Uptown neighbors to gather Tuesday for Night Out Against Crime

The 40th annual Night Out Against Crime will take place Tuesday (Oct. 17). Events are planned across Uptown neighborhoods and are listed below. The Night Out Against Crime in New Orleans is a community-wide event to raise crime prevention awareness, reduce crime and increase the support of local, state and federal law enforcement. It began over 30 years ago with NOPD officer Kelly Marrione.

Volunteers needed for Lafayette Cemetery cleanup

The Garden District Association is calling for volunteers to clean up the historic Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 at 1400 Washington Ave. The cemetery has been closed to the public since 2019. The annual cleanup on Thursday morning (Oct. 5) will help prepare the 19th century “city of the dead” for All Saints’ Day.

McMain HS celebrates Dr. Melanie Moore with new principal meet and greet (sponsored)

We’re ringing the alarm that the new school year has started! Exciting times are ahead as we invite you to a special meet & greet with the new principal of Eleanor McMain Secondary School, Dr. Melanie Moore. All alumni, community members, and parents are invited to join us to welcome Dr. Moore and learn more about this new era of learning & growth. Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023 at 5 p.m.

About InspireNOLA Charter Schools

Founded in 2013, InspireNOLA Charter Schools operates a network of seven public charter schools in New Orleans, including Alice M. Harte Charter School, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School, Dwight D. Eisenhower Charter School, Pierre A. Capdau S.T.E.A.M School, Edna Karr High School, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, and McDonogh 35 Senior High School. InspireNOLA currently serves more than 5,800 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.

‘Coffee on Your Corner’ pours zoning and enforcement, public safety and housing

Residents in District A and District B will have a chance to meet with city officials during two August “Coffee on Your Corner” events. Questions on zoning and enforcement issues will be answered at the District A coffee klatsch. The District B Neighborhood Engagement Office event is on public health and housing. The Mayor’s Office created Coffee on Your Corner to bring city government to neighborhood venues. The events give New Orleanians a chance to hear about city programs, initiatives and operations directly from the officials in charge of them.

Uptowners don’t need to travel far for a COOLinary meal

Let’s face it — August in New Orleans, especially with seemingly endless record heat, can be brutal. All the more reason to escape to your favorite restaurant, or that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, to indulge your taste buds with a COOLinary meal. During the 19th annual August COOLinary, some of the city’s finest dining establishments are offering specially curated prix-fixe menus at unbeatable prices. During COOLinary New Orleans, restaurant goers can enjoy two- and three-course lunch menus for $25 or less and three-course dinner and brunch menus for $50 or less from 109 restaurants citywide. Participants include some of the city’s longstanding and iconic Creole and Cajun restaurants as well as new places featuring New Orleans cuisine incorporating international inspirations.

Mayor’s Office invites public to meetings on the city’s budget

From the Mayor’s Office

Mayor LaToya Cantrell is holding Budget Community Meeting Series this to solicit public opinion on how the city should allocate the 2024 budget. “Building out the city’s budget for 2024 is a process that does not happen overnight; it starts right now,” Cantrell said in a press release. “These town halls are specifically designed for residents to hear directly from my administration and also for us to listen to the public relative to their priorities as well. ”

At the townhall-style meetings in each City Council district, officials will discuss budgeting priorities aligned with the Cantrell administration’s framework designed to prioritize issues that matter most to New Orleanians. These priorities include treating public safety as public health and investing in infrastructure, quality of life, economic development and good and inclusive governance.

Library Block Party features ‘epic set of blocks’ and early literacy

The New Orleans Public Library is holding Block Parties — featuring “the most epic set of blocks you have ever seen” — on Monday evenings for children age 5 and younger along with their parents or other caregivers. The playdates will be held at Nix Library, 1401 S. Carrollton Ave., and the Central City Library in the Allie Mae Williams Multi-Service Center, 2020 Jackson Ave., on Monday July 24 and July 31 from 5 to 6 p.m.

The event is designed to promote early literacy. While the children are playing, the adults will learn how to use open-ended questions and play techniques to support language development. The library’s early literacy program is designed to give pre-readers a strong foundation before they learn to read and write. It prepares children to be lifelong learners.

Children’s Hospital seeks input on changes to its Master Plan

Uptown residents living near Children’s Hospital can provide input tonight on potential changes to the hospital’s Institutional Master Plan. The Master Plan describes existing and future development on the hospital campus. Updates to this plan reflect the hospital’s recently completed campus transformation, completed renovations to our State Street campus buildings, updated traffic patterns throughout the hospital campus, and immediate future planning, which includes minimal new construction over the next several years. Neighbors can join the meeting anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday (July 19) at Worley Hall, 210 State St. The neighborhood meeting will be structured as a collaborative charette, with team members from Children’s Hospital, their architects, and consultants sharing components of our plans and seeking feedback.

Tulane invites neighbors to a community meeting

Tulane University will host a community meeting for University Area neighbors on Aug. 8, before students arrive for the 2023-24 academic year. Tulane officials will provide updates and information on key initiatives concerning the university and the surrounding community, according to Tulane Neighbor News, a monthly newsletter from the university’s Community Relations Department. A Q&A session will follow the updates, and neighbors are encouraged to submit questions in advance. Participants are invited to email questions to cpourciau@tulane.edu by end of the day on July 28.

On Magazine Street, Restaurant Week specials plus a Block Party

The Magazine Street Merchants Association offers some ideas for beating the summer doldrums. This week is Restaurant Week along the corridor. Then on Aug. 3,  a Block Party will take place. In honor of Restaurant Week — Monday (July 17) to Sunday (July 23) — restaurants, bars, coffee shops and sweet shops along Magazine have created special menus with tempting prices, ranging from $15 to $50. The Merchants Association is sweetening the deals by offering a Restaurant Week Passport.