In New Orleans, the streets where revelers meandered, listening to jazz
in the sticky heat, are now flooded with murky water. Some businesses
and landmarks are submerged or damaged; others escaped the water but
were ravaged by looters.
Rescue workers are combing the waters in search of survivors, but a
different kind of reckoning is also becoming clear. New Orleans is one
of the most iconic cities in America, and some of the places and pieces
that make it unique could be lost or looted.
A list of famous spots in the city, and how they are faring, though the
full extent of the damage won't be known for some time:
The French Quarter: This historic district is full of wrought-iron
balconies and ornate colonial architecture, but was also a playground
for adults who could roam the streets with cocktails in tow and listen
to jazz and, during Mardi Gras, grab for beads and go wild. The area
escaped much of the flooding.
Bourbon Street: A hedonistic strip in the Quarter bursting with bars
like Pat O'Brien's, Molly's on the Market, and Jean Laffite's Blacksmith
Shop. The latter, a piano bar, was supposedly the in-town headquarters
of pirate Jean Laffite, who owned more than 10 vessels and raided
American, British and Spanish ships in the early 1800s. Located in the
French Quarter, the area escaped flooding but remains closed.
Cafe du Monde: Established in 1862, this coffee shop on Decatur Street
in the French Quarter was best known for its cafe au lait, made with
hearty New Orleans-style coffee, blended with chicory, and beignets --
crispy, square doughnuts. Still standing.
Galatoire's: Nearly a century old, the tiled and mirrored restaurant was
famous for not taking reservations. The tuxedo-clad wait staff served
Creole classics like shrimp remoulade and crab meat maison. Also located
in the French Quarter. Still standing.
Acme Oyster House: Built more than 90 years ago at the gateway to the
French Quarter, the menu included raw oysters (pronounced "ersters") and
traditional po' boys, or fried oyster sandwiches. On the edge of the
Quarter, should have escaped much flooding.
U.S. Mint building: The building housed Confederate soldiers during the
Civil War and produced money for the federal government until 1909. It
later became home to jazz and Mardi Gras exhibits and the streetcar
immortalized in Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire." The
mint is still standing. The fate of the streetcar is unknown.
Preservation Hall: A famed New Orleans jazz club located in an
unassuming building originally built as a private residence in 1750 and
was once a tavern, inn, photo studio and art gallery. Fate unknown; it
is in the middle of the Quarter, and should be unaffected unless looters
have trashed it.
Anne Rice's home: Tourists and fans of the "Vampire Chronicles" books
would visit the Garden District home of author Anne Rice. She has also
helped create several "haunted tours" of the city. The area was battered
by high winds which knocked down trees. Rice no longer lives there,
though that hasn't stopped the tourists from stopping by.
St. Louis Cathedral: Located in Jackson Square and consecrated in 1794,
it was said to be the oldest continuously active cathedral in the
country. Still standing.
St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District: The St. Charles Streetcar ran
down the historic street, and the area was shaded by majestic oak trees
layered in Spanish moss. The Garden District was named for the
collection of mansions and sprawling gardens, but Victorian homes were
later built have become a well-known part of the neighborhood. Much wind
damage; many of the trees were splintered.
Commander's Palace: A restaurant built in 1880 in the stately Garden
District, frequented by everyone from wealthy elite to riverboat
captains and charlatans. Known for its turtle soup and
turquoise-and-white facade, which was partially destroyed.
Fair Grounds: Located in the northeast section of the city, the fair
grounds is best known as the home of the New Orleans Jazz Festival, but
is also famous for its racetrack, built in 1852. The roof was torn off.
Little is known about the fate of other landmarks located in the flood
area, including St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, one of the larger cemeteries
known as "cities of the dead," with narrow paths, rusty iron work and
sun-bleached tombs built aboveground because the water table was so high
caskets would occasionally float away if buried underground; Mid-City
Lanes Rock 'N Bowl Nightclub, a bar near Xavier University which has
bowling lanes, live Cajun, blues and jazz music plus a full bowling
alley and dancing; and Maple Leaf Bar, a smallish place uptown on Oak
Street with a hammered-on tin ceiling, an institution for local music.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
