A Case of Gentrification The reduction of black housing in the inner city of New Orleans is in a staggering position for a city having, record-setting economic growth post Hurricane Katrina. The longtime historically African-American lower to middle class warded off territories of New Orleans’ inner city, whether it may be uptown, downtown or in between are increasingly being overrun by a younger, more affluent race of white upper and middle class investors, eager with thoughts of redevelopment, real estate trends and revitalization. Similarly too what’s being seen in other major cities like New York, where blighted historic neighborhoods are being revitalized at a feverish pitch. An old saying states that, “either you change with the time
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Redevelopment is also taking over New Orleans’ skyline from the viewpoint of the main thoroughfare of Interstate 10 that splits the city's downtown into two halves. Construction of New Orleans’ massive hospital complex is complete, adding to a once lopsided skyline of New Orleans. In the view from Interstate 10’s east and west bound lanes of travel once a downtown fully developed on the Mississippi River’s side of Interstate 10 now seeing more landscape occupied on Lake Ponchartrain’s side of the interstate. The downtown area of New Orleans previously stopped at Interstate 10’s foothills at Claiborne Avenue, though the opening of the hospital may make a push for development to continue further westward from the central business district into the urban mid-city …show more content…
The change in the educational approach is past overdue for New Orleans, though viewed as a modernization of facilities and protocol by outsiders. From the eyes of past graduates examining the school districts the changes may be seen more as a deconstruction rather than a revival. Two years ago a New Orleans City Council meeting was broadcast on the city’s local access network. The boardroom where it was being held, ripe with anger from community leaders of an Uptown area known colloquially as Pigeon Town. The residents of Pigeon Town were pleading for a reopening of the long left vacant Alfred J. Priestley Elementary School Building, which sits on Leonidas St. “In Pigeon Town, residents are wondering if someone will finally breathe new life into Alfred E. Preistley Junior High, long a silent heap moldering in the middle of the weathered neighborhood”(Dreilinger). The elementary school has been long closed since 1980 for educational purposes; the Orleans Parish School Board as an annex building from 1983-2005 was using it. Placed up for sale by the City of New Orleans; private investors from local Charter School Boards had been given first crack at purchasing the facility. The Pigeon Town neighborhood
Redevelopment is also taking over New Orleans’ skyline from the viewpoint of the main thoroughfare of Interstate 10 that splits the city's downtown into two halves. Construction of New Orleans’ massive hospital complex is complete, adding to a once lopsided skyline of New Orleans. In the view from Interstate 10’s east and west bound lanes of travel once a downtown fully developed on the Mississippi River’s side of Interstate 10 now seeing more landscape occupied on Lake Ponchartrain’s side of the interstate. The downtown area of New Orleans previously stopped at Interstate 10’s foothills at Claiborne Avenue, though the opening of the hospital may make a push for development to continue further westward from the central business district into the urban mid-city …show more content…
The change in the educational approach is past overdue for New Orleans, though viewed as a modernization of facilities and protocol by outsiders. From the eyes of past graduates examining the school districts the changes may be seen more as a deconstruction rather than a revival. Two years ago a New Orleans City Council meeting was broadcast on the city’s local access network. The boardroom where it was being held, ripe with anger from community leaders of an Uptown area known colloquially as Pigeon Town. The residents of Pigeon Town were pleading for a reopening of the long left vacant Alfred J. Priestley Elementary School Building, which sits on Leonidas St. “In Pigeon Town, residents are wondering if someone will finally breathe new life into Alfred E. Preistley Junior High, long a silent heap moldering in the middle of the weathered neighborhood”(Dreilinger). The elementary school has been long closed since 1980 for educational purposes; the Orleans Parish School Board as an annex building from 1983-2005 was using it. Placed up for sale by the City of New Orleans; private investors from local Charter School Boards had been given first crack at purchasing the facility. The Pigeon Town neighborhood