In New Orleans: from rich to poor neighborhoods
The Garden District, north of st Charles avenue, is a leafy neighborhood with huge houses. There, we visit Lafayette cemetery n°1 which was built in 1833 and is made of above-ground graves. A lot of the names are of German and Irish immigrants who died of yellow fever.
The Warehouse District, East of the CBD, is the old industrial area now reconverted with housing units. It’s also called the “Arts district” since the opening of the contemporary art center that revived the place.
I have a strong curiosity for abandoned places, and guess what, Six Flags New Orleans is still abandoned since 2005. On the way there I decide to go through Nine Wards. This neighborhood is poor and was extremely affected by the storm surge. People left heir homes after the hurricane, unable to repair them. Today it seems like it’s a third of inhabited homes, a third of abandoned houses, and a third of empty lots.
When we arrive a Six Flags we can’t see much. The entrance drive is closed, the area is surrounded by swamps (and apparently alligators) and tall weeds. But there’s another gate, the bus entrance. I know I can’t get in, it’s trespassing and I don’t want to be in trouble. So I take some pictures from the gate. A few minutes later security was driving to it as I was leaving. We drive off and hop on the highway from where we can see all the rollercoasters from the back of the van. It’s a weird thing to see, but apparently the place has just been bought, so it won’t stay a “zombiland” much longer.
On the way back to our Walmart we drive along Lake Pontchartrain, north of the city.
