Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
28
LAKEVIEW: FROM DEBRIS TO DELIGHT
BOUNDARIES:
Canal Blvd., Filmore Ave., Argonne Blvd., Harrison Ave.
DISTANCE:
1.56 miles
PARKING:
Free on the street and the Harrison Ave. neutral ground
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
RTA Bus #45 (Lakeview)
Imagine your neighborhood wiped out by a powerful hurricane, its winds ripping off roofs
and water from a nearby levee breach reaching as high as 9 feet.
Residents of Lakeview didn't have to imagine it—they lived it. On August 29, 2005, Hur-
ricane Katrina obliterated this upper-middle-class community, destroying its homes along
with its quality of life. Many residents drowned, unable or unwilling to evacuate in the
days leading up to the storm.
While many survivors relocated to other parts of the country or to less-affected parts of
New Orleans, others vowed to rebuild. Improvements in levee strength and flood control
helped their cause, and today the neighborhood is as strong and vibrant as ever.
Lakeview is considered one of the safest areas of New Orleans, and most residents have no
qualms about taking an evening stroll to Harrison Avenue, where they can shop at
Lakeview Grocery, grab dinner at chef Susan Spicer's Mondo, or splurge on an ice-cream
cone at The Creole Creamery.
Activities abound in Lakeview as well, from church and school fairs to the monthly Harris-
on Avenue Marketplace, sponsored by the Friends of Lakeview and the Lakeview Civic
Improvement Association. The event features an art market, music, and food from area res-
taurants.
•
Begin in front of Robert E. Smith Library, one of 14 branches of the New Or-
leans Public Library. Like the rest of Lakeview, the old library was flooded so
badly that it had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The process took more
than six years, but when the new building finally opened in 2012, it was bigger
and better than ever. In addition to 40,000 volumes, the 12,700-square-foot
library has a colorful, fully stocked children's corner, 17 computers, meeting
space, and a self-checkout system.
•
Turn right on Canal Boulevard and walk four blocks to Filmore Avenue.
Canal Boulevard, which runs from City Park Avenue to Lake Pontchartrain,
