The Empty Quarter. A Memoir Of My Stay in The French Quarter During The Plague Years 2020 to 2021
the empty quarter by max Singer
A Memoir Of My Stay in The French Quarter
During The Plague Years 2020 to 2021
Thanks To pandemic relief, I could afford to return to my spiritual home in the “Empty French Quarter” of New Orleans from October through December of 2020 and for June and July of 2021. I rented an apartment in a converted Creole Cottage across Esplanade on the Faubourg Marigny side of Chartres Street. It was very “affordable” as landlords in The Quarter were desperate for tenants.
acroSS the Street
my oaSiS
view from my front door
“The empTy QuarTer” or The Rub’ al Khali, is a 250,000 sq mi. sand desert covering most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula and covers some parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. And I discovered that, like The Rub’ al Khali, the French Quarter during the pandemic was not devoid of life but dotted with oases of life and joy.
guardian on chartreS
guardianS on eSplanade
envie
Though a back injury limited foot travel, my apartment was extremely conveniently located: it was only a short 2 block walk, almost daily to stop #1, Café Envie on Decatur and Barracks for alfresco breakfast and coffee. And just to watch the world go by.
reminder of the timeS: balcony oppoSite cafe envie
manning the covid barricadeS
ennui
dog-tired
Storage unit
tuned out
the paSSing parade
buS buddy at KruZ
afTer envie:
I might walk across the street and wait in front of “Kruz” to hop on the #5 or the #55 bus down Decatur to explore the Quarter and visit old stomping grounds.
the #5 and #55
royal “o” garage half empty. or half full?
café du monde
i mighT geT off at St. Louis and Chartres to visit the Napoleon House (I had been hanging out there since the 70s) for a cool drink, a “half-muff” or red beans and rice.
empty napoleon houSe
empty napoleon houSe
empty food court
empty monteleone lobby
empty roomS
Stage
resTauranTs, bars and other venues which had difficulty adhering to social distancing restrictions, mask mandates, sanitizing and other protective measures struggled to stay afloat or remained closed.
unfiniShed maSterpiece
empty ShoeS
empty riverboat
Street pollocK
Sign of hope: mcdonogh 15
we
got the blueS bro
Zoned out
SuSpiciouS
many locals were assiduous about masks and social distancing.
Tourists not so much.
Many avoided the Quarter particularly on weekends and stayed away from Bourbon Street entirely.
canal Street
up & down rideS to empty ShopS
i joined The fitness center in Canal Place. The Prytania bet on New Orleans by opening a multiplex in Canal Place during this time. After a late afternoon workout it was a short bus to my oasis for a nap before the evening festivities.
hail prytania
barracKS Street
waiting for godot
eSSential worKerS
xmaS balcony
piZZa Kitchen
diStant tableS
the french marKet
sTripped of people the French Market revealed its skeleton.
xmaS lightS
parallel lineS
empty ShelveS
abStraction
empty biKe racKS
at eSplanade
haunting groundS
firehouSe
decatur after darK
apparition reSolved
bacKpacK crew
pluS three
empty neon
cloSed junKyard
turtle bay & the abbey
i discovered funky places to hang out at night on Decatur for food & drinks such as Turtle Bay and The Abbey was soon open serving drinks to patrons on the sidewalk. And Later that year
Checkpoint Charlie reopened. And the R Bar in 2021.
guardian of turtle bay
Safety checK
Street Scene
tamale man
turwtle bay mullet
reSurrection hallelujah
here’S looKin’ at you
walKing the dog
abbey doorman
hanging out
abbey: hotwheelS
local catS
abbey chriStmaS
checKpoint
adverSe reaction
yeS i did
bad bunny
StreetSide
at the mint
Through mosT of 2020 live music, one lifeblood of Nola was shut down. But soon there were outdoor concerts and movies at The Jazz Museum at the Old Mint.
barbarianS at the gateS
waiting for the Show
Sitting pretty
jaZZ trio
outSide the lawn
taKing a Solo
Second fiddle
eine Kleine nachtmuSiK
Setting up for movie night
american utopia
viral halloween
the haunting
two twoS
monSta maSK
haZmatS during halloween 2020 the Quarter came alive. Perhaps too alive, crowded by throngs of tourists many either ignorant or defiant of Covid restrictions.
