!
IF I am correct, come out of that Walgreens, turn right down Canal street, turn right at the next corner (not the one it’s on), to the end of that street and across the mini cross section is the entrance to the hotel where we spent our wedding night… classy or what ;-)…
Missing New Orleans more than ever. One hour away from Gulfport and yet we only make it over every month or two. Shame shame.
Last time we were over, we bought a watercolor of Clancy’s on Webster and Annunciation Uptown, as we were thrilled to see that our old house was in the painting. Between that on the wall and having stumbled onto you via Twitter, I can almost smell the city again.
It would have been great if you had ended your day with shrimp and oysters and then some Brocato’s for dessert. Oh wait, you did!
Thanks for sharing! It looks like you had a great day. I can’t wait to be home in less than 2 weeks and take off on similar adventures!
That’s what makes NOLA so special to me–all the contradictions– just one being the beauty and the squalor. Not that I don’t hurt for all that has happened because of Katrina.
Thanks for taking us along with you.
Too bad I’m not in town. I’d have hopped on that streetcar with you, Sun, and the sis in a jiffy. Looks like it was a great ride.
What a great idea! I haven’t ridden a streetcar since I was 17.
This was a fun read and great pix! What a great idea for a spring day…that Yatpundit’s got it goin’ on.
i really enjoyed following the twitter yesterday and REALLY enjoyed the pictures and post.
I miss Louisiana. I LOVE that photo of Walgreens!
Wow.. that was a ton of fun to read and I loved the pictures.. what a great idea..
I have yet to ride a streetcar though I feel a little bit like I do because everytime it passes by my house my bedroom shakes something fierce.
I’ll add it to my ever growing “things to experience in NOLA” list.
Foot of Canal Street….great song. Have you heard it?? Can get you a copy. Great shots!!
Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos and giving us all a great idea for how to see NOLA. I love old cemeteries.
Those are some wonderful snapshots! I love the lamp posts and the inscriptions. So much history and so beautiful
My sister and I rode a streetcar on Saturday. We took the St. Charles line, which was completely packed, to Canal, walked the Quarter, bought some pralines and some local art at Dutch Alley, and braved another packed car back uptown.
Great photos. Thank you for sharing.
I was just there and I’m missing it already!
I followed along on this ride via your tweets. In fact, I may have seen your streetcar going past Jax Brewery because I can see the St. Charles line (near Canal) and the river from my office.
Despite it not all being roses, these pictures show a beautiful city.
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Wow..you have me so psyched to visit NO someday. Love the lampposts.
I’m so homesick!
Great pictures.
[...] http://www.nolanotes.com/2008/03/22/a-streetcar-twittered-cemeteries/We also saw various states of repair (including no repair at all) of homes and companies impacted by Katrina. We saw vacant lots where building stood before Katrina. We saw a tent city of homeless people under the interstate. … [...]