Mid-City |
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"A great place for young people to buy." "Lots of culture without all the tourists." "Centrally located."
Description
The mansions along Esplanade Avenue in Fauborg St. John rival those along the better-known St. Charles Ave for stateliness and grace, and its canopy of live oaks reinforce this impression while the narrower boulevard creates a feeling of intimacy. Much of the housing stock in Mid-City dates to turn-of-the century, when the area was sufficiently drained for large-scale development. Along with the grander homes along major boulevards, shotgun doubles, camelbacks and Victorian styles dominate, along with later arts-and-crafts style bungalows. Prior to Katrina, Mid-City was undergoing a renaissance, spearheaded in part by the restoration of the Canal Street streetcar line. RTA buses were replaced with red streetcars, updated models boasting handicapped access and air conditioning. Rocking their way along beneath the wide canopy of live oaks, the restored red line provides public transportation service between the CDB and the Cemeteries in a way that is uniquely New Orleans. Mid-City offers younger people looking to purchase historic homes a great value. Residences boasting original architectural features including gas jets, cypress cabinetry and wide-plank wooden floors could be purchased for a fraction of the price of similar properties Uptown. Along with great homes, Mid-City offers residents access to one of the country's greatest urban oases: City Park. At over 1,500 acres, this is the nation's fifth largest urban park, within whose bounds are the largest collection of mature live oak trees in the world. Along with a public golf course and driving range, some of the other attractions of the park are the New Orleans Museum of Art, Botanical Gardens, Cascade Stables' equestrian facilities and the Hines Carousel Gardens, whose antique wooden horses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other historic areas of interest in Mid-City include the Fairgrounds racetrack, where horseracing meets New Orleans-style hospitality and dining, and on whose grounds the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival is held every spring.
Mid-City, with the exception of the naturally-higher ground along Esplanade Ridge, suffered moderate to heavy flooding following the levee failure at the 17th Street Canal. Mid-City was also one of the first neighborhoods to roll up its sleeves and begin the rebuilding process, and is arguably leading the pack
History Native Americans were the original residents of what was to eventually become Mid-City, having settled the naturally-higher ground along the bayous. Bienville is said to have found the Indian village of Tchou-Tchouma in 1718 at the present-day intersection of Bayou St. John and City Park Avenue. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Bayou St. John served as a natural portage between the city and Lake Pontchartain. An important conduit for commerce, the mouth of the bayou at Lake Pontchartrain was protected by a fort built by the Spanish. Ocean-going vessels were able to moor at the mouth of the bayou, and from this point goods were carried to and from the city by portage. In 1805 the New Basin canal was dug, following an earlier canal dug by the Spanish governor Carondelet, which brought the ships into a turning basin behind the present-day Mahalia Jackson Auditorium. In the 19th Century Mid-City was commonly referred to as "Back of Town." It wasn't until the later part of the 19th century that significant development occurred. After the pumping station at Broad and Bienville went into operation in the 1890s, the area was sufficiently drained to allow for extensive development. Canal Street proved a major artery, and streetcars ran along its wide boulevard until 1964, when buses replaced them. Finally in April 2004, streetcars returned to Canal Street, tying the CBD to the cemeteries and restoring a sense of New Orleans charm to the Mid-City neighborhood.
Landmarks
Fairgrounds Racetrack: (http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/index.html) City Park (http://www.neworleanscitypark.com/index.html
Community Events:
Mid-City Art Market ( www.midcityartmarket.org/ )
Public Transportation: New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
City Council Representative - District A
Shelley Midure - District A
City Council Representative - District B
Stacey S. Head - District B
Police District: New Orleans Police Department 1st & 3rd Districts
Architecture Middle to late 19th century and early 20th century houses in a wide variety of styles, primarily Craftsman and Victorian.
Read More About Mid-City:
The Preservation Resource Center |
Located midway between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain , Mid-City is a neighborhood which has carved out its own unique identity. It is egalitarian, cheerful, a little more blue-collar and a lot more diverse than its more staid Uptown neighbor.
