Owen Courrèges
They’re the scourge of New Orleans’ streets. They strike with little warning and virtually no oversight, costing the citizens of New Orleans tens of millions of dollars each year. As the years have passed they have continued to expand their reach into new neighborhoods – virgin territory for these merciless mechanical marvels.
I am speaking, of course, of speed cameras. Continue reading »
“If we don’t have it you don’t need it.” “What’s said on the porch stays on the porch.” “Please don’t speak about yourself.” You’ve seen his work all around town — in bars, restaurants, homes, and shopfronts — but unless you look closely you might not see the signature in the bottom corner: Simon, short for Simon Hardeveld. One of New Orleans’ most iconic painters, Simon is a multi-talented artist whose studio is part museum, part music studio, and part menagerie — but all magical experience.
Going on to its 6th year of community engagement, the Latino Health Outreach Project of the Common Ground Health Clinic is still highly committed to connecting uninsured patients to basic health care services and beyond. Since its inception, the Latino Health Outreach Project (aka LHOP) has hosted a weekly clinic on the neutral ground between the streets of Martin Luther King Ave and Claiborne Ave. Our clinic doctor, Spanish interpreters, and established patient volunteers meet Friday mornings from 7:30 am to 9am to coordinate the clinic, weather permitting. See below for more details of this service.
Skip the calendar and check the thermometer: summertime is here, and with it, rising energy costs. Worried about how much it’s going to cost to cool your house this summer? GreenBean Insulation can help: with the right kind of treatment, you could save a bundle on your bills. See below for more details.
The Zoo-to-Do for Kids will feature face-painting, performances by Radio Disney and other entertainment for children. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
On a relatively quiet weekend in Uptown New Orleans, Audubon Zoo is stepping up with one of the major children’s events of the year: the Zoo-to-Do for Kids.
“Audubon Zoo is transformed into a magical play land filled with live entertainment, face painters, musical performances by Radio Disney, sports and cheerleading clinics, strolling performers, arcade games, inflatables, crafts and a video game center,” reads the event website. “Your ticket purchase also includes complimentary food and beverages to delight every palate.”
The gala, which also includes a Sponsor and Patron Party for adults, costs $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Proceeds will benefit the creation of the Twilight Zoo, extended-hours programming at the zoo for summertime evenings.
For those not attending Jazz Fest (or who merely need a break from it), Uptown has a handful of other cultural events on offer this weekend as well. See our calendar listings below for details and links. Continue reading »
Otis T. Berthey (via opcso.org)
A trio of teens believed to be behind at least five armed robberies along St. Charles and Louisiana avenues were arrested this week, as was a man suspected in at least 10 home burglaries in Fontainebleau, likely bringing to end two separate crime sprees plaguing opposite ends of Uptown New Orleans. Continue reading »
Developer Jim MacPhaille stands next to his wife Catherine MacPhaille and places the winning bid on the former NOCCA school building on Perrier Street in Uptown New Orleans at the Orleans Parish School Board surplus property auction Thursday morning. The former NOCCA school building sold at auction for $2.45 million. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
The former NOCCA building, photographed in September 2010. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
The former NOCCA school building on Perrier Street in Uptown New Orleans sold at auction Thursday for $2.45 million to a couple who said they bought the century-old building in order to save it.
“It’s one of the best pieces of real estate in Uptown,” said developer Jim MacPhaille, the winning bidder. Continue reading »
Heading out of town, or getting ready for Jazzfest, but not sure what to do with your pooch? Look no further than Freret Street, where Zeus’ Place will keep your four-legged friend as happy as can be. Featuring full boarding and grooming services at affordable rates, Zeus’ Place has everything you and Fido need. See below for more details.
Tommy Matthews III, 11, (left) and Louis Frazier, 10, smile after the 6th District's anti-crime march around Harmony Oaks Apartments Wednesday evening. "I felt very safe with all of the officers around me," said Frazier. (Photo by Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
The April board meeting for the International School of Louisiana has been rescheduled until next week because the school is off for spring break, said Pam Stewart, director of institutional advancement at ISL.
The board meeting will now be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4.
Alba Xiomara and Rolando Zelaya work at at Super Mercado Las Acacias on March 11, 2011. On Thursday, the full city council will hold a meeting that includes Uptown-related agenda items such as a request by the Supermercado Las Acacias on Freret for a zoning change that would allow alcohol sales. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
A variety of governmental meetings are taking place over the next two days of interest to Uptown residents, including the city’s ruling on several Uptown land-use changes.
On Thursday, the full city council will hold a meeting that includes Uptown-related agenda items such as a request by the Supermercado Las Acacias on Freret for a zoning change that would allow alcohol sales***, a request for a large restaurant on the corner of Jackson and Magazine, and property owners seeking separate demolitions on Danneel and Fig streets. (On Wednesday, separate city council committees are also discussing ongoing improvements to city playgrounds and a proposal to create a registry of gun offenders in New Orleans.)
***Update: Kellie Grengs of the Freret Business and Property Owners Association emailed Wednesday afternoon to say the Supermercado Las Acacias item will deferred until the council’s May 5 meeting. An email to the council clerk to confirm this was not answered Wednesday.
Other meetings of interest include the April monthly meeting of the International School of Louisiana governing board on Wednesday evening, and the Orleans Parish School Board surplus property auction on Thursday morning, which could lead to the sale of the former NOCCA site on Perrier.
For full details and links, see our calendar listings below. Continue reading »
Jean-Paul Villere
Jazz. Fest. By themselves, these two words evoke generally positive elements within one’s frame of mind. But put them together and cataclysmic forces rip open a wormhole of decades of performances and experiences that run the gamut from the mundane to the sublime. Festival season crowns each April in Southeast Louisiana, and Jazz Fest reigns the highest of holidays in this vein. Continue reading »
If you haven’t seen the lines out the door of Dat Dog, then you must not have your eyes open! Recently opened on Freret Street, Dat Dog is the Crescent City’s newest and freshest hot dog stand. See below to learn why “The World is a Better Place with Dat Dog.”
City Councilwoman Stacy Head predicted that the lines marking her Uptown-based District B will not change much during this year’s redistricting process at a town hall Tuesday night.
Click in the box below for live coverage.
The warehouse complex proposed for a film-production facility on Constance Street. (Robert Morris, UptownMessenger.com)
A new film studio proposed for an old warehouse complex in the Lower Garden District won an important step in the process of city approval Tuesday, over the concerns of several planning commissioners who worried that the site could one day be home to heavy industry. Continue reading »
State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, shown during a March meeting in the Irish Channel, delivered a feisty rebuttal to Gov. Bobby Jindal's speech Monday -- via her Twitter account.
In the ever-accelerating world of political journalism, it’s increasingly common for pundits and media figures to offer their reporting live over the Internet as events unfold. Likewise, it’s a well-established tradition that after any head of state gives a major address, members of the opposing party are sought out afterward for a response.
On Monday, as Gov. Bobby Jindal delivered a session-opening address to the state legislature, Uptown’s state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson combined tradition with trend and offered her own rebuttal to the governor live, as he was speaking, over the Twitter social network. Continue reading »
The Original Pigeon Town Steppers dance down the streets to the music of the Stooges Brass Band during the 17th annual Easter Sunday second line. (Sabree Hill, UptownMessenger.com)
Current District B boundaries (via nolacitycouncil.com)
The New Orleans City Council comes to Uptown this week as part of a 10-stop neighborhood tour seeking public input on how council district lines should be redrawn following the 2010 Census.
City Councilwoman Stacy Head’s District B runs from Audubon though a number of Uptown neighborhoods to Central City and the Central Business district. Its population fell at roughly the same rate as the city’s overall population since 2000, meaning the 70,903 people now living in District B are quite close to the target of 68,765 for each district, according to the new Census. The other four council districts are either well above or well below that target, however, so any change to District B is more likely to come as a result of making adjustments to the other districts work. Continue reading »
For many of us, a will is the most important legal document we will ever sign: offering peace of mind not just in our elder years, but at any point in our lives. The Law Office of Tom Hopkins, located at 643 Magazine Street in New Orleans, offers professional services for individuals seeking counsel regarding wills, trusts, and successions.
See below for further details on these services and the firm.
Dinner is served at the Uptowner in February during "Gabrielle in Purgatory," the first of a series of events showcasing the signature dishes of building owners Greg and Mary Sonnier.
The saga of the Uptowner just won’t die. The establishment itself is dead – the long-standing but unsuccessful reception hall has been out of business since before Hurricane Katrina. However, the fate of its building remains unclear, and the city remains intransigent as ever. Continue reading »