NEW ORLEANS UPDATES 2005

December 20, 2005

If you’re interested in shopping online and supporting New Orleans businesses, here’s a website that’s for you: www.shopforneworleans.com.

And it has a Tulane connection.

The site was the brainchild of Collette Creppell, Tulane architect and director of campus planning, and her college roommate, Rony Sebok. The friends developed the idea over Thanksgiving while Creppell and her husband had evacuated to the Boston area.

“Our idea: help New Orleans help itself,” the website says. “The surest way to rebuild the city, attract residents and bring back visitors is to rebuild the economy one store and business at a time. This will provide jobs for residents and tax revenue for the city and state. So, at this time when we are all purchasing gifts for our loved ones for the holidays, why not help New Orleans as well by purchasing gifts from New Orleans-based stores?”
The site had 9,000 hits from Dec. 1 to 15. It includes links to about 90 businesses in categories such as art, books, children’s items, clothing, food, jewelry and music.

December 14, 2005

Tulane University Law School’s Corporate Law Institute will hold its annual conference in New Orleans for the 18th consecutive year. The conference will be held on March 23–24, 2006, at the Wyndham Canal Place Hotel.

The institute conference brings together leaders in the field of corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, including pre-eminent corporate legal counselors, attorneys, jurists, regulators, and financial advisers. Online registration is available.

“We are proud that we are able to contribute, in our own way, to the recovery by bringing such a prominent conference so linked to New Orleans back to this great city.” said Jesse Finkelstein, co-chair of the institute and president of Richards, Layton and Finger in Wilmington, Del.

An important center for international conventions before Katrina, New Orleans is beginning to see those meetings return. The Travel Industry Association of America held its two-day board meeting in New Orleans in early December, refusing to move the meeting elsewhere as a show of support for the city.

In 2006, New Orleans will be hosting the American Library Association annual conference June 22–29, with 20,000 delegates, and the American Psychological Association annual meeting Aug. 10–13, with about 13,000 attendees.

December 7, 2005

If you’re a New Orleans running enthusiast, now is the time to get ready for upcoming road races.

• 2005 Celebration in the Oaks Run/Walk. This two-mile run/walk in City Park starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Participants can register online or at East Jefferson General Hospital’s Wellness Center, 4200 Houma Blvd. in Metairie.

• Mardi Gras Marathon. This annual marathon, half marathon and 5K run will be held Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006. Starting times will be 7 a.m. for the marathon and half marathon, and 7:15 a.m. for the 5K road race. To assist with the rebuilding of New Orleans, the 41st annual event will donate all net proceeds to a special Hurricane Katrina Fund. For information, visit the official website.

November 29, 2005

The holiday spirit is alive and well in downtown New Orleans. Although the decorations that adorned Canal Street last year were ruined by flooding, a celebration tonight will kick off the holiday season.

In a ceremony at 5 p.m. today, a festively decorated 14-foot Christmas tree will be lit on the second-floor balcony of the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, 739 Canal St. The event is sponsored by the office of Mayor Ray Nagin, the Downtown Development District and the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel.

More than 500 Douglas firs, donated by Evergreen Agriculture, will be lined up on the 700 block of Canal Street neutral ground for donation to New Orleans area residents.
Meanwhile, holiday decorations appeared in residential neighborhoods over the weekend as families marked the start of the season. Cars with Christmas trees secured to their roofs were spotted around town as they left home stores and garden shops, which had limited supplies of trees this year.

November 17, 2005

Here is a sampling of favorite restaurants and businesses that have reopened in the Tulane University area as of Nov. 15.

• Broadway and Maple Street. Open: The Boot, Mushroom and Campus Connection on Broadway; heading down Maple, both Maple Street Book Shops, Bruno’s (construction is under way on the new Bruno’s across the street), Maple Street Café, Fresco’s, and Babylon Café. Starbuck’s and PJ’s remain closed.

• Oak Street and Riverbend. Open on Oak: Rue de la Course, Zotz coffeehouse, the Maple Leaf Bar and Castellon Pharmacy, as well as the new Mona’s Café and Lebanon's Café a few doors down on Carrollton Avenue. Open in Riverbend: GB’s for burgers, Hana, Baskin Robbins, China Orchid, Cooter Brown's and nearby Sara’s, plus the Hibernia, Whitney and Omni banks. Gourmands are anxious for Camellia Grill to open.

• Magazine, Jefferson and Tchoupitoulas area. Open: WOW Café and Wingery and Reginelli’s, both at Magazine and State streets, CC’s Coffee and PJ’s near Magazine and Jefferson, Winn-Dixie and Sav-A-Center. Whole Foods is offering an 800 number and pick-up service only for now, but Blue Frog Chocolates has proclaimed, “Open—Chocolate Relief.”

• Mid-City. Flood damage in Mid-City didn’t stop Rock ‘n’ Bowl from reopening upstairs recently with Eddie Bo at the piano.

Check for more restaurant openings here.

November 16, 2005

Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the historic St. Charles streetcars are not in service, but buses are running, free of charge to riders.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has bus service running the St. Charles Avenue route, from Claiborne Avenue past Tulane University to the central business district and back.

Bus service along St. Charles Avenue starts at around 7 a.m., with buses arriving at stops about every 10 minutes. Night service has been reinstated until about 10 p.m., 7 days a week, for the 12-St. Charles line, as well as 11-Magazine, 42-Canal, 88-St. Claude and 100-Algiers Owl Loop. The St. Charles and Canal lines are using buses instead of streetcars until further notice.

Ridership continues to be free on all New Orleans lines, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency picking up the tab through the Federal Transit Administration. For the latest New Orleans transit information, check the RTA website.

November 10, 2005

It’s November in New Orleans—between heat, humidity and Katrina’s impact, we’re all looking for a return of that Big Easy atmosphere. Well, get ready, because spring will bring some old favorites back to your schedule.

• Mardi Gras. As one Web site proclaims, “Yes, Virginia, New Orleans will have Mardi Gras in 2006!” Mark your calendars for Fat Tuesday, February 28, 2006.

A number of carnival krewes have announced plans to parade during the season (among them, Bacchus, Endymion, Iris, Orpheus and Rex), but until the local governments issue actual parade permits, the schedule and participants is uncertain. Since it’s Mardi Gras’ 150th anniversary, prepare to celebrate. Keep track of the latest news by checking here.

• French Quarter Festival. “The Show Will Go On!” says the festival’s website. Scheduled for April 21–23, 2006, it offers free entertainment on stages throughout the French Quarter, along with favorite food and beverage booths.

• Jazz Fest. That’s right, the 37th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is planned for April 28–May 7, 2006. Watch the fest’s website for more information.

October 18, 2005

Red beans are steaming, beignets are frying and the chicory coffee is brewing again. The city’s people are coming home, and the familiar sounds, tastes and smells are all part of the revival as New Orleans comes back to life. Here’s a list of restaurants, clubs and hotels that have reopened in New Orleans’ Uptown and French Quarter neighborhoods. We’ll keep you posted as more Grand Openings occur.