Читать книгу Walking New Orleans - Barri Bronston - Страница 11

1 WAREHOUSE DISTRICT: AN ART LOVER’S PARADISE

BOUNDARIES: St. Charles Ave., Poydras St., Convention Center Blvd., Andrew Higgins Dr.

DISTANCE: 1.8 miles

PARKING: Lots, garages, metered parking

PUBLIC TRANSIT: St. Charles Ave. Streetcar

The Warehouse District, also called the Arts District, is by far one of the coolest neighborhoods in New Orleans, its establishment an answer to the urban blight that replaced a once-thriving industrial area. The Contemporary Arts Center pioneered the effort in 1976, converting a dilapidated building into a showcase for visual and performing artists.

Over the next quarter of a century, the area experienced a complete transformation, and today it is home to some of the city’s preeminent museums, galleries, restaurants, and clubs. Countless buildings have been converted into luxury condo developments, making the Warehouse District one of the most desirable neighborhoods in town.

Museums include the National World War II Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, and the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum. Julia Street boasts some of the city’s top art galleries, among them the Arthur Roger Gallery, Jean Bragg Gallery, and Jonathan Ferrara Gallery.

The culinary scene is equally vibrant. Eateries range from upscale Emeril’s and Tommy’s to the trendy and hip Root and Pêche Seafood Grill. For drinks—and fun—gathering spots include Tommy’s Wine Bar and Manning’s, the sports bar and restaurant owned by Archie Manning, former New Orleans Saints quarterback and father of current NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton.

 Begin your walk at Lee Circle, where St. Charles Avenue intersects Andrew Higgins Drive. Lee Circle is known for its bronze statue of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. The statue, which stands high atop a granite pedestal, was sculpted by Alexander Doyle in 1884.

 Walk a block down Andrew Higgins across Camp Street, and turn left. To the right is the Contemporary Arts Center, known for its bold, sometimes daring displays of visual and performing arts. To the left is the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum, which houses artifacts from the Civil War, including the personal belongings of soldiers along with weapons, flags, and uniforms.Adjacent to the Confederate Museum is the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, which showcases the visual arts of the American South, including the works of Clementine Hunter, George Dureau, and Ida Kohlmeyer. The museum, named after Southern art collector and philanthropist Roger Ogden, offers live music every Thursday night, film screenings related to Ogden’s collections, and an impressive array of educational programming.

NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM

When the National World War II Museum opened as the National D-Day Museum in 2000, there were just under 6 million surviving veterans of the so-called War That Changed the World. As of 2014, the number had dwindled to just over a million.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans are dying at a rate of 550 a day, making the museum’s mission—to ensure that all generations understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn—that much more crucial.

Named by travel website TripAdvisor as a top-10 museum in the United States and the 14th best in the world, the National World War II Museum is fulfilling its mission through extraordinary exhibits that explain why the war was fought, how it was won, and what it means today.

The museum campus consists of three buildings, each dedicated to a central theme that gives visitors an opportunity to experience the war through the eyes of those who lived it. Exhibits include uniforms, weaponry, vehicles, medals, diaries, letters, artwork, photographs, and other mementos, along with oral histories and personal vignettes. The Solomon Victory Theater is home to the exclusive Tom Hanks production Beyond All Boundaries, a 4-D film that explains the war through dazzling special effects, archival footage, and first-person accounts. In December 2014, the museum opened its newest exhibit, “Road to Berlin: European Theater Galleries,” a 32,000-square-foot multimedia experience that recounts the drama and personal sacrifices surrounding America’s fight to defeat the Axis powers and preserve freedom.

Entertainment abounds as well, from Rat Pack tribute shows to performances by the Victory Belles, a 1940s-style singing group. And a program called White Glove Wednesdays invites visitors to try on original and reproduction helmets, uniforms, boots, packs, and other gear.

 Continue walking down Camp and cross St. Joseph Street. Halfway down the block to the left is Ozanam Inn, a nonprofit shelter and kitchen for the homeless. A program of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ozanam works to help homeless individuals attain independence, offering medical treatment and legal counsel along with job and life-skills training.At the corner of Camp and Julia Streets is one of the many art galleries that populate the Warehouse District, the Jean Bragg Gallery. Housed in an 1832 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the gallery showcases the works of Louisiana artists, both new and established. Among its specialties are Newcomb and Gulf Coast pottery.

 Cross Julia and continue walking down Camp. On the left is the Martine Chaisson Gallery, which, like so many of the galleries in the Warehouse District, represents both emerging and established contemporary artists. Toward the end of the block, to the right, is the Old St. Patrick’s Church, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places. The church celebrated its first Mass in 1840. At the time, services took place in a small wooden structure. Longing to worship in the same splendor that the French citizenry did at nearby St. Louis Cathedral, the Irish community rallied support for its own house of worship, and the Gothic-style Old St. Patrick’s was born.Two blocks past St. Patrick’s is the John Minor Wisdom US Court of Appeals Building, headquarters of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. Built in 1915 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, the three-story marble-and-granite building features a cornice inscribed with the names of former chief justices of the US Supreme Court. The building is named for John Minor Wisdom, who served on the appellate court from 1957 until his death in 1999. Wisdom was a highly respected judge who promoted civil rights through landmark decisions involving school desegregation and voter rights.Directly across from the courthouse is Lafayette Square, the second oldest park in New Orleans. The park features several statues, including one of John McDonogh, the founder of the city’s school system. From March to June, the park is home to the weekly “Wednesdays in the Square,” a concert series sponsored by the Young Leadership Council.Look across the square and you’ll see Gallier Hall, one of New Orleans’s most iconic landmarks. Dedicated in 1853, the Greek Revival structure served as City Hall for a century and continues today as a special-events venue and occasional set location for movies and TV shows, including NCIS: New Orleans. On Mardi Gras Day, the mayor of New Orleans toasts the kings of the Zulu and Rex parades here.

 Turn right on Lafayette Street and walk seven blocks to Convention Center Boulevard. This stretch will take you behind the Hale Boggs Federal Building and Courthouse to Fulton Street, a block-long entertainment mall featuring an array of restaurants and bars. Every winter, Harrah’s New Orleans presents “Miracle on Fulton Street,” converting the walkway into a wonderland of lights, decorations, and snowfall. Among the restaurants on Fulton is Manning’s, an upscale sports bar owned by former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning in partnership with Harrah’s. The restaurant features 30 flat-screen TVs, a sports-anchor desk, and memorabilia from Louisiana’s first family of football—Archie and sons Peyton and Eli—and various Louisiana teams. A row of comfy recliners faces the bar’s mega-screen.

 At Convention Center Boulevard, turn right and walk three blocks to Julia Street. Across the boulevard is the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, a high-end outlet mall, and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, named after the first black mayor of New Orleans. At 1.1 million square feet, the center is the sixth largest in the United States.

 Turn right on Julia at Mulate’s, a popular Cajun restaurant where you can try such Louisiana fare as fried alligator and stuffed catfish, as well as test your Cajun two-step skills on the dance floor.

 From Mulate’s, walk six blocks down Julia to Magazine Street. This stretch features some of the city’s most respected art galleries, among them LeMieux Galleries, Søren Christensen, Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, and Arthur Roger Gallery. All invite visitors to stop in and browse. Julia Street is the center of two of the most popular arts events in town—White Linen Night and Art for Arts’ Sake. The galleries also present Art Walks on the first Saturday night of every month.Restaurants also abound on Julia, including Emeril’s New Orleans, the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, at the corner of Tchoupitoulas Street. Other restaurants along Julia or in the general vicinity are Root, Tomas Bistro, Tommy’s Cuisine, and Tommy’s Wine Bar.At the corner of Julia and Constance Streets is the Louisiana Children’s Museum, which promotes learning through such exhibits as the Little Port of New Orleans, Art Trek, and the Little Winn-Dixie Grocery Store. At the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation Kids’ Café, children learn about the city’s restaurant industry by playing the roles of server, cook, and maître d’. Long-term plans call for the museum to move to City Park, providing it with an outdoor learning space.

 Turn left on Magazine Street. To the left is Pêche Seafood Grill, which, since opening to rave reviews in 2013, has become one of the city’s most talked-about dining spots. In May 2014, it won the James Beard Award for the Best New Restaurant in America, beating out three restaurants in New York and one in San Francisco.

 Walk two blocks to Andrew Higgins Drive, home of the National World War II Museum (see sidebar). Through interactive exhibits, oral histories, and vignettes, the museum tells the story of the so-called War That Changed the World. The museum’s Stage Door Canteen presents war-era entertainment from big-band favorites to the Victory Belles singing group (think the Andrews Sisters).

 Turn right at Andrew Higgins and head two blocks back to Lee Circle.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Robert E. Lee Monument St. Charles Avenue at Lee Circle

Confederate Memorial Hall Museum confederatemuseum.com, 922 Camp St., 504-523-4522

Contemporary Arts Center cacno.org, 900 Camp St., 504-528-3805

Ogden Museum of Southern Art ogdenmuseum.org, 925 Camp St., 504-539-9650

Jean Bragg Gallery jeanbragg.com 600 Julia St., 504-895-7375

Old St. Patrick’s Church oldstpatricks.org, 724 Camp St., 504-525-4413

Martine Chaisson Gallery martinechaissongallery.com, 727 Camp St., 504-302-7942

Old St. Patrick’s Church oldstpatricks.org, 724 Camp St., 504-525-4413

John Minor Wisdom US Court of Appeals Building tinyurl.com/jmwbuilding, 600 Camp St., 504-310-7700

Lafayette Square nola.gov/parks-and-parkways/parks-squares/lafayette-square, bounded by St. Charles Ave., Camp St., N. Maestri St., and S. Maestri St.; 504-658-3200

Manning’s harrahsneworleans.com/restaurants.html, 519 Fulton St., 504-593-8118

Outlet Collection at Riverwalk riverwalkneworleans.com, 500 Port of New Orleans, 504-522-1555

Mulate’s mulates.com, 201 Julia St., 504-522-1492

Root rootnola.com, 200 Julia St., 504-252-9480

Emeril’s emerilsrestaurants.com, 800 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-528-9393

LeMieux Galleries lemieuxgalleries.com, 332 Julia St., 504-522-5988

Søren Christensen sorengallery.com, 400 Julia St., 504-569-9501

Jonathan Ferrara Gallery jonathanferraragallery.com, 400-A Julia St., 504-522-5471

Louisiana Children’s Museum lcm.org, 420 Julia St., 504-523-1357

Arthur Roger Gallery arthurrogergallery.com, 432 Julia St., 504-522-1999

Pêche Seafood Grill pecherestaurant.com, 800 Magazine St., 504-522-1744

National World War II Museum nationalww2museum.org, 945 Magazine St., 504-527-6012

ROUTE SUMMARY

1 Begin at Lee Circle and Andrew Higgins Drive.

2 Walk one block to Camp Street; cross Camp and turn left.

3 Walk five blocks to Lafayette Street and turn right.

4 Walk seven blocks to Convention Center Boulevard and turn right.

5 Walk three blocks to Julia Street and turn right.

6 Walk six blocks to Magazine Street and turn left.

7 Walk two blocks to Andrew Higgins and turn right.

8 Walk two blocks to Lee Circle.

Pêche Seafood Grill, known for its vast selection of coastal seafood, is an essential stop for any foodie traveling to New Orleans.

Photo: Donna Goldenberg