New month. New opportunities and neighborhoods. I found a new studio space about a mile and a half north of me. I have driven through that neighborhood and even stayed at an airbnb over there. Actually, it is one of my favorite rentals in Denver. They offer a barrel sauna and a hot tub. Talk about speaking my love language. Self-care in a few different forms.
I drove over and put up a few fliers in the neighborhood. There is a coffee shop/rotating tap room on the corner of York and 28th that I have driven by but not stopped into. Until today. I returned home after picking up more fliers for the donation class on Tuesday mornings at the studio and walked over to the coffee shop. It was perfect. About twenty-five minutes since I cut through City Park. I chilled while absorbing some of the vibes of the spot. Definitely neighborhood folks and a few tourists. People were friendly and imbibing a mix of coffee and beer.
I have been deep diving into Hurricane Katrina. I have always loved New Orleans from my first visit in 1998. I remember finishing my sociology midterm and heading out to Mardi Gras. Sarah and I drove down and arrived in Baton Rouge the next day. I had relatives that lived there from our exchange student, Vino. Vino is Malaysian and quite a few of his cousins had moved to Baton Rouge. Three of his cousins hosted us. The first house we were set to stay in had cats and Sarah is deathly allergic to cats. Thankfully, one of his uncles stepped in and offered to let us stay at their home. Their only request was that we would have to participate in karaoke. They had a machine and a big screen tv. I rarely participate and Sarah is tone deaf. Still, she sang Desperado if I remember correctly.
We headed to NOLA the next day without a plan. We were young and determined to celebrate Mardi Gras. We convinced ourselves that we would sleep in her truck or find somewhere to crash for the night. We would be safe amongst the hundreds of tourists partying in the city. Our only concern was getting beads and having fun. Sarah's aunt always booked a room at the Sheraton on Canal Street. She lived in Texas but always went to Mardi Gras. Eventually after lecturing us on our naivety, she offered to let us stay on her hotel floor. She did let us know that it would cost her $50 an armband. It always made me laugh knowing that Vino's family had no problem accommodating the allergies of Sarah and moved us with no resistance.
At any rate, we made it through that celebration and returned the following year with another trio of friends. We arranged to stay in Metarie and take a cab to and from. Again, we had a fantastic time. Checking out the French Quarter, Cafe Du Monde, Jackson Square. I cannot speak to the food since we were young, and the majority of restaurants were packed with other inebriated tourists trying to celebrate the debauchery. I remember eating crawfish and the hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's. We mostly stayed on Bourbon Street.
In 2004 or 05, I flew to the city with Sara Jo. I convinced her that we should have a proper trip. Stay in the Garden District and spend time in the quarter and Marigny. I kept hearing about great food and bars outside of the quarter. We took the trolley car until it broke down. I looked at the map wrong and headed away from the Quarter towards Tulane. In my defense, my ear wouldn't pop, and I was having difficulty hearing. I told Sara she should never rely on my sense of direction.
Dined at Muriel's, had beers at D.B.A., Adolfo's and a few other spots in the financial district. It was my first-time perusing Magazine St. I had a glass from the Bull Dog for a while. I remember it breaking around the time that Brian died. It is funny how we remember associations. I think Sara still has hers. It was my first time enjoying the restaurant scene. We did find a few daq shacks (a must do in my opinion) and of course, found the Hotel Monteleone for a sazerac.
My next trip was post Katrina on a cross country road trip. I was with two friends from Arizona. I agreed to meet them in Florida if we stopped in New Orleans for one night. They hated it. She couldn't believe all of the visible destruction. She was completely uncomfortable walking around the Quarter and the Marigny. I think had I been agreeable we would have left in the middle of the night. I insisted on going to Cafe Du Monde, Lafitte's, Hotel Monteleone and we dined at Adolfo's. In hindsight, I should have known better. These friends were not open to exploring cities. They prefer spending time in the safety of their bubble.
Since then, I have been back on three other occasions. Celebrated my 40th birthday with 5 of my girlfriends there. I have had some of the best meals of my life in New Orleans. Commander's Palace, Compare Lepin, Revolution, Parkside Po'Boy's, Arnaud's, Galatoires's, Seaworthy. So many other local spots that always offered delicious fare. Perhaps not during Mardi Gras when I was 21. Completely different experience, lol. And I still have not attended Jazz Fest.
After watching Treme, again, I wanted to listen to podcasts about the aftermath. I am a David Simon fan. It took me awhile to get into the Wire but once I did, I couldn't stop watching it. I have watched the Deuce, We Own This City, The Plot Against America, Show me a Hero and Treme. Treme was similar to the Wire. It took me a minute to get into the music. It is a beautiful series with fantastic character development. I rewatched it recently and found myself wanting more information about the hurricane, aftermath, how NOLA got to where it is at now.
I remember waking up at a bed and breakfast in Denver on August 29th to the news of the hurricane. Brian and I had celebrated our 3rd anniversary. There was this amazing bed and breakfast in Denver that felt like you were in a different city in spite of it being about a half mile from my apartment. The bed and breakfast didn't offer t.v.'s. So, we would entertain ourselves listening to a.m. radio. Prime baseball time and there was news about the hurricane.
I remember watching the people at the Superdome, flooded streets and chaos. So much chaos and disconnects. I was unaware of the majority of the rest of it. It was no longer about the trauma that they had experienced since life continued. What happened to the displaced people and how the city rebuilt. Floodlines, and a handful of other podcasts have helped fill in the blanks. I forgot about the supposed looting and was unaware of the vigilante squads. The vigilante aspect is appalling. People were trying to find supplies. Water. Food. Shelter. Don't we all deserve these basic needs when disaster strikes? Plus the heat, lack of electricity and apathy. I am still trying to wrap my mind around how we as a country felt so indifferent to our people.
I will continue my deep dive. I have found hope and the city continues to thrive, celebrate it's heritage/music/food/culture. Next time you visit, get out of the Quarter and explore the Bywater, Marigny, Treme. Support local businesses and musicians. It is a beautiful city. Full of history, culture and celebration. I remember a second line coming down near us as we dined at Compare Lepin. My friend, the Goddess, jumped up on our table and danced. The owner was thrilled that we were participating in the beauty of the tradition.
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