Lower 9

Our good friend David Cook took us to the Lower 9 yesterday.

The Lower 9 refers to the 9th ward in New Orleans, located right next the levees that were hit the hardest after Hurricane Katrina struck in August of 2005.

What locals refer to as “Uptown” New Orleans, built above the flood line, is mostly rebuilt.  Cook told us that the homeowners there had the money to reconstruct right away.

We drove through downtown New Orleans, passed over a bridge, and entered the Lower 9.

The condition of the houses varied from lot to lot.  Some houses were completely gone, with only an empty lot to tell the tale of their existence.  Others were rebuilt and the worst were just sitting abandoned and destroyed.

I couldn’t help but stare as we passed rows and rows of abandoned houses.  I imagine the people who live here are used to gawkers pitying their situation.  It made me feel guilty for all that I have.

We drove and we drove.  Up a street, back down the next. I’m pretty sure Cook was trying to get us lost.

I was itching to get out and take pictures.

We pulled over to a side of the road where we thought our car would be safe and got out.  It was a gorgeous sunny day.

We started walking, I started taking pictures.  After a short walk down the street we came upon a church that had been rebuilt. 

There was a man outside trying to put about 10 purple balloons in the trunk of his car. 

We lent him a hand and chatted with him for a minute.  He said he was taking the balloons to the kids he teaches.  They were free, he said, why not?

He asked us if we were visiting.  Cook said he was a local but we admitted to being tourists.

The next street over there were a couple of guys in the process of rebuilding.  They were standing outside talking.

We waved and said hi and continued walking. 

As we were walking past I noticed a statue of the virgin Mary in the yard of an abandoned house.

I turned back to take a picture of it and the guy rebuilding the house told me the statue had been there for at least 40 years.

I grew up in this neighborhood, he said, it’s been there for as long as I can remember.

I snapped several pictures of it and said goodbye.

We walked around the rest of the block taking it all in.

Cook knows a lot about the history of New Orleans.  He told us the area had once been the largest area of black homeowners in the country. 

It is sad to imagine so many people’s lives and homes being destroyed in one day.

We hopped back in the car and drove off, back to Cook’s apartment, back to the comforts of what we have.

On our way out of the Lower 9 Brad quickly turned down a street telling me that I had to get a picture of this stairway.

Being in the backseat I strained my head to see what he was talking about.

I saw a wooden set of stairs sitting in a green grassy field that led to nothing.

I will never forget that stairway.

Comments

wow..thats amazing

ahhhhhhhhhhh. thats the worst/best entry of this blog to date.

that stairway pic is insane.

symbolizes a lot of stuff. shall i list or just be a critical thinker and do it yourself.

i asked cook to help me out with new orleans stuff to show to my geography kids and he basically didnt. i wish i would have had this entry like 1.5 months ago.

seriously. the worst/best entry yet.

Thanks.

It was heartbreaking being there, but something I’m glad I got the privilege to see.