All in the Irish Channel

My husband Drue and I have a fondness for New Orleans that puzzles some folks. Many of those people that aren't from here. I often say to them, "we do everyday, what people come here to do on their vacations." How many places can you say that about.

We live in one of the oldest, most diverse--racially and economically--neighborhoods in New Orleans, the Irish Channel, or as the black folks we know refer to, the 11th Ward.

Between the Mississippi River and Magazine, Jackson and Louisiana Avenue's, sits a historic district filled with barge board Creole Cottages, Eastlakes, bungalows, brick between posts, plantations, single and double shotguns and corner stores. That's where we live.

A three block walk to the Breaux Mart for a missed item on my grocery list or the Walgreens for my prescription offers a walking tour of architectural wonders that makes up the brick and mortar integrity of the Channel.

A leisurely walk to Salu for Happy Hour with my hubby often reveals the ever evolving restoration of some houses that have sat, covered in vines like diamonds in the rough.

In the Irish Channel alone, one can walk to restaurants, bars, shops, the grocery, the pharmacy, the paint and tile store, antique shops, iron works, and so many others. NOLA Brewing set up shop in the Channel as the mixed use, light industrial area boasts warehouse spaces, which 100 years ago, might have been a mop and broom or waffle cone factory.

Every May, Drue and I lead a walking discussion through our beloved neighborhood and the rich content extends well beyond architecture.

Caption: Michael Karam talks about his love for the Livaudais Plantation during the 2010 Jane's Walk through the Channel.