So I just returned from my first trip to New Orleans and feel the need to report something dramatic.  New Orleans is, in so many ways, what Cleveland could have been. 

 

I'll post pictures and maps and all sorts of things later, but this thread goes out to people how have and have not been to New Orleans, to openly discuss what we could take away from it.  But first a brief description.

 

 

New Orleans is set up along the Mississippi (think Lake Erie Coast, not Cuyahoga) and is made up of Central Business District, French Quarter, Warehouse District, Garden District, Uptown and Audobon Park.  Running from the Center of Downtown all the way out to uptown is the Saint Charles Street Car.  The route begins at Canal Street (think Ontario) and goes along the CBD, passes through the Garden District (which is mostly blocks of homes, think: Hough, Kinsman, and Central) and goes up to the Audobon Park and Tulane University (think University Circle and Wade Park).

 

The length of this route is 4.45 miles.  Euclid Avenue from PS to University Circle is 4.37 miles.

 

 

Along the route are century old mansions that attract tourists.  This gorgeous street reminds me of what Euclid Avenue looked like 80 years ago.  In fact, it looks a lot like Shaker Blvd. today with the Street car running through the median.  When you arrive at Audobon Park you see an area about 150% that of Wade Park, (and considerably more natural looking a.k.a. less landscape architecture/planning), and adjacent to the park is the New Orleans Zoo.  Gorgeous!

 

Lastly is the French Quarter, which covers a space about twice that of the Warehouse District.  Now I can't truly compare these two on any level.  The Quarter is historic, gorgeous and filled to the brim with activity and residents.  It would be as if the entire WHD was filled with smaller early 20th century brick buildings each with apartments above and retail on the ground level.  However, geographically it is similar in that you can cross from the CBD to the French Quarter without a gap, like walking along Superior Ave. in Cleveland.

 

 

So a few takeaways.  First, you can immediately tell that New Orleans is a place where history is not taken lightly.  In the downtown proper, there are century old buildings between the skyscrapers, and almost zero surface parking lots.  Another very interesting note is that the roads are all extremely pedestrian friendly.  Their main avenues and roads downtown are all 2 lanes!  During short gaps between cars people walk across the streets without fear.  The 4/5/6 lane Goliath roads crossing downtown Cleveland make for Junior Highways, in comparison to the roads in New Orleans, and yet I never once saw congestion on the streets!

 

Aside from narrow roads (which in the French Quarter turn into 1.5 lanes tops!) there is an antique streetcar on St. Charles Avenue.  Now many would say this is a moot point, water under the bridge, but the fact is I am still depressed that Euclid Avenue was not given back it's street car.  In a recently Planetizen article they cited 9 cities in North America that were placing street cars on main roads (not just Portland or San Fransisco!).  I understand it is expensive and there wasn't enough support for it, but after seeing the street car in New Orleans this past week I literally got a pit of my stomach feeling when I heard the car clank down the road (each time!).

 

They have antique cars on this line.  It is an enormous tourist attraction and an easy way for people to get from Downtown to Uptown without much confusion.  It's $1.25 and you just pay and get on. 

 

In the past when I've taken suburban tourists out to East Fourth or shown them the downtown, they tend to either be confused or underwhelmed by the Healthline.  Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan, but gosh darn it #&%@*!!!!  what a lost opportunity.  It's, for all intents and purposes, a bus line.  And people aren't excited or interested in a bus line.  I know ridership is up, and I believe Cleveland will see major benefits from the health line over the long term, but the opportunity to bring "America's Mainstreet" back, even a little, would have been just amazing.  Imagine a 1920s replica street car riding up to Mayfield and Euclid along the new corridor.  Imagine ,and really just imagine, if we had early 20th century train stops, benches, and even street lights.  If we had embraced our history instead of just getting the cheaper and modern answer to the question.

 

If cities have a soul New Orleans' is healthy and beautiful.  They have a nick name (the Crescent City) a theme Jazz, and historic locations and buildings.

 

Are we the New American City?  The Forest City?  And if we're synonymous with Rock, why don't we have tons of Rock venues in walkable areas downtown where 1950s style rock music is played by cover bands, and new music is pumped out?

 

DISCLAIMER: I love our town, and want so much for it to grow and evolve into a even greater city -- but we need to find an identity and make it ours as much as, if not more than) we need a Casino or Medical Mart.  We need walkable streets, navigable transit, and a way to express what it is to be a Clevelander.  The history, the theme of our town is great.  Why can't our leaders make a vision and policy agenda out of that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The healthline BRT was a colossal mistake.  What's important now, for Cleveland, is that we don't repeat it.  We need to take a stand against BRT and make clear that we need real rail because we're a real city.  And I agree strongly that Clevelend needs to do more to enhance its live music scene.  Why doesn't our leadership get this stuff?  Because it's composed of the wrong people.  The last big opportunity to make changes was the county council/exec elections in September.  For the most part, changes were not made.  Reform-minded individuals need to vote regularly and get as involved as they can in local politics.     

I think if New Orleans has an Ohio cousin it would be Cincinnati (historic OTR similar to the FC, river city, narrow streets, etc).  That said, all Ohio cities could benefit from valuing and capitalizing our history ala New Orleans.

Interesting points, OP