Central City

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John A. Shaw Elementary School at Music & Law

It has been a long week, so when I was finished with work early, I took the late afternoon to ride my bike around in what continues to be absolutely ridiculously nice weather. I hadn’t ridden the new bike lane on St. Roch Avenue, so I headed there to check out our new bicycle facilities.

I spend very little time in that neighborhood, so I just rode around, checking things out. I turned on Music Street and noticed this school, seemingly abandoned, gutted by fire. I circled around it, waving to the guy standing on the corner, smelling the barbecue wafting on the air, thinking about how this is a neighborhood, but this abandoned school is rotting up the place instead of being alive with kids and playground equipment (there is some–not in usable shape by any means). Continue reading →

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The Sweet Spot Van For Sale at S. Liberty & Foucher

The weather today was just crazy–humid, sunny, raining, really windy. I hopped on the bike and rode up to campus for lunch and some writing in the office. It was spitting rain when I headed downtown to the gym, but it was this really weird rain–I could see it but it never seemed to quite hit me. I don’t think I travel with an invisible umbrella, so I’m going with it just being weird weather. Continue reading →

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Abandoned Taxi Cabs at Baronne & Terpsichore

Another lovely day in New Orleans, another lovely bicycle ride. After getting some work done at home, I hopped on the Surly and headed down to the Bywater for what I thought would be coffee, but turned into a second lunch (grilled cheese with pears and caramelized onions? you tease!). After a little of this and a little of that, I rode to the gym, and then to S.’s house. She wanted to know if I wanted to take her bicycle shopping this weekend. Continue reading →

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Blue Sky and Shrine at First & Dryades

It was an absolutely perfect day to ride a bicycle in New Orleans. The cold front they’d been promising all weekend blew through last night, leaving us with crispy autumn air and shiny blue skies. I headed to campus on my bike in the morning–and it was actually kind of chilly! A few quick blocks and the chill was gone, though; in spite of what many folks said to me today, it isn’t quite fall. After work I pedaled through Central City on my way to the post office, only to find that it closes at 4:30, so my 4:40 arrival sent me down Dryades to the main branch at Loyola and Girod. Continue reading →

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Blue Sky and Clouds Over Majestic Mortuary at O.C. Haley & St. Andrew

I checked the weather before I left the house for a quick ride downtown, and it looked like some clouds, slight chance of rain, so no worries, right? I headed out to meet a sky that was half dark clouds and half that perfect blue. I stopped to take this photo when I turned onto O.C. Haley at St. Andrew. Yeah, rain was following me. It caught up with me at City Hall, where I stopped to do a little early voting (Saturday, people–get to the polls!). I went in under these same half-and-half skies but came out to torrents of rain. We needed it. I pedaled on under the spits that follow a storm, stopping at the gym and then heading to the Treme for a night an evening with friends. I rode back Uptown in cool(ish), humid air. Delightful.

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Serious Warning on a House at Willow & Gen Taylor

I woke up early and worked all day long, putting on a show for classroom after classroom. After lunch was when I really started to plan my afterschool. Buzzing in the background of the rest of the day was, “bike, gym, steam room, bike, leftover chili, T-flippin’-V.” And when the day was done, well, that’s what I did. I rode down Willow to avoid traffic and stopped to take a picture of this house on Willow and Gen. Taylor with a stern warning out front: “IF YOU GO IN AND I SEE YOU I WILL KILL.” Continue reading →

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Abandoned U-Haul on Willow and Gen. Taylor

Oh, I had such a busy day today. I was up early, rode the bike to campus, and then just taught, four classes, no time to much other than what I was there to do. How rare is that? Anyway, I was ready to just be home when my last class was out at 5:15, but I had to ride my bike to get there. I wasn’t looking forward to the short 2.5 mile ride, so I decided to change it up by getting off St. Charles and taking Willow downtown instead. Continue reading →

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A Hole in a Tire on an Uptown Bicycle

Technicially, this is something I saw before I rode my bike around today. Last Sunday’s tire puncture has been growing all week long, and on last night’s ride, I could feel the thump-a thump-a thump-a of something going on back there, if you know what I mean. Oh, this situation is beyond repair, isn’t it? I did the math, and this tire went at least 4,000 miles, which seems pretty decent for the tire that came with the bike. I thought I might be able to get one last ride in before my new tire comes in tomorrow, so I hopped on the Surly and headed to the Treme to meet some friends for lunch. Yeah. The tire burst on O.C. Haley and Euterpe. N. picked me up–we’re good friends, so I avoided the well-earned “I told you so”–and after lunch, the bike and I were back home. New tires tomorrow, folks. I’m excited.

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Our Recovery in Progress Sign at Evans Playground at LaSalle and Valmont

It’s the first day of school–one of my very favorite days of the year. I got up early, polished my apple, and hopped on the Surly to meet this season’s new recruits. Three classes and a burrito later and I was back on the bike heading downtown for a stop at the gym, which today was just an excuse to lounge in the steam room. Continue reading →

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Sunset Over S. Joseph and Toledano

There’s no way for me to get a picture that could possibly show what the sky looked like when I left for a ride to Mid-City. As I rolled out my door, the sky was a dozen shades of pink and orange and blue. Some parts of the sky looked like pulled taffy, thick ribbons of color across the horizon. The view was eerily beautiful as it gave way to night. The ride home was a little different. Yep, it was dark out, and the street lights seem to work only intermittently. All the more reason to make sure we use headlights, especially since it’s going to be the law on Monday. Front and back lights, folks, for safety and because it’s the law. Safe riding!