Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
27
LAKEFRONT: IT'S A BREEZE
BOUNDARIES:
Robert E. Lee Blvd., Lakeshore Dr., Marconi Dr.
DISTANCE:
3.1 miles
PARKING:
Free parking on Robert E. Lee, in surrounding neighborhood, and at shopping-
center parking lot
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
RTA Bus #45 (Lakeview)
The Lakefront area may not hold the popularity of the Garden District or the French
Quarter, but avid walkers consider it one of the most refreshing and invigorating places to
take a stroll. That is especially true of Lakeshore Drive, which meanders several miles
along Lake Pontchartrain, the Crescent City's most expansive body of water and a sort of
home-away-from-home for local boating enthusiasts.
Lake Pontchartrain covers a 630-square-foot area, has an average depth of 14-16 feet, and
touches six different parishes (counties). The lake is part of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin,
which comprises numerous bodies of water that connect to the Gulf of Mexico through the
Mississippi River.
Over the years, the lake has seen its share of environmental challenges, among them urban
runoff, saltwater intrusion, and wetlands loss. In 1989, the nonprofit Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Foundation was established to essentially save the lake. Its efforts have and continue
to pay off. Seasonal swimming is allowed in designated areas, and water quality is mon-
itored and publicized weekly at
saveourlake.org
.
Every year, the foundation sponsors a number of events, with proceeds going toward its
various preservation and educational programs. Some include the Back to the Beach
Festival and the Save Our Lake and Coast Fishing Rodeo. Every September, volunteer
groups come together for the annual Beach Sweep, a massive cleanup effort.
•
Start at the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Robert E. Lee Boulevard.
Stay on the east side of Lakeshore and head north toward the lake. About a
block down is Lake Marina Drive, where the Orleans Marina is located. Lake
Marina Drive leads to West End Park, a 30-acre green space around which
sits the Southern Yacht Club and the New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor.
For years, West End Park was home to a bustling seafood restaurant industry,
but a series of storms and hurricanes over the years—including Kat-
rina—wiped it out.
