Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
17
MID-CITY: NEIGHBORHOOD REBIRTH
BOUNDARIES:
Canal St., N. Carrollton Ave., Orleans Ave., City Park Ave.
DISTANCE:
2.4 miles
PARKING:
Free on the street
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
Canal Streetcar (Cemeteries and City Park/Museum Lines)
Like so many neighborhoods in New Orleans, Mid-City was barely recognizable after Hur-
ricane Katrina in 2005. Levee breaches caused extensive flooding to homes and businesses,
leaving residents wondering whether their beloved community could survive the devasta-
tion.
Not only did it survive, it made one of the most successful comebacks of any New Orleans
neighborhood, thanks to the spirit and will of its residents—and a whole slew of volun-
teers—whose determination to rebuild made it one of the most enviable parts of town.
As its name suggests, Mid-City is the true heart of New Orleans. Listed on the National Re-
gister of Historic Places, it consists mostly of structures built in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. The residential section largely consists of bungalows, Creole cottages, and shot-
guns—narrow homes with rooms arranged one behind the other. And while Mid-City has
long had a bustling commercial zone, Katrina rebuilding has given the area a whole new
energy and vibe, especially on North Carrollton Avenue between Canal Street and Orleans
Avenue.
Of course, a New Orleans neighborhood wouldn't be complete without a festival, and one
of the best is the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, another post-Katrina achievement. In fact, the
festival began just a few months after Katrina to help revitalize the area and bring respite
and joy to those struggling to rebuild. It has been growing in size and quality ever since.
•
Begin at Canal and North Saint Patrick Streets in front of Pierre A. Capdau
Charter School, a K-8 school operated by New Beginnings Schools Founda-
tion. Capdau opened in 2004 as one of the first charter schools in New Or-
leans. Today, all but a handful of city schools are charters, most having
opened after Katrina, when educators saw the storm's devastation as an op-
portunity to rebuild New Orleans's long-troubled school system. Across Canal
from Capdau is St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, one of dozens of
churches of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
