There is too much to say about the state of Lakeview after the flood. Again, I don’t speak for all of this large neighborhood, simply the parts that held and still bear a lot of meaning for me. These places – dwellings, parks, restaurants, harbors, pubs, scenic drives – were where we met, talked, laughed, dined, drank, argued, played and visited with close friends and colleagues.
Too much to say, so I give you pictures from the three main stops made during our last visit there. Here are a few samples and some context:
North Lakeview By City Park: This is where some good friends and their friends lived. M and T moved to California a few months before the storm, L has moved to Houston since Katrina, and a For Sale sign sits in front of G and K’s flooded place.
The corner of Conrad & General Diaz in Lakeview: October 7, 2005 (L) and February 20, 2006 (R)
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West End Marina & The Dock: The marina looks so much better than it did in October. The mess of stacked boats has been cleared up and there are some new ones in the harbor.
The Dock, where we met M and T for the first time, was swallowed by the waters of Pontchartrain as Katrina’s winds stirred up the lake. Wooden stumps, now comfortable perches for seabirds, are a reminder of where this local hangout used to be.
Something funny – I almost walked up to workers and cranes building something just to the west of the ruin. D ushered me away from that general vicinity by saying, “Please don’t go there. They’re working on reinforcing the 17th St Canal Levee.”
Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Carry on, guys, you’re doing a great job!
R & J visited New Orleans in July of 2005 as Hurricane Dennis raged to the east of us. R and I thought it would be fun to stand outside, take pictures and get drenched as the waves rolled and crashed in and the building quivered beneath our feet. Who’s laughing now?
The Lakefront from The Dock: July 10, 2005 (L) ; The remains of Where I Stood To Take The Picture On The Left: February 20, 2006 (R)
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The 17th St Canal Levee Breach: Someone needs to be rounded up like a lame mule and shot for this. I don’t know who, but someone does. My piddly pictures do no justice to the destruction on Bellaire Dr. and one street over, Fleur de Lis Dr. At some point, you put the trite little camera away and try your hardest to be there, to feel it. Even having lost a home and witnessing breakdown the world over, no amount of meditation at the site of the breach can make me come to terms with the destruction. Every loss is unique.
At any rate, the picture on the left below shows new sheet pilings along the levee. Technically, each of them is 50 feet tall and getting ready for the next hurricane season. I wonder how many people will move back or have moved back onto this barely-habitable street.
The north end of the 17th St canal levee breach (L) ; Cleanup and removal across the street from the breach (R)
FEMA, the great equalizer. Most remaining Lakeview and Lower Ninth Ward residents alike are still waiting for their trailers.
