Memories are still there, but are the buildings?

Here are excerpts from an AP report about the condition of some of our most beloved landmarks in New Orleans... I'm not sure how much I can believe, but at least most of it is good news ...

The French Quarter: The area escaped much of the flooding.

Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop: Supposedly the in-town headquarters of pirate Jean Laffite, who owned more than 10 vessels and raided American, British and Spanish ships in the early 1800s. Located in the French Quarter, the area escaped flooding but remains closed.

St. Louis Cathedral: Located in Jackson Square and consecrated in 1794, it was said to be the oldest continuously active cathedral in the country. Still standing.

Preservation Hall: A famed New Orleans jazz club located in an unassuming building originally built as a private residence in 1750 and was once a tavern, inn, photo studio and art gallery. Fate unknown; it is in the middle of the Quarter, and should be unaffected unless looters have trashed it.

Cafe du Monde: Established in 1862, this coffee shop on Decatur Street in the French Quarter was best known for its cafe au lait, made with hearty New Orleans-style coffee, blended with chicory, and beignets — crispy, square doughnuts. Still standing.

Acme Oyster House: On the edge of the Quarter, should have escaped much flooding.

U.S. Mint building: The building housed Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and produced money for the federal government until 1909. It later became home to jazz and Mardi Gras exhibits and the streetcar immortalized in Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire." The mint is still standing. The fate of the streetcar is unknown.

Anne Rice's home: Tourists and fans of the "Vampire Chronicles" books would visit the Garden District home of author Anne Rice. She has also helped create several "haunted tours" of the city. The area was battered by high winds which knocked down trees. Rice no longer lives there, though that hasn't stopped the tourists from stopping by. (I read reports that this area suffered only minor damage. -Steph)

St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District: The St. Charles Streetcar ran down the historic street, and the area was shaded by majestic oak trees layered in Spanish moss. The Garden District was named for the collection of mansions and sprawling gardens, but Victorian homes were later built have become a well-known part of the neighborhood. Much wind damage; many of the trees were splintered. (If Tulane and Loyola reported flood damage, then I would assume that many of the houses did, too. I posted a picture earlier this week of a couple of guys rowing down Broadway in a canoe outside of the Mushroom. )


Commander's Palace: A restaurant built in 1880 in the stately Garden District, frequented by everyone from wealthy elite to riverboat captains and charlatans. Known for its turtle soup and turquoise-and-white facade, which was partially destroyed. (I just went to a great jazz brunch here with my family in June. I even got up and joined the Second Line around the restaurant!)

Fair Grounds: Located in the northeast section of the city, the fair grounds is best known as the home of the New Orleans Jazz Festival, but is also famous for its racetrack, built in 1852. The roof was torn off. (If you've seen any of the pictures, you'll also know the track was under lots of water. Of course, if you've been to the Jazz Fest on a rainy day, you probably are not that surprised.)

That's pretty much it for the AP report. I've also read that House of Blues escaped with only minor damage. I've seen conflicting information about Tipitina's on Napoleon. I hope it's OK; I have lots of memories there. That's where I saw Blind Melon for the first time and attended many a Cowboy Mouth show, including one while on crutches after I dislocated my knee. Ricky, the owner or manager of Tip's with the wild curly black hair -- I kind of remember his looking like Frank Zappa -- let me sit backstage for my own protection, and my ears rang for three days. Just another reason I always wear earplugs at shows now!

Tip's is also the place where Blind Melon was supposed to play a show promoting their second album, and the lead singer Shannon Hoone overdosed and died right outside the club. Darren and I were on our way to the club when we heard.

One time, we were going to see Cowboy Mouth there, and Darren dropped us girls off and he parked the car. By the time he got back, we were inside, the show sold out, and he was stuck outside. We asked Paul, one of the guys in the band, if he would help Darren get in. Paul remembered him, went outside and got him in for free. Loved those guys!

I still wonder about Bruning's, The Crystal, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the cemetaries, Camellia Grill, R&O's, Morning Call, Aunt Sally's on Decatur, Pat O'Brien's, The Pub and Parade, Oz, Gold Mine, Friends Bar, the Audubon Zoo, the cool shops on Magazine Street, the Greek Church near City Park, Hangmen's Tree, Midgetville, the Riverwalk, Mulate's (which I saw on TV when people were sitting outside the New Orleans Centre), those crazy balls across from the New Orleans Centre, Howlin' Wolf, the balcony at Tropical Isle ... and that's not even counting my familes' and friends' homes, my schools, the malls, and the hole-in-the-wall places we'd go to get the best crawfish, crabs and muffalettas.