The
SPECIA LSECTIONSEDITOR| SarahRavits
CONTRIBU TERS |Marigny Lanaux,KayleePoche
PR E-PR ESSCOORDINATOR |Jason Whittaker
ASSOCI ATEA RT DIRECTOR |EmmaVeith
GR APHICDESIGNERS |Maria Boue,CatherineFlotte, ScottForsythe, JasmyneWhite ADVERT
The
SPECIA LSECTIONSEDITOR| SarahRavits
CONTRIBU TERS |Marigny Lanaux,KayleePoche
PR E-PR ESSCOORDINATOR |Jason Whittaker
ASSOCI ATEA RT DIRECTOR |EmmaVeith
GR APHICDESIGNERS |Maria Boue,CatherineFlotte, ScottForsythe, JasmyneWhite ADVERT
Mini basketball picture frame|
$10.90fromTiff’sGifts(4413ChastantSt., Metairie,504-512-2249;facebook.com/ tiffstreasuretroveshop)
GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO
Butterfly wall art|
$65fromLittleMissMuffin (766HarrisonAve.,504482-8200;3307SevernAve., Metairie,504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmuffin.com).
GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO
Banana book ends|
$90fromLucyRose(600 MetairieRoad,Metairie,504-2187368;3318MagazineSt.,504895-0444;shoplucyrose.com)
Linednotebook|
$6fromThe CollectiveShop (3512MagazineSt., statementgoods.com)
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THECOLLECTIVE SHOP
UttermostAidrian Chair|
$961.80fromEstella’s(601Frisco Ave.,504-833-8884)
Lightbulblamp|
$663fromEclectic Home(8211Oak St.,504-866-6654; eclectichome.net).
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ECLECTIC HOME
Hydrangeaweeklydeskpad |
$12fromLionheartPrints(618ChartresSt., 3312MagazineSt.,504-267-5299; lionheartprints.com)
Wooden desk |
$238fromNadeau(2728 MagazineSt.,504-891-1356; furniturewithasoul.com).
GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO
Uttermost Puebla greenery | $418.60forthree fromEstella’s
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ESTELLA’SHOME
Coloredpencil frame|
$14.99fromNOLAGifts&Decor (5101W.EsplanadeAve.,Suite 17,Metairie,504-407-3532; nolagiftsanddecoronline.com)
GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO
Roundbookshelf|
$136fromNadeau
Magnetic notepad|
$7.99fromGordon’s(4308 WaverlySt.,Metairie,504-3542248;gordonshomedecor.com).
Citron du Sudcandle|
$54fromEclecticHome
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ECLECTIC HOME
“StuffEvery College Student Should Know”|
$9.95fromAliceandAmelia (4432MagazineSt.,504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com)
ApawrolSpritz
dogtoy |
$17fromRelish(600Metairie Road,Metairie,504-3093336;relishneworleans.com).
Schnauzerart | $70fromLittleMissMuffin (766HarrisonAve.,504482-8200;3307SevernAve., Metairie,504-455-1444; shoplittlemissmuffin.com)
5x7 Frenchie print|
$15fromThe CollectiveShop (3512MagazineSt., statementgoods.com).
Towel|
$16fromAliceand Amelia(4432Magazine St.,504-502-6206; shopaliceandamelia.com).
Towel|
$20fromAliceandAmelia
GAMBIT STAFFPHOTO
“Our First Year Together” memory keeper | $15.95from AliceandAmelia
Beignetdog toy|
$15fromCafeduMonde(Areawide; shop.cafedumonde.com)
Winston sculpture| $235fromEclecticHome (8211OakSt.,504-8666654;eclectichome.net).
Koozie |
$9.95fromFleurtyGirl (Areawide;fleurtygirl.net)
Double diner petbowls |
$18.99fromPetcetera(3205MagazineSt.,504-2698711;petceteranola.com).
“Dog Decor” | $35fromOctaviaBooks.
Dogcoasters|
$14.99forsetfromOctavia Books(513OctaviaSt.,504-8997323;octaviabooks.com)
Staffordshire salt andpeppershakers |
$13.99from NOLAGifts&Decor
Vintage porcelain planter|
$18from TheCollectiveShop.
( 17,Metairie, nolagiftsanddecoronline
p| cor e om).
Rottweiler figurine|
$150fromLittleMissMuffin
Blue dogmug |
$30fromHomeMalone (629N.Carrollton Ave.,504-324-8352; 4610Magazine St.,504-766-6148; homemalonenola.com).
Hot dogs puzzle|
$22from LittleMissMuffin.
Stainless steelbowl|
$15.99fromPetcetera.
New Orleans’ Algiers Point neighborhood feelslikeasmalltownwithinabig(byLouisiana standards),bustlingcity.LocatedontheWestBankof theMississippiRiver,aferryrideawayfromtheFrench Quarter,somepeopleforgettheneighborhoodispart ofNewOrleans,butaccordingtoresidents(andthe slogan),it’sthecity’s“bestkeptsecret.”
“Alotoftourists,theycomeoverandsay,‘Well, what’stheretodoontheislandhere?’Well,no,we’re notreallyanisland.WearepartofNewOrleans,”says MarkRosenbaum,ownerofRosetreeBlownGlass StudioandGallery,whichhasbeeninThePointsince the’90s.
Theclose-knitcommunityisfamily-oriented,with theInternationalSchoolofLouisianaonOlivierStreet throwingchildren’sparades.Onanygivenafternoon, peoplewillwalkaroundtheneighborhoodwiththeir dogsandstrollers.Thebarshavetheirregularssitting outsideandchatting.
“Peoplesayhello,whichiskindofdifferentfrom otherplaces,”Rosenbaumsayswithalaugh.
Andjustlikeinasmalltown,there’sanactive neighborhoodassociationandFacebookpageswhere peoplearepassionateaboutwhathappensonThe
Point,evenifthatdoescomewithneighborsgettingin eachother’sbusinessfromtimetotime.
ThewayAmyHubbell,anassociationboardmember whogrewupintheneighborhood,putsit,“Thatpositionintherivertranslatesintotwooppositethings, whichareaccesstokeypartsofthecityandalsothis sortofquietandsleepy,yetnicelysocial,sortofarea.”
AlgiersPointisoneofNewOrleans’oldestneighborhoods,secondonlytotheFrenchQuarter. Comparativelyhighlandattractedsettlersintheearly 1700sonceFrenchexplorerJean-BaptisteLeMoynede Bienvillefoundedthecity Itofficiallybecamepartof NewOrleansin1870.
Initsearlydays,ThePointwasaholdingplace forenslavedpeoplebeforetheyweresold During theCivilWar,theareacontainedgunpowderstorageandaslaughterhouse,earningitthename “SlaughterhousePoint.”
Manyofthebuildingsyouseetheretodaywere constructedfollowingTheGreatFirein1895which destroyedhundredsofhomesandbusinessesin thearea
Fromthe1950stothe1970s,therailroadyards closed,andAlgiersPointfellintodecline Peoplewere movingoutoftheneighborhoodtothesuburbsas partof“whiteflight,”andmanyhomeshadfalleninto disrepair.Additionally,peoplewereremovingVictorian gingerbreadtrimofftheirhomesbecauseitwasseen asoutoffashion.
“Thehousesprobablyatthatpointweren’tseenas old,asspecialandworthyofpreservation,butrather kindofoldfashionedorinefficient,”Hubbellsays SoneighborsformedtheAlgiersPointAssociationto preservetheneighborhood’sarchitectureandtryto attractmorepeopletothearea.
SinceRosenbaummovedtotheneighborhoodinthe early1990s,hewitnessedtheneighborhoodrevitalize fromthatdecline
“Therewerealotofrundownbuildingsandhouses thatwereneglected,”hesays “Itwasnotoneofthe primeplacestoliveinNewOrleans.”
SoonaftermovingtoThePoint,Rosenbaumbought anabandonedmovietheaterthatwasbuiltin1940 andlikelyclosedinthemid‘60s.Thepreviousowner hadbeenusingitasstoragebeforeRosenbaum rehabilitateditandturneditintoalargeglassblowing studioandgallery
Inthedecadessince,therehavebeenmorerehabilitationsandrestorations,andpropertyvalueshave goneup.
“RiverRoadusedtobeallemptylots,andnowthere reallyaren’tanyemptylotsandtherearenicehomes thathavegoneup,”Rosenbaumsays
Buttheneighborhoodhasalsobecomeincreasingly white.In2000,aquarterofresidentswereBlack, accordingtoTheDataCenter.In2017-2021,lessthan 3%were.
Fordrinks,youhaveyourAlgiersPointinstitutional wateringholeslikeTheCrownandAnchorEnglishPub, whichopenedin1998.Enterthroughaclassicblue Britishphonebooth,grabaginandtonicandplaya
gameofdarts.Thenthere’sOldPointBaroffthelevee, adivethat’sahotspotforlocalmusicandhasbeen featuredinmovieslike“GreenLantern,”“Ray”and “TheExpendables.”ValerieSassyfrascelebratedher 70thbirthdaythereinJuly
Ifyouwantadrinkaswellassomefood,theDry DockCaféhasbeenaroundsince1989andislocated justablockawayfromtheferryterminal.Itserves seafood,gumbo,po-boysandotherNewOrleansstaplesandhasafullbar Andforbreakfast,ToutdeSuite CaféhassignaturedishesliketheAtchafalaya,whichis crawfishetouffeeovergritswithtwoeggs
Thenthere’sTheAppetiteRepairShop,wherechef PeterVazquezwhipsupwhateverhefeelslikeand servesitastakeout-onlyThursdaysthroughSundays from5p.m.“untilIgohome,”usuallydrawinga lineoutthedoor Butdon’tbemisledbythecasual approach Vazquezhasworkedinfine-dining,and Rosenbaumdescribesthefoodas“white-tableclothquality.”
TavolinoPizza&Loungeain’tderenomore,buta bunchofnewerbusinesseshavepoppeduprecently TacostandBarracudaopenedalocationinthePoint inJuly2021.Tonti’sHandFrenchBistrojoinedthe neighborhoodlastNovemberservingdisheslikeonion soup,PrinceEdwardIslandmusselsandmushroom bourguignon Plus,foreveryConfettiParkcocktail sold,therestaurantdonates$1tothenearbypark The LittleHousewinebar,whichalsoofferscharcuterie boardsandsmallplates,openedinMay.
TheVaulteventspaceintheformerWhitney BankbuildingstartedofferingbrunchinJune,and RosenbaumsaysanewJamaicanrestaurantison itsway.
TakingtheferrytoAlgiersPointisanadventureinand ofitself,providingbeautifulviewsofthecity.“I’ve takentheferryforever,andIstillgetathrilloutof ridingtheferry,”Hubbellsays
Onceyoucrosstheriver,exploreThePoint’srich musicalhistory,withanumberoflegendarymusicians livingorplayingintheneighborhood,particularlyin brassbandsandjazzbandsintheearly20thcentury.
Takeanyofthreeself-guidedwalkingtours.The “OverDaRiver”tourfeaturestheRobertE.NimsJazz WalkofFame,whichstartswithagiantstatueofLouis Armstrong.The“BrooklynoftheSouth”tourincludes stopsonVerretStreetatthehomesofviolinistJimmy PalaoandcornetistHenryAllenSr.,whobothplayed withBuddyBoldenandKingOliver Allenalsoplayed withLouisArmstrongandSidneyBechet
TheCitaDennisHubbellLibraryisalsoworthcheckingout.ACarnegie-fundedlibrarythat’sbeenaround since1907,thegiantwindowsletinatonofnatural lightandthebuildingissurroundedbyoaktrees.
AfterHurricaneBetsyshuttereditinthe‘60s,Amy Hubbell’slateparents,CitaDennisHubbellandGeorge EdwardHubbellworkedhardtoreopenthelibrary in1975andkeepitafixtureofthecommunity.The librarycurrentlyhostseventslikeauthornightsand anincrediblywholesomesleepoverforlocalchildren’s stuffedanimals.
“It’sagorgeousplacetogoandsitandreadand relax,”Hubbellsays
Theneighborhoodisalsohometobeautifulold churchesrepresentingavarietyofdenominations, includingHolyNameofMaryCatholicChurchand TrinityLutheranChurch
Butdon’tfeeltheneedtohaveastrictitineraryfora visit.Embracethesmall-townfeelandwalkaroundthe neighborhood.Rosenbaumrecommendsgrabbinga drinkfromtheCrownandAnchorandheadingdown totheleveetowatchthesunset It’sthesimplethings
“Igetlotsofpeoplewhocomeintothestudiointo thegallery,andthey’rejustamazedbyourlittleareaof NewOrleans,”Rosenbaumsays,“thatwe’resodifferentthaneverybodyelse.”