4 July 2009
I’m siting at Jo’s coffee in Austin, Texas just outside the Hotel San Jose, a remodeled 50s era motel that is now the epicenter of the creative community of the area.
The birds are alive, singing and calling each other, informing anyone who cares to listen that it’s 4th of July. From the sounds coming from the trees the celebration has already begun. There is a nice breeze, the sky is blue and the sun is already expressing it’s summer heat. It’s only 7 in the morning but you can feel its going to be another record breaking day of warmth in the city.
Before I set out to celebrate my 4th in exploration of the city I wanted to share some notes on New Orleans. First, the facts, we drove from Orlando to Nola on 30 June. It was a decent, but boring, 8 plus, hour drive up Florida and west through the pan handle. Somewhere along the 670 mile trip we crossed a time zone and lost an hour of time. We guzzled two and half gallons of gas and made the error of taking a tour of the Fort Walton Beach coastal drive. It wasn’t worth it. We pulled into the Crescent city just after night fall.
First impressions
As we waited patiently for road work to be done on the highway entering the city as bright yellow truck blew by us in the emergency lane. The sound of its tire rim pounding the pavement was unique. The truck was the lead car in what must have been a 15 car convoy. The other cars were NOPD, lights blaring and sirens screaming. It was an OJ style, high speed chase. The flashing blue lights faded into the night sky and Interstate 10 distance.
After a quick spin around the city, we checked into our hotel, exhausted and thirsty, we flipped on the TV to check out the nightly, local news. While on our short drive around the city center we noted another collection of police cars not too far from our hotel. They were exceptional in numbers, rapidity and the ability to block the street. Back in our room we discovered, thanks to the news, that a 20 year old tourist had been murdered. There were no leads and motives for the murder and the perpetrator was on the loose. Welcome to NOLA, I thought, as I laid down to rest.
The Vieux Carre
We walked the French Quarter first thing in the morning. It was astonishing to see learn, and experience how well the colonial center of the city was preserved. The French influence was everywhere from the street signs, to the slate sidewalk slabs, the narrow streets, iron railings, low level and high density living spaces and even the smells. The streets had a marvelously worn, used and slightly miserable feel. Poetic.
We heard music from the moment we stepped out of our car at the hotel and music was again present in the Quarter. It was powerful and nice to feel how Jazz melodies, the clarion call of trumpets and clarinets, welcomed visitors to experience the city profoundly. The cozy cafes, the cajun restaurants and the slow gait of people arriving for work rounded out the feeling that New Orleans was more of a French city than an American one. The Vieux Carre is the main culprit.
Cafes and Restaurants
Nancy, one of our interviewees, pointed out how much the locals loved their food, coffee and cafes. Our waiter at The Palace also expressed similar sentiments about his beloved city. There was no doubt people watching, eating and sipping coffee was a big part of the local culture. There was either a restaurant or cafe on every other corner. The omnipresence of these community gathering spaces signaled a certain “saviour vivre”. Strikingly, the major national chains had not made their way into the parts of the city we explored. We didn’t see a Starbucks, Mc Donalds or any other presence of corporate culture in the Quarter nor on the long stretch of Magazine street. The locals know how to cook, eat and enjoy a slow coffee.
Music
Music was everywhere, particularly the charming chaotic rhythms of Jazz. At first I thought it was just the welcoming must for both hotels where we stayed. But as we spent more time in the city we realized Jazz was everywhere. We heard local music in souvenir stores, art galleries and eateries. There were bands playing in squares and performers dancing and singing on street corners. It may be cliched that New Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz but it was refreshing to visit a city that expressed its local culture confidently and proudly via music and not with the same old forty popular radio heard in most cities and stores.
Crafts and Design
This tour is about understanding how a city’s local history and culture is expressed in its creative manifestations. We are looking at the 26 disciplines of design in particular but we do look at the art communities, while taking into account the cultural heritage of a place as well. Effective design is the functional representation of local creativity and culture in the form of objects, items and services.
The craft and artisan history of New Orleans were accessible and present. It was easy to identify the local brands, sayings and uniqueness of place in souvenir shops, galleries, restaurant menus, signs clothing and streets. Sean Cummings, CEO, New Orleans Building Corporation, said New Orleans had a strong and compelling “artisan economy.” This artisan economy of New Orleans must certainly be the foundations of a growing design and creative economy. The potential for adaptive, future thinking uses of the local artisanal heritage was obvious.
Community
The devastation, flooding and human drama of hurricane Katrina put New Orleans and its residents in the international headlines for a number of weeks. The globe watched in angst as an iconic American city slowly fell below sea level. It was a human, economic, cultural and social tragedy.
A new story of the city is currently being written. Deftly aware of the “storm” the local service staff, people on the street and interviewees were positive, friendly and open. The professional and genuine welcome was a nice surprise. When all else seemed lost and desperate it was the glory of the history of the city that served as the focal point of reconstruction and preservation efforts. It was the importance of rebuilding the French Quarter that lead Brad Pitt to launch, Make it Right. It was the musical heritage of Jazz that is bringing people back to the city to again rejoice in its sounds during the many music festivals. It was the pride in Cajun food and local cuisine that people insisted must survive.
After the storm it was the city’s culture that the world wanted and hoped would be rebuilt. It is essence of the community and it is serving as the foundations of all future efforts. Sean Cummings referred to the “human patina” of the city as his driving force in his regeneration and development efforts. It is that soul of New Orleans that lingers in one’s mind when you leave the place and it’s that soul that will ensure the city will regain its rightful place among the community of global cities with a unique character and sense of place
The World Trade Center Building
An error in scheduling lead to a tour of the city’s slowly dying World Trade Center that is located on the banks of the river. It’s a 30 story building that once bustled and served as the economic heart of the city. The receptionist said a majority of the tenants didn’t return after the storm.
Later while waiting for an appointment on the 26th floor, we spoke with a security guard. He said the Hilton group was considering buying the building and expanding its global hotel empire. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the building becoming a luxury hotel with its majestic river and city views. The opportunity is definitely there with 60% of the tenants already gone and another 20% leaving in the coming months. New Orleans will resurrect.
As the security guard spoke of the hotel vision I couldn’t help but wonder what a university in the heart of the city would do for rebuilding efforts and it vivacity. I thought of the bustle, ideas and energy an optimistic student body would offer. The local eateries and cafes would benefit. A robust public transportation system was in place to ensure timeliness of classes and rapid escapes. I looked out the windows and saw a populated river walk of groups, gatherings and lonely book warms.
As I said my thank you’s and good byes to the security guard I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of what a central institution of higher learning would do for the city. I thought it would be great if there were a university to study and transmit the culinary arts, cultural and musical heritage of New Orleans. I dreamed of a new center of study of local artisan economies. An institute of sustainable and ecological energy sources must be needed I said to myself. A university can never hurt, right? For the moment though, my idea of the adaptive reuse of the World Trade Center building from dead office space to a vibrant university remains a dream. I have a new city to explore and national holiday to celebrate, happy 4th!
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