The end of an era in New Orleans

Judy: Here's hoping that the new situation will be equally agreeable if not better. Be aware, if you are not, that there are those of us up here on the south shore of the Ohio and elsewhere who welcome your reports from sunnier climes when the cold winds blow...and when they don't! Cap'n Walnut

Judy Patsch;21076 wrote: As I sit here in the quiet of the Beauregard-Keyes Courtyard munching on my breakfast croissant from the bakery around the corner, I am typing my last posting from this courtyard before I get too choked up. When I drive out this morning, it will end exactly 23 years of residence in the small apartment under the BK House. I moved in during my year's leave of absence from teaching when I was working year-round on the NATCHEZ. This has been my base for my summers and vacation getaways, and my escape from the problems and lousy weather at home. It has provided me so many pleasurable and memorable experiences and such a handy place to get to the NATCHEZ. I would have continued this existence indefinitely, but some new board members have convinced them to raise the rent from $300 to $550 a month, an amount I can neither afford nor justify. So in approximately 3 hours, I'll pull out of the driveway and head over to the NATCHEZ for one more trip before heading to the airport. As always, the boat will provide me a refuge.
Even though this 23 year era at the BK House is ending, it will in no way affect my traveling to New Orleans or staying with the NATCHEZ. I'll just be moving my base of operations down Chartres a block, to LeRichelieu Hotel. I'm already booked there for 4 days in June. They will store my bike and golf clubs under the BK House, so the only things missing will be an oven in which to bake the cookies(a major source of concern), and Adolfina our outdoor cat. I made a special bike ride this morning to the grocery store to get a bag of treats for her, having gone through the first four already. You cat people know what's coming: She hasn't shown up yet this morning, even though she was at my door every other morning appearing to be starving to death!
I'll end this expressing my gratitude for being able to live here for 23 years in the heart of the French Quarter, and a special thanks to CCH, who convinced the House Director to let me rent this apartment.
1) The Beauregard Keyes House
2) Le Richelieu Hotel
3) the final batch of cookies baked at 1113 Chartres

All good things must come to an end...

Judy,
I'm sitting here trying to figure out what that lever thing is on the kitchen counter. Looks like an old pitcher pump. Meybe a cookie ball maker? Just being curious as an old mechanic.

Item on counter

Its a can crusher. It saves space when recycling pop cans.

Judy,
I should have recognized that gadget. Saw one years ago at a VFW lounge bar. Ha Ha

Actually, being in a place 23 years isn't bad, especially since you were renting it. A lot of people don't even OWN places that long. And I thought the rent was phenomenal, especially being in the middle of the French Quarter. Question: Why are you not, by now, a permanent resident of NOLA? Just curious. Don't have to answer if you don't want to. I did have a slight problem with that apartment, though. I couldn't stand up in it. Other than that, it was a pretty nifty place.

FQ q&a

Yes, for normal people 23 years would be a long time - but remember I've lived in my RI house for my entire life, never have moved. As to not living full time in New Orleans: I couldn't move out of this house(until the nursing or funeral home), and I couldn't afford a place in NOLA. That apartment would not be big enough for full time living, especially with 4 cats. And, realistically, the crime rate - I want to be able to be out and about in the evening without fear of being shot. Roddy's death cured me of any vague idea I might have ever entertained about moving there.

And you are right Judy. Roddys death and the crime rate is why my mom finally moved. Remember when you first got that apt. and you could walk the quarter or the Faubourg Marigny at any hour without fear. The A&P was open 24hrs., you could walk to the Cafe Du Monde or walk through Jackson Square at any hour without fear. Do they close the Square at night now? Hey I meant to ask you before, is Tujagues still there across from the Cafe? Funny I saw an old High School buddy on "Cops at Mardi Gras" not long ago and he was still a beat cop in the quarter where we grew up and went to Nicholls HS 3800 St. Claude(now called Fredrick Douglas)and graduated in 74.

FQ changes

The A&P, now Rouses, closes around 11. I can remember biking over there from my hotel on St. Ann in 1984 at 3AM for some cold medication or something. Not now! They close the Square at 6 PM I believe. Yes, Tujagues is still there, looks the same. I feel fine riding my bike at night back and forth from the boat, or in the FQ, but I would not walk by myself after dark, and I'm not crazy about driving after dark either. And of course, as the years pile up on me, I'm less agile - not that I ever was - and so I'm not confident of being able to manuever out of a difficult situation as I used to be... so it isn't just the locale, but the local that has changed!

Roddy's death put the sour on a lot of us concerning our feelings about a city we called our second home. I used to wander all over most of the city, by myself, and never felt concerned for my safety, though I kept out of the projects and other places where I knew not to tresspass, and always enjoyed my solitary journeys around town.

Before Rod was killed, we took a tour in the very car he was shot in. He pointed out an older white couple walking fearfully on Lower Canal and commented, "They'll never make it back to their hotel ." Later, when we were under a dark, solitary underpass waiting for the light to change, he remarked, "A lot of cars get robbed here." As my eyes darted from dark corner to dark corner, I urged Roddy to run the red light; which he didn't do.

And so I take it, there has yet to be anything done about the crime. It can be done with the right leadership. Crime usually persists with poor leadership. I guess the good people of New Orleans enjoy being preyed upon. I had thought the hurricane might have helped. In a way it did. A bunch of the punks ended up in Houston where they were promptly put in jail. I had stuff stolen out of my car twice. Needless-to-say, I never saw the stuff again, even though I reported the crimes. Catch the losers who steal stuff out of cars and you catch the murderers. New Orleans needs to come out of the Dark Ages.

Crime in NOLA

Leadership IS the crime - and so are many members of NOPD, and most every level of elected official. It was better after Katrina. In fact, on my first visit after it, I walked down Canal St. by myself after dark without fear. Now the local neighborhood entrepenueurs and pharmacists have returned and things are back to normal. There is hope, as Mitch Landrieu takes the mayor's office in the first week of May, and a new city council too. He will also appoint a new police chief. And hopefully the soon to be Ex mayor of his Chocolate City goes back to his Dallas home permanently.

Yes NOLA has a long history of having one of the most corrupt police depts. In the country. they have been taken over by the State Police and National Guard more than once when the corruption got out of hand. I actually knew one officer in the Quarter who was hired because his father and grandfather were cops yet he could not read or write(his young partner took care of that and his superiors looked the other way). His 3 sons became NOPD officers and Detectives with one rising to the rank of Capt. and 2 winding up in prison. But then look at Edwin Edwards. But on a brighter note the Landreiu family has always been good at politics so I'm hoping like Judy that they can turn things around as it can only go up from here.

Dallas? They probably don't want him there either. I don't know. Wasn't there a Landrieu involved in the recent so called "Louisiana Purchase"?

Not sure Cap, I just remember growing up there with "Moon" Landrieu as Mayor and later Mary Landrieu as a Senator.

Oh and I remember when the Levee was just a hill with some RR tracks on top, then when Moon became mayor they turned the Levee into the "Moon Walk".

LA Purchase

The most recent LA purchase to which you refer is connected to Sen. Mary Landrieu, Moon's daughter and the brother to Mayor-Elect Mitch. The Landrieus are a veteran political family and no doubt the you scratch my back I'll scratch yours method will be in play in NOLA city government, but as far as I know, they do it above board. And they aren't idiots who don't flap their mouths before engaging their brains. They obviously are held in esteem in all levels of government, so that should help the NOLA cause too.