Slurping wetly and noisily at the nourishment that is New Orleans
When I moved to New Orleans over 20 years ago with my shih-tzu, Pippin, I quickly fell in love with the city’s lush green spaces, especially City Park and Audubon, with their majestic oaks and abundant wildlife. Curious about what else to explore, I asked locals about Armstrong Park—only to […]
In contrast to the ubiquitous grays, browns and beiges that dominate swaths of suburban landscapes across the country, the architecture of New Orleans is a kaleidoscope of color. Long before the city’s post-Katrina explosion of vivid hues, it already boasted a palette all its own – one uniquely captured in […]
It’s been a while, but I’m back at it and this time I’m “goin’ down the bayou, takin’ you all the way” to where Goose Bayou meets Bayou Barataria in Lafitte. While I didn’t find Ray or Mama Odie, I did find this interesting property for sale. A little over […]
Over a decade ago, my boyfriend and I dipped our toes into the roiling hot tub that is home ownership. At that time, the Louisiana Housing Commission was offering a Soft Second program, a home-buying assistance loan which would pay up to $85,000, and after ten years of residency, the […]
Sitting empty for nearly a quarter of a century, demolition of the Plaza Tower is long-overdue. I’m a preservationist at heart. When I see neglected properties around New Orleans, my inclination almost always leans heavily toward restoration or adaptive reuse. In most cases, abandoned structures have the potential to thrive […]
Distracted by opulent mansions in the Garden District and heavily-dressed fried shrimp po-boys, it took me a few months after moving here in 2003 to realize New Orleans was a neglected city. When I worked up the courage to journey beyond self-delineated safety zones, I began to notice the crumbling […]
In 2023, hôtelier and restaurateur Robért LeBlanc of LeBlanc + Smith collaborated with CureCo founder Neal Bodenheimer, and development partners Talbott Ottinger and Chris Dawson to renovate the Maison De Ville, an 18th century Creole townhouse-turned boutique hotel on Toulouse Street. “It just felt like the right time to reinvest […]
Every day (dare I say every hour?) my inbox is flooded with press releases, mostly from local firms touting their clients restaurants proclaiming new menus, wine dinners, summer dishes et al. I also receive PR from national and international companies, again, mostly talking about food or dining trends or, most […]
A revamped café at the Historic New Orleans Collection offers light fare by favorite local bakeries and eateries – in one of New Orleans’ most beloved courtyards. For those who find themselves unabashedly peering through iron fences to get a glimpse of a private, French Quarter courtyard, several historic buildings […]
In case it isn’t already obvious, I really love old homes. Though I prefer the Victorian era, if a home was built before the mid 60s, it tends to be more than all-right with me. While I know change is life’s one true constant, I can’t help feeling a little […]
You only have to search “dream house” in Google images to be bombarded by colorful photos of sprawling mansions surrounded by Olympic-sized swimming pools, lush, green lawns and seemingly endless gardens. Regardless of architectural styles, these homes almost always include numerous bedrooms and bathrooms; great rooms and kitchens large enough […]
I’ve been busy surviving this thing called life lately, and avoiding the Realtor browse, neglecting my ritual self flagellation in the interest of sanity. Not only will I never be able to buy a house, I am no longer 100% positive I’d want to buy one in New Orleans, even […]
Denver design firm FAM Design creates a female-forward, dreamlike atmosphere at the The Frenchmen Hotel with Italian surrealist Leonor Fini as their muse. On any given day New Orleans can elicit the surreal. Just watch a cruise liner float by on the Mississippi from street level, the massive hull at […]