#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  A morning's stroll in the Big Easy

## Roobarb

A short while back my company asked me to head out to New Orleans for a few days.  Being that it's something of a hike to get there from Asia I decided to get in a day early.  The excuse was that it would give me a bit of rest after the flight, though the real reason was that it would give me the chance to see something of a city I had never been to before.

Having risen fairly early, in part through the time difference although this was certainly not helped by the hotel mistakenly giving me a wake up call at 5.00 am, I had a quick look on the internet to see what I could do to take up the best part of the morning.

The easy choice would be to meander through the French Quarter but, being that it was near to the hotel and it covered a reasonably small area, I reckoned I would have a chance to do that later in the trip.  Instead I settled on a plan to go in the other direction and walk along Magazine Street until I'd seen enough, then wander back to the hotel.

Now, this thread will consist mainly of photos of the buildings that I saw on the physical rambling accompanied by some pretty disconnected mental ramblings.  If you feel like joining me as I stroll along then you'd be most welcome.

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## wasabi

Stroll along,will be interesting.

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## Aberlour

Count me in.

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## fishlocker

I  could use a stroller. Thanks for the offer.

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## Roobarb

Wonderful, we have some takers already. 

First of all a bit of geography for those like me who don't really know much about New Orleans.  The city is built on a rather low lying bit of land between Lake Ponchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River to the south



Much of the city is either at or below sea level which is why things can get a bit damp underfoot there from time to time.

The part we're in is just below the 'O' of Orleans on the map above.

The plan is to wander down Magazine Street.  On the map below it follows (I think) the yellow highlighted line, and we will be walking from the Central Business District in the East until we get bored somewhere further westwards.



From what I saw on the internet, Magazine Street has a bunch of arts and crafty type shops, several cafes and forms a sort of Bohemian vein that runs through the Garden Districts.  Should be a nice, gentle introduction to the city I hope.

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## Roobarb

I didn't bring a map with me and I'm far to mean to turn my phone on to roaming and use Google Maps.  This is one of the main reasons that I reckon that simply walking along one single road is a good idea.  Finding the road to start with is probably the biggest challenge:

 

A promising start.

Turning in from Poydras Street one of the first buildings we come to is the Court of Appeals. 

Now there is not too much that is remarkable about this building as far as courthouses go.  From the outside it is a suitably imposing edifice reflecting the respect us mere mortals should have for the dignity of the institution.



The one thing that I feel lets it down slightly is that, following a good American tradition of naming civic buildings after worthy folks, the place has been named after a fellow called Minor Wisdom.

Now don't get me wrong but if I am appealing a judgement on the basis that the previous court may have made a mistake, having it reheard at the "Minor Wisdom Court of Appeals' would not fill me with confidence that a properly considered decision was going to be reached.

Wondering about this later in the evening I looked up to see who John Minor Wisdom was:

(from Wikipedia):  *John Minor Wisdom* (May 17, 1905 - May 15, 1999), one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a liberal Republican from Louisiana, was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and 1960s, when that court became known for a series of decisions crucial in advancing the civil rights of African-Americans. At that time, the Fifth Circuit included not only Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas (its jurisdiction since October 1, 1981), but also Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Panama Canal Zone.  

Naming the court of appeals after him seems an entirely fitting tribute, if somewhat mirth-inducing for ignorant folks such as myself.

Here's a picture of him (also from Wikipedia).  Good on yer John.

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## Roobarb

We're in an area that I think is referred to as the warehouse district.  It runs from the CBD up to where Magazine Street is bisected by the Pontchartrain Expressway.  

In the pic below you can just about see the expressway which is on the flyover running across the end of the road.



The whole area is being spruced up and many of the old warehouses are now being turned into flats or hotels.

Although not really a residential area there were these nicely proportioned townhouses that looked to be in pretty good nick:



Still sniggering childishly at the thought of a 'Minor Wisdom' court of appeals, my mirth turned to happy incredulity to find that the next building along, a WW2 museum celebrating war and all the nastiness that war entails, appeared to be named after Solomon:



It was only a bit later I found out that it is only the museum's theatre that is named after Solomon.  The rest of it is just called the National World War 2 Museum.

We'll pass the WW2 museum without going in which is a bit of a shame really as from the accounts of several colleagues who did go later on it was done really well and was worth a few hours of anyone's time.

Anyway, for now our mission is Magazine Street, so on we go...

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## Roobarb

Having passed under the expressway there are a smattering of small industrial buildings.



Radiator Works - I like this sort of thing.  Blokes with tools making stuff in sheds.

Speaking of sheds, one of them has an open doorway so we can peer in:



Look at the size of that crankshaft lying on the ground, it must be six feet long.  An old car in there too and lost of bits and bobs - this is a proper man cave.  To think that people actually make a living simply getting stuff working again.  No corporate BS here, either it works or it gets fixed (or if it was up to me it would be shelved to be dealt with at some undetermined point in the future).  

A momentary twinge of jealously enters my mind.  Sometimes the grass on the other side can indeed seem greener.



Looking back wistfully at the engineering works you can see the old tram tracks on the cobbled side street covered by the tarmac of Magazine Street - and then the more modern expressway flyover in the background.    It appears that things only change when they need to around here.  There's living history all around.

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## Roobarb

After the first block we seem to be coming into more of a residential area.



Many of the houses along this section are in need of some TLC, but it does appear that some are being restored.



Others are clearly being lived in

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## Roobarb

I had read that the road was meant to be a fairly arty area, so seeing this place was a good first sign of it:



The white character painted on the wall (on the right) reminds me of one in one of my children's story books.  I want to say the Gruffalo, but it's not that one...

Ummmm...

Grrr, it's annoying.  I should concentrate more when I read their bedtime stories.

The shop is called the 'Abstract Bookshop and Cafe'.  It certainly proves to be a bit abstract as far as the concept of it being a shop or a cafe is concerned as the business has firmly closed down.

From the notices in the windows it looks like local authority permission has been received for the building to be renovated.  For those from the construction forum who have joined us on this walk, the locally approved recipe for Cajun style mortar and stucco may be of interest:




'Where the Wild Things Are'

It's the name of the book.  I've remembered it (I think)



Yup, that's got to be it.

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## Roobarb

Another house in need of a lick of paint.



The BMW in front is doing it's best to keep up with the air of faded grandeur.

Now the next pic shows a pretty cool bit of lateral thinking by Pat Casey (whoever he or she is).  Your gate is locked and you have no doorbell.  How do visitors get hold of you?

Yes, yes, let's assume that the visitors don't have Pat's mobile number and he or she does not want rocks thrown at the house.  Perhaps it's Pat's elderly arthritic aunt visiting.

 

Fix a bike horn.

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## wasabi

Was this area damaged by Hurricane Katrina?

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## Roobarb

Now as we walk on it does seem that the quality of the houses is gradually improving, both in their stature and their state of repair.




From the front the houses are certainly elegant and appear to be well proportioned, if not especially large family homes.




It's only having crossed the road and looking back that we can see quite how big these houses are.  They are massive.  In London the equivalent sort of townhouse would probably only go about half the way back - though I suppose they may go up another floor instead.




Perhaps they had more servants to accommodate in these parts - slaves even... :tieme: ...????

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## Roobarb

^^ Good question Wasabi.

From what I could find out it didn't flood, but they lost more than a few tiles off their roofs.

I believe that the area we are in is a massive seven feet above sea level, which appeared to be just enough to ensure that the water went elsewhere.  There's a map I found on the net showing the flooding following Katrina.

The flooded bits are in yellow:




We're in the bit of land just to the north side of the curve in the river towards the bottom leftish side of the map, on I think the very faint red road about halfway between the flooded area and the river.

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## Roobarb

Yup, this area is beginning to feel far more refined







Although, what's this?



The third spiked railing from the right seems to have some beads hanging from it (sorry about the rather indistinct picture).  Now I don't know much about the Mardi Gras, but I do seem to remember something about girls earning beads for flashing their boobs.

Is this a sign that some impromptu boob flashing may be on offer here?

Perhaps its an attempt by some shy, lovesick fellow wanting to let his desires be known to the girl in the house?  The beads remain hanging on the fence as a sign of the girl's rejection...

Ah well, we have a street to walk so with the happy thought of the, albeit slim, possibility of boobs on the horizon, on we go.

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## Roobarb

These palm trees seem a bit different to the ones I am used to.  The bits where the fronds grow out of the trunk remain attached and I guess that the frond gets cut off by some kind person when it dies.



Either that or someone has nailed them back on, but it looks too accurately done to be man-made, plus why would anyone bother, this bein' Louisiana n'all




I like the sash windows and exposed brickwork on the house next door, and stopping to photograph it puts aside any recent horticultural concerns regarding palm trees.

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## Roobarb

Since the closed book shop the area that we have walked along so far has been entirely residential, indeed being a self-proclaimed 'abstract' shop one could argue that it was not actually a proper shop at all.

The first sign of a change is this colourful florists shop. 



Now I always imagine local florist shops as being somewhere that little old ladies go to to get a bunch of daffs as a bit of a treat to themselves, and therefore am left wondering a bit as to why you would put a florist shop in the middle of a traffic junction.


Being a bloke the thoughts of boobs and beads were probably still churning around somewhere not too deep in the grey matter, just behind the important thoughts on the correct siting of florists.   It's therefore I feel quite understandable that the first reaction I had was, upon turning the corner and glancing at the sign in the car park, that I'd stumbled across a real live, genuine, Louisiana Cathouse.



The thought process went something like this:

- Gosh, I know what a Cathouse is
- It's a pretty liberal place New Orleans
- The car park seems pretty full for nine o'clock in the morning
- Respect
- Might explain why there's that florist opposite, Southern gentlemen would know how to treat a lady
- Ummmm, hang on
- Why are there all those cats painted on the wall?
- Ah, Cat Practice - presumably this is a vet?
- Still, the place got to have some sick pussy  :Smile: 
- Er, crap joke, glad nobody heard it, move on quickly

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## Roobarb

Quickly passing the rather disappointing cathouse, images of busty lasses in Victorian dresses leaning over balconies to tempt in men from the street below placed firmly in the back of my mind, we carry on past a row of terraced shops.



All in all it's a pretty little street




I do like the shabby shop fronts, albeit I know it's the look they are going for but it does suit the laid back character of the place.



It seems that we have got to some of Magazine Street's arty-farty shops that were promised on the internet.

Several of them were offering some fairly unique merchandise



Alligator skull anyone?

Whilst you are working out if you can squeeze it in the overhead locker I can see a spare table at the cafe over the road so am going to nip over there and join these good folks for a morning coffee.



  Let's take a break, we'll set off for the next stage a bit later.

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## Satonic

Roobarb, I haven't come across you as a poster before but thanks a lot for sharing your pics. It's always interesting to see things from other parts of the globe that I wouldn't normally see.

Green sent and I look forward to seeing the rest of this thread  :Smile:

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## beerlaodrinker

Nice thread mate, interesting part of the states

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## peterpan

A few smiles here, great writing and some unique photos Roobarb.

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## BillyBobThai

Went to college 90 miles north of there back in the earlier 70's.  Spent many a Friday night there.  A great time had by all and more than one hangover.

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## misskit

Really enjoyable thread, Roobarb. Looking forward to more of your journey.


Did you find some biscuits and gravy outside your hotel?

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## slackula

Great pics and even better narration!  :Smile:

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## Boon Mee

Good pics but watch your back re muggers & picpockets especially around the French Quarter.

Enjoy the food - can't find as good a gumbo anywhere else IMO.  :Smile:

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## metisdead

Nice old houses, thanks.

They look a little strange without bars on every window, behind a wall with shards of glass on top, as they would be in Buddhist Thailand.  :Smile: 

This picture is from a previous era:



Large colonial house, nicely dressed White woman with her handbag, walking along with an air of contented peacefulness, not a care in the easy World, a black menial worker cleaning the street.  :Smile:

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## Cujo

I love these street level photo threads. Thanks.

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## Bangyai

Excellent thread and very informative. Thanks for taking the trouble to share.

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## terry57

Yes, real nice interesting and informative thread.

Cheers

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## Roobarb

Thanks for the encouragement everyone, we seem to have gathered something of a posse so far.



Looks like we're all having fun.


Misskit - This foray was actually fuelled by biscuits and gravy, albeit the version from the hotel that I posted on ralphlsasser's thread - probably explains why I was keen to get a bit of exercise. 

Metisdead - Great observation regarding the people in the photo, I hadn't really noticed them before. 


So where were we?  Having a quick break at the coffee shop.  Let's get going again.

First up - The Wegmann Building.  I know nothing about this other than it has been nicely restored:




It has to be said that some of the window displays on this street have been, um, alternative; and in certain cases are bordering on the faintly disturbing.



Now, I appreciate Boon Mee's sage advice about muggers and pickpockets, but these are just inconveniences compared with my real fear.  You see, I understand that Louisiana is Voodoo country and, well, whilst I know that this is suburban America and not West Africa, it's still something of a worry.

Admittedly my knowledge of Voodoo is limited to what the old crone got up to in 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' (which I think was actually based in Savannah, Georgia) and hazy memories of some James Bond film from the 1970s, so I don't profess to be an expert.

What started out as an innocent morning stroll could be taking a decidedly sinister turn.

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## Roobarb

Bet they're glad they didn't take a BP franchise (assuming BP gas stations exist in the US)

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## Roobarb

Walking further on, everything seems to be quite normal.




I'm sure that Voodoo practitioners are far too busy stealing locks of hair and sharpening pins to have the time to ensure that their privet hedges are nicely trimmed.




Nice house




All seems quite safe here

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## Roobarb

Ah, another shop.  A Po-Boy shop this time



Yup, no idea what a Po-Boy is, but I think Freddie Mercury sang about being one in Bohemian Rhapsody so we may want to give this shop something of a wide berth as we pass it.


I'm not too sure why I like the verandah in the picture below.  I think it's because all the furniture is old, broken and not terribly attractive, yet clearly used.  I guess it depicts real-life lifestyles rather than the image of them.




Also handy for the shop if you needed a Po-Boy in a hurry




Footnote - There were quite a few shops in New Orleans selling Po-Boys, and in retrospect I don't think it too likely that they had much to do with Freddie Mercury or the UK rock group Queen.  

Having checked Wikipedia it appears that a Po-Boy is a sandwich:

A *po' boy* (also *po-boy*, *po boy*, or *poor boy*) is a traditional submarine sandwich from Louisiana. It almost always consists of meat, usually roast beef, or fried seafood. The meat is served on baguette-like New Orleans French bread, known for its crisp crust and fluffy center.[1]

There are countless stories as to the origin of the term "po' boy". Etymologically, the term is likely derived from the French word _pourboire_, referring to a tip given to a waiter.[5] A popular local theory claims that "po' boy", as specifically referring to a type of sandwich, was coined in a New Orleans restaurant owned by Benny and Clovis Martin (originally from Raceland, Louisiana), former streetcar conductors.[6] In 1929, during a four-month strike against the streetcar company, the Martin brothers served their former colleagues free sandwiches.[6] The Martins' restaurant workers jokingly referred to the strikers as "poor boys", and soon the sandwiches themselves took on the name.[6] In Louisiana dialect, this is naturally shortened to "po' boy."[6]

So there you are.  Subway, eat your heart out.

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## Roobarb

Yes, all in all this is turning out to be a most agreeable walk.  What a charming and friendly lot these folks are.  Nothing of the dangers that lurk in the French Quarter - as Boon Mee noted earlier, an area infested with vagabonds and cutthroats.  

But then, what's happened here?

Weird ethereal stuff on the hedge, police tape on the gate.  It must be some Voodoo ritual that's gone horribly wrong?



Hang on, are those pumpkins on the step?

What's the date?

Mid October - you slow witted fool Roobarb, this is all about Halloween as I'd guess are all the other skulls, skeletons and macabre knick knacks in the shop windows.

Look around you:



This is not a neighbourhood that would put up with the living dead crawling out of their graves and wandering around (or whatever Voodoo does to them).   It's all far too neat and tidy to allow Zombies a look in, who I suspect would feel more at home in the French Quarter anyway.   

A bit of trick or treat is probably going to be as far as the folks around here would allow things to go in that sort of direction.

Seriously - Voodoo - what was I thinking?

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## Roobarb

I rather like this car outside the house, A Mustang of some description




Actually the car behind was also pretty cool, they both kind of compliment the area.




The house that the cars were parked beside had a very pleasing curved verandah, I liked it anyway.

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## Roobarb

Continuing down the road there are some huge trees with enormous overhanging branches.



Now, bear in mind that this is an area that gets hit by hurricanes fairly regularly.  In most places in the western world some grey pencil pusher from the local authority would have these branches lopped off, or better still get the trees ripped out, citing a health and safety hazard or some such thing.

Well done whoever is in charge of it here for not succumbing to such idiocy (or for not bothering to come and have a look).

They're nice trees




Hellooooo, what's this?



Lots of beads hanging off this one.

There's a bar just a bit further down.

I wonder...?

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## Roobarb

No, it's just a regular bar.  Moving swiftly on.




These trees are fantastic




Some new-looking apartments, but well done in the old style




Pretty cool retro-looking bike up on the balcony too




More trees stretching out over the road

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## Roobarb

Now, before we set off on this trip I did warn you that you may be privy to some of the twisted, irrelevant thoughts that go through my mind as we go along, and this particular post is one of them so feel free to skip it if you want.

This shop:



GNC - I just don't get why they did the logo this way

Yes, I know it stands for General Nutrition Centre, it says so underneath.  

The thing is that a logo is something that is meant to identify your product, to give you confidence in the products. 

The first place I came across a GNC store was in Malaysia (Bangsar Village, I think it's next to Nandos for those who know it).  Anyway, be it blindness or a lack of concentration, I'd assumed that it said GMC.



Cool I thought.  In the same way that Jeep and Caterpillar have lent their brands to some manly, outdoorsy type of clothing and stuff, now it seems that GMC have done something similar.  

Testosterone pumping I strode into the store only to find it was full of organic remedies and, well, some pretty girly rubbish like vitamin supplements and stuff.  

It's fair to say that I was a little disappointed.

OK, so I made a mistake, but when I think of GMC I think of these sort of trucks:







Trucks driven by rugged sorts of wilderness-loving frontiers men.  

Now this is where it may get a little contentious.  When one thinks of men who choose to live in the great outdoors in America it has to be said that what sometimes comes to mind are slightly scary types with missing teeth and whose DNA is indistinguishable from anyone else's in town.  You know, folks who sport several forms of loaded firearms and are a bit sensitive about protecting their moonshine operations in the West Virginia hills.  I'm thinking 'Deliverance' here.





(This last one may be a Chevy which rather defeats my point, but you get the idea)

The thing is this, and squealing pigs aside, when in my fevered imagination I think of GMC then I associate it with people whose idea of general nutrition is eating some critter that they've scraped off the road after it has been 'tenderised' by an 18 wheeler.



^ some General Nutrition, frontier style

I wonder why GNC has a logo so similar to GMC, but it's probably just me.

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## Roobarb

And so we wander on past the fire station.  America do make some spectacular fire engines.




Look, they've got a Ford Mustang in there too.



I've always thought it a shame that the UK fire engines all seem to be called Dennis.  Nothing wrong with the name Dennis, or Denis, but it just seems to have dropped in popularity in the last few decades.  I'm struggling to think of many Denis derived names

- Denis Thatcher, liked a drink or two and must have had a sense of humour, but not exactly cool.  

- Les Dennis, nuff said.

- Dennis the Menace - he was pretty cool but not really very real.

It just makes the UK fire engine efforts a bit, well, Fireman Sam in comparison.



On saying it, it's been a long time since I saw a fire engine in the UK so they may have improved a bit.

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## Roobarb

But tarry we not, there's more exploring to be done.

Wandering further along the street there are a few more shops.



I rather like the dentist's ad on the bus stop.  Not sure if it is clear in this pic but it says "Dr Jason Parker, Pediatric Dentist" and shows a blue whale clutching a toothbrush and smiling, showing off a perfect set of pearly white teeth.  There's just a nice sort of post-war Spiderman-tinged kitschiness about it. 


We do seem to be coming into more of a hotch-potch of architectural styles




Still, there's some nice detailing about like these railings




This bar seems oddly out of place given that most of the tourist action happens in the French Quarter, but it's N'Orlins so I guess anything goes.

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## Roobarb

Just a short way on from the last bar we find this one.



It's a rubbish picture, but this seems to be an English bar that serves ales, lagers, stouts plus various more Germanic sounding fare.  Bear in mind that it is still fairly early in the morning so finest ales are not at the forefront of my mind (they might be at the forefront of yours but the place is closed so we're clean out of luck on that front).  It has however been quite a long walk and, with Misskit's recommended breakfast of Biscuits and Gravy wearing off, ones mind does turn to that other great pub staple, the all-day breakfast.

It was therefore with considerable delight that two minutes further down the road I saw this:



Sausages - now we're talking.  Not 'Franks' or 'Links' or any other questionable fare.  No, it says Sausages.

There was a menu on the window, they are bound to have a Cumberland, or at least a traditional English banger of some sort in there.



Alas, No.  In spite of stating that they have sausages from 'Here, There & Everywhere', 'Here, There & Everywhere' appears to consist of a few places in continental Europe and the local swamp.

The place is called 'Dat Dog' which sort of alludes to this being a glorified hot-dog stand.

At least I hope it was a glorified hot-dog stand as, somewhat disturbingly, next to 'Dat Dog' is a vet on which is hung a banner with a picture of a Dachshund.

Probably just as well we didn't stop for a sausage at 'Dat Dog'.  All those German sausages they were offering, there could be a darker reason as to why Dachshunds are known as sausage dogs.

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## Roobarb

On a more serious note for a second, as we continue we come to the offices for WRBH, Radio for the Blind.



I guess that their target audience would have no idea about what a finely proportioned and aesthetically pleasing building their radio station staff are working from (unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of the house).

Makes you think that much of the enjoyment of this little trip we are taking is gained from the sights we see along the way.  Like it or leave it with the architecture, but there are folks out there who will never have experienced the beauty of what we all take for granted.


Perhaps, whilst it is hardly any consolation, the upside for a blind person would be that they are saved from having to read some of the slogans on this shoe repair shop a few doors further down

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## Roobarb

Looking into the opticians windows I do hope that I'm right about all this only being for Halloween.



The skeletons do at least seem happy.

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## Roobarb

This building seems almost too good to be true, being both a bit bigger than anything around it and also in a remarkably good state of repair compared with the others which are a little run down.




Ah, I think I've just found out why.  This one looks like it has a rather modern building method, albeit keeping the traditional style.



And here's another, albeit I think this one is a restoration as the beams someway back from the front seem to be original (again, apologies for the dodgy photography).





There do appear to be some new buildings amongst the old, but hats off to everyone for keeping the style the same.

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## Roobarb

This was a pretty cool little scooter thing outside a rental shop





I don't think we're all going to fit on it though, and besides which I'm enjoying the stroll so we'll carry on on foot.

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## Aberlour

Fantastic look around a famous and beautiful city. Thanks for taking the time to share them. I already sent you a green yesterday but I feel I owe you another already.  :Smile:

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## Nokturnal

One of a kind city... I love New Orleans!  Beautiful thread Sir.  In fact I believe it's one of the very best all year.  Thanks a million.  Though you have made me a tad homesick in the process. Please do carry on  :Smile:

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## Roobarb

Thanks Aberlour and Nokturnal for the support, New Orleans has some really photogenic parts.  I'm glad to have the opportunity to share a bit of what I saw.

Thanks also to the many of you who have given greens for this thread, much appreciated.

We're still doing OK for time so, at Nokturnal's request, let's carry on a bit further.

We're definitely moving away from the grander parts of Magazine Road now.




Wandering past a side street there's this old car parked up by some houses.  Worth a quick look I think




Nothing special, I don't even know what make it is (Plymouth perhaps?) but I like these old gas guzzlers.  I wouldn't want to own one, or even drive one for that matter, but somehow America is a more colourful place for having them.  It's a shame that they have nearly all gone to the great scrapyard in the sky now.  



Cars seem to develop character over time.  I reckon this one has it in spades.  You can just imagine some proud young executive picking up the keys for the first time and driving it new off the lot back in the 1970s (?), the car gradually developing it's own personality through the emotions of its owners in the decades thereafter.  

In 40 years time people will be laughing at our new cars - if any of them last that long.


The houses on this side street have got a bit smaller too

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## Roobarb

Back onto Magazine Street and a bit further down we find the local cop shop.



Probably best not to mention the colour...

Actually, many of you will remember that there was a major breakdown in law and order following Hurricane Katrina and that in some areas the New Orleans Police Department was found wanting.  It was on the evidence given by a police officer then serving at the second district that led to a federal grand jury indicting two other police officers over the shooting, and subsequent covering up, of a resident in the days immediately following the storm.

Law and Disorder  Two NOPD Officers Charged in Post-Katrina Death - ProPublica


At the intersection of Magazine Street and Napoleon Avenue, just in front of the police station, there's a sort of open area with a basketball court and St. Stephen's church in the background.




Opposite there are a few more shops



Now, I seem to remember from another thread that Socal has just bought himself a bright yellow Corvette vaguely similar to the one over the road.  

Not knowing an awful lot about Corvettes, or for that matter Socal, I didn't investigate further but it did make me think about some fellow TD contributors.

Oddly enough at the junction by the church I found myself reminded of another regular poster.  Can you guess who?



OK, not exactly correct I know.  However whilst Napoleon was not a Belgian, Belgium was Napoleon's for a while.

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## Roobarb

These buses with the bike racks on the front are a pretty cool idea.  I'm sure that they have them in places all over the world but I've never noticed them anywhere before.

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## Roobarb

We do seem to be descending into a grittier part of town.

Moneygram and pawn shops.  I suspect that we may have seen the best from a tourist perspective.




I'm sure that somewhere in Pattaya there would be an institution sporting the same name as this place




All we need are the loose women...



Good Lord...!  That's just scary.  Time to turn around I think

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## Roobarb

Now, I have a confession to make.  

I have an iPhone 5.

I am only admitting to this as I have been using it to take the photographs that you have seen today and, as those amongst us who have similar phones will know, the battery life on these things is appalling.

You will therefore be pleased to hear the phone has just informed me that, given the status of my battery, the trip back will take a maximum of 20% of the time taken getting here.

For die-hard Apple fans - Yes, this does mean that Apple have actually invented a form of time travel.

Whatever will they do next?

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## Roobarb

Having walked down Magazine Street to get here I think we'll go back another way

As I took a cheap shot at Camp Street's name a few posts back I feel duty bound to give it a chance to prove itself, so we'll mince down there for a while.

There are some big houses down here.  This one's having a bit of a repaint.




The photos don't really show it but, being a residential street the gardens are much bigger than on Magazine Street.

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## Roobarb

Now, this was something that was a little unexpected.  

Throughout the walk there have been a few houses with these coloured flags hanging off them.  I didn't think too much about it when I saw them as they were a bit far off and, well, I just didn't really bother to look at them.  

I think the picture of the apartments with the bicycle on the balcony had them way back in post 37.



On closer inspection it looks like some form of Buddhist thing?  Must ask Mrs Roobarb what it's all about.

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## Mikey Forester

A very cultural place. Thanks for the tour.  :Smile:

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## Roobarb

A bit further on we come across this place.  With the elegant old Mercedes parked on the gravel drive it looks like we could be somewhere in the south of France.



Clearly highly sophisticated people with impeccable taste live here.


A better view showing more of the front of the house - stunning




But hold on a second, what is that other car in the driveway?



Ah, um, it's not terribly distinct but it might, just might be a GMC.

- Whats that, you can't hear me?  You want me to say it louder?  

- OK.  Ummmmm, it could be a GMC.

In retrospect I may have been a bit wrong about GMC owners.

GNC - I stand corrected (but still don't want to buy your stuff)

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## Roobarb

^^ Delighted you're enjoying it Mikey, glad you've joined us for the tour.

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## Roobarb

I really do hope that this type of garden ornamentation is just for Halloween, I'm still a bit wary of what it would mean if it wasn't.




In England some people decorate gardens with gnomes which, whilst still highly offensive, are a little less sinister

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## Roobarb

OK, we're back on Magazine Street and heading back now




Odd, I hadn't noticed this house with the collapsing end wall on the way up, and actually took a picture of the one next to it (it's the same BMW parked at the front as the picture way back on post 11).



Looks like the place needs even more work than the other one

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## Roobarb

There are a fair amount of renovations going on at the moment



A taxi driver was telling me that the local authorities are getting increasingly impatient with owners who have not fixed up their properties after Hurricane Katrina (and I guess other hurricanes too), threatening them with fines etc.

It's creating a bit of discontent as there are still a fair few state owned properties that have not been sorted out.  

Expecting private owners to fund their own renovations before the state has finished theirs, especially given the amount of federal aid that the state has received to do so, is the causing a degree of vexation amongst local home owners and landlords.

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## Roobarb

Must me an export model that I'm unaware of...?

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## Roobarb

Now, thanks to Apple technology we have already crossed under the Pontchartrain Expressway and are heading back through the warehouse district.

America can make some desolate looking streets



Good to see a chef on his way to knock up a gumbo though.

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## Roobarb

Opposite the convention centre there is a monument thing in memory of Hurricane Katrina.



Based on the map earlier in the thread it appears that this area did not actually flood, but as a lot of business types coming to New Orleans go to the Convention Centre then it makes more sense sticking a reminder here than out in the bayou somewhere.

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## Roobarb

Ah, the hotel, with a rather well decorated car park.  We're nearly there now

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## Roobarb

I have no idea what this machine does, but America does this sort of thing really well.  Look at the size of the entire rig, wonderful stuff.




Here's another example of American engineering in the car park.  It's in the corner that the whales are swimming towards and frankly I'm not surprised that they want to have a look at it.  For me these are the best looking of the modern retro muscle cars.



This is a Dodge Challenger 392 Hemi.  Now, I know it has the interior space of a Toyota Vios and less practicality, but that's missing the point.

Have a read of the following writeup from leftlanenews.com :
_________________________________________________

The heart of the Challenger SRT8 is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with 470 horsepower  and 470 lb-ft of torque. The latter figure is 90 lb-ft better than the model's  previous engine, adding a welcome kick in the pants to the straight line  acceleration department. In fact, the coupe can scoot from a dead stop to 60  miles per hour in well under five seconds.


If quarter mile races are more your thing, know that this coupe can run the  quarter in mid 12's with the automatic transmission, or high 12's equipped with  the row-it-yourself gearbox. The Challenger SRT8 features a launch-control  system that spins the engine to optimal launch rpms, then manages wheelspin once  underway for the quickest acceleration possible.  Top speed is an impressive 182  in the manual and 175 with the automatic.


With all that power and displacement fuel economy is obviously not the  primary concern of the vehicle's engineers, but it wasn't forgotten either. Both  transmissions will return 14 city mpg, while the manual bests the automatic by  one mpg for a highway rating of 23.

2014 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 - Specifications, Pictures, Prices
__________________________________________________  _

From a practical perspective then this is completely useless, but the very fact that this it exists is, to me, truly wonderful.

But it's not the specifications of this car that represent the great 'can-do' spirit of America.

No, for that we need to look really closely at what's hanging off the rear view mirror




What must the guy's wheelchair be like?




To put it in perspective, this is the sort of thing that disabled people have been expected to tool around in in the UK.



I have to say, there's a lot to admire about America.

For those who have made it to the end of this stroll through the backstreets of New Orleans then many thanks for joining me.   I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Roobarb

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## terry57

Very nice mate.  Those houses are massive, the upkeep on them makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about it.

But then again if one could afford to have one of those houses one could afford the upkeep.

I hope to get back to the USA one day, brilliant place to visit as a tourist.

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## misskit

Excellent thread, Roobarb!

New Orleans, San Francisco, and Miami are the cities I tell foreign tourists to visit in America. Those cities have so much "personality."

If this kind of old style neighborhood charm is what floats your boat, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia excell. Not exciting places, but check them out if you get the chance.

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## Davis Knowlton

Best thread I've seen in quite a while. Many thanks!

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## sabang

> On closer inspection it looks like some form of Buddhist thing?


Yep- Tibetan.


Great walking tour roobarb, great walking town too- one of the best I've never done. Cheers.  :Smile:

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## bsnub

A really nice thread! cheers!

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## barrylad66

fantastic thread and pics :Smile:  doubt i'll ever get there but never say never eh!

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## beerlaodrinker

excellent thread and entertaining narrative,   cheers

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## Roobarb

Thanks for all the appreciative comments guys and for all those who sent greens.  

Pictures speak a thousand words and when the subject matter is somewhere as colourful as New Orleans it's kind of hard to go wrong.

Glad I could share the experience with y'all.

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## slackula

> Thanks for all the appreciative comments guys and for all those who sent greens.


A superb thread and I'd green you again if I could, you've knocked this one out of the park (to borrow an appropriate Americanism).  :Smile:

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## ShilohJim

Very nicely done Roobarb. New Orleans is a beautiful city in parts but the seamy side gets most of the publicity and unfortunately usually the most damage whenever hurricane season rolls around. But if they are dumb enough to live below sea level so be it.

Great job,
Shilohjim

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## The Fresh Prince

Nice thread Roobarb. :Smile: 

I think a Po-Boy is a breaded shrimp sandwhich, I'm a sure an American can confirm.

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## Dead Metal

Thanks, nicely put together. Another one for the "bucket-list". I hope you do some more ? a great read.

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## cdnski12

Thot that was a 1970's Dodge Polara, but internet Photos don't have that weird front Bumper setup.

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## cdnski12

The yellow Machine on the flatbed truck is a Blacktop Pavement grinder/loader. The front part grinds/gashes/chews out about 1.5"-3" of the top portion of blacktop, the rear conveyor loads the ground up blacktop into a tandem wheeled dump truck backing along behind the Grinder Machine. The truck then goes back to the asphalt plant where it is recycled and hauled back to the sit e a few days later. Bigger units do everything in one pass, but they are truly massive. X-Ref: In Situ Asphalt  re-Cycling. See: HOME

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## malc123

I just love New Orleans been there many time's just to stay with friends and for Mardi Gras. Hoping to visit again next year to see old friends.

I now live in Udon Thani.  :Smile:

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## Ceburat1

Wow, man. You just made me homesick. New Orleans is my home town. A very great city. A Po-Boy is, the original, hot roast beef and gravy on french bread.  You can add tomatoes and lettuce if you like. Maybe I have eaten a thousand of them and the more modern version with fish, shrimp, oysters, and such are great.  Go to Charleston, then on to Savanah, Ga (my favorite), and end up in New Orleans. About two weeks in each city and that will be a vacation to remember. Thanks for the photo trip - great job.

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## BarnacleBill

Thanks so much for a "New Look" at New Orleans.  Just shows what one can see if you get up early in the morning!  I did something similar way back in the 80's in LA, but without the aid of an iPhone!  I wandered the back streets behind the Motel and saw some unusual sights.  My American hosts told me I was crazy!  I considered myself fortunate!

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## Roobarb

Guys, Thank you all for the responses you've posted.  much appreciated

Malc123 - Honoured that my thread got your first ever post, especially given you have been a member for 4 years...  Welcome aboard, have a green!  You're in Udon, start a thread about it.  It's years since I've been there.

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## Roobarb

> Thot that was a 1970's Dodge Polara, but internet Photos don't have that weird front Bumper setup.


cdnski12 - thanks for the input on the pavement loader/grinder.

Got to say though that I'm not so sure about the car being a Dodge Polara, I had a look on the net and none of them seemed to ring true to the one I saw.

As I have a marginally higher resolution photo of the back end than the one I shared on TD I could see that the logo above the license plate definitely began with a P.  Pontiac/Plymouth/Peugeot/Porsche/Proton/Pagani... start with the first two I think.

I did a bit more fishing and reckon that it's a '72 Plymouth Fury III




^ The Roobarbmobile from the front




^ A cared for version (or given that the background is almost identical perhaps the new owner is a tad careless)  

1972 Plymouth Fury III | Flickr - Photo Sharing!




^ Rear view




^ Rear view (OK, it's the 4 door and not the coupe, but the you get the idea).  Oddly enough this last one is Swiss which may explain why it is in somewhat better condition.  The rear bumper (fender) on the New Orleans one is different, but given it doesn't fit that well it may be off another model.  I suspect that the current US owner may be less concerned about originality than perhaps the Swiss one.


Wondering why they all have a vinyl roof?



Nice to see that the New Orleans one has had a change of tyres at least once in its life.

Actually, the main reason for posting all this though is simply to do with the name.  A Dodge Polara sounds like a medical condition and is just no way as cool sounding as a Plymouth Fury.

  I doubt the mainstream manufacturers would be brave enough to call a car a Fury today.   It needs to be something nice and cuddly like a Panda, meaningless such as Altis, or an inoffensive string of numbers and letters such as a 320i.

"I have a Fury" - it's slighly scary just to listen to anyone who mentions that.  You wouldn't want to get too close in case you unwittingly upset them.

"I have a Dodge Polara" - You wouldn't want to get too close to someone who said that either but largely because it sounds like it might be contagious.

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## bangkokbonecollector

Tx for these great pics, sure has some stunning buildings

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