Central City, New Orleans
Encyclopedia
Central City is a neighborhood
of the city of New Orleans
. It is located at the lower end of Uptown, just above the New Orleans Central Business District
, on the "lakeside" of St. Charles Avenue. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: MLK Boulevard, South Claiborne Avenue
and the Pontchartrain Expressway
to the north, Magazine
, Thalia, Prytania and Felicity Streets and St. Charles Avenue
to the south and Toledano Street, Louisiana Avenue and Washington Avenue to the west.
This old predominantly African American
neighborhood has been important in the city's brass band
and Mardi Gras Indian traditions.
, the district has a total area of 1.41 square miles (3.7 km²). 1.41 square miles (3.7 km²) of which is land and 0 square mile (0 km²) (0.0%) of which is water.
, Magazine Street, Thalia Street, Prytania Street, Felicity Street, St. Charles Avenue
, Toledano Street, Louisiana Avenue and Washington Avenue.
of 2000, there were 19,072 people, 8,147 households, and 4,016 families residing in the neighborhood. The population density
was 13,526 /mi² (5,155 /km²).
, and Simon Bolivar. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Melpomene Avenue) is near a Martin Luther King statue and memorial on Claiborne Avenue
, and the boulevard is part of the route of New Orleans's annual Martin Luther King Day parade. Several murals of King are painted along the boulevard.
Neighborhood businesses include Brown's Velvet Dairy and Leidenheimer Bakery, which have furnished the city with milk and Louisiana french bread for po'boy sandwiches respectively for generations. Café Reconcile
is both a restaurant and a non-profit educational institution. The neighborhood is also home to New Orleans Croatian seafood restaurant Uglesich's. The neighborhood also contains three of New Orleans' housing developments.
The Ashe Cultural Center and various art galleries are also located in Central City.
at the neighborhood's lower end contributed to the area's development as a center of commerce and a working class residential area, attracting many Irish, Italian, and German immigrants. After the American Civil War
many African Americans from rural areas settled in this part of the city. By the 1870s, the urbanized area extended back to Claiborne Avenue.
Dryades Street in this area was a neighborhood commercial district by the 1830s, but gained greater importance in the first half of the 20th century, becoming the city's largest African American commercial district during the Jim Crow law era and a major hub for the Uptown African American community, overtaking the older South Rampart Street
area in importance. At its height in the years after World War II
, the Dryades Street district boasted over 200 businesses.
Dryades Street began a decline in the 1960s, which became a steep nose-dive by the 1980s. At the low point somewhere around 1990, blighted and vacant buildings predominated. The blighted area got city attention, and the old commercial section of Dryades Street was renamed after local civil rights activist Oretha Castle Haley. Projects to improve the neighborhood gradually saw fruit by the start of the 2000s.
A large part of Central City was above the flooding which devastated the majority of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
in 2005 (see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
). As there were many vacant buildings and vacant lots in this rare piece of high dry ground, greater attention has been drawn to Central City in plans for post-Katrina redevelopment of the city.
The Melph
& Calliope Projects
are located in Central City, along Martin Luther King Blvd. The Magnolia Projects
are also located in Central City. The area's recent history is deep rooted in violence and is notorious for its high murder rate. The area is where New Orleans rap labels Cash Money Records
& No Limit Records
started.
In mid-2006, the area was considered the most dangerous part of the city, in terms of murders and crime activity, and was the major reason for the June decision to deploy the Louisiana National Guard
to the city so that NOPD officers could focus on the 'crime hotspots', such as this area. In 2007 the neighborhood had a murder rate of 316 per 100,000. The problem with high rates of violent crime has continued to the end of the 2000s.
New Orleans neighborhoods
In 1980 the New Orleans City Planning Commission divided the city into 13 planning districts and 72 distinct neighborhoods.While most of these assigned boundaries match with traditional local designations, some others differ from common traditional use...
of the city of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. It is located at the lower end of Uptown, just above the New Orleans Central Business District
New Orleans Central Business District
The Central Business District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the French Quarter/CBD Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Iberville, Decatur and Canal Streets to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, the New Orleans Morial...
, on the "lakeside" of St. Charles Avenue. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: MLK Boulevard, South Claiborne Avenue
Claiborne Avenue
Claiborne Avenue is a major thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana. It runs the length of the city, about , beginning at the Jefferson Parish line and ending at the St. Bernard Parish line; the street continues in each of these locations under different names. It is called South Claiborne Avenue...
and the Pontchartrain Expressway
Pontchartrain Expressway
The Pontchartrain Expressway is a parallel 6-lane section of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The designation begins on I-10 near the Orleans Parish/Jefferson Parish line at the I-610 Split. The expressway follows I-10 into the Central Business District of New Orleans ...
to the north, Magazine
Magazine Street
Magazine Street is a major thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana. Like Tchoupitoulas Street, St. Charles Avenue, and Claiborne Avenue, it reflects the curving course of the Mississippi River...
, Thalia, Prytania and Felicity Streets and St. Charles Avenue
St. Charles Avenue
St. Charles Avenue is a thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. and the home of the St. Charles Streetcar Line. It is also famous for the hundreds of mansions that adorn the tree-lined boulevard for much of the Uptown section of the route. The southern live oak trees, particularly found in...
to the south and Toledano Street, Louisiana Avenue and Washington Avenue to the west.
This old predominantly African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
neighborhood has been important in the city's brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
and Mardi Gras Indian traditions.
Geography
Central City is located at 29°56′29"N 90°05′13"W and has an elevation of 0 foot (0 m). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the district has a total area of 1.41 square miles (3.7 km²). 1.41 square miles (3.7 km²) of which is land and 0 square mile (0 km²) (0.0%) of which is water.
Adjacent Neighborhoods
- Gert TownGert Town, New OrleansGert Town is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. Local traditional definitions of the boundaries vary; this article discusses those designated by the New Orleans City Planning Commission, which includes the right across the Zion City area, which many locals consider a separate neighborhood...
(north) - Central Business DistrictNew Orleans Central Business DistrictThe Central Business District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the French Quarter/CBD Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Iberville, Decatur and Canal Streets to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, the New Orleans Morial...
(north) - Lower Garden DistrictLower Garden District, New OrleansLower Garden District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: St...
(south) - Garden DistrictGarden District, New OrleansThe Garden District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: St. Charles Avenue to the north, 1st Street to the east, Magazine Street to the south and Toledano Street to the...
(south) - MilanMilan, New OrleansMilan is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: South Claiborne Avenue to the north, Toledano Street and Louisiana Avenue to the east, St. Charles Avenue to the south and...
(west) - BroadmoorBroadmoor, New OrleansBroadmoor is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Uptown/Carrollton Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Eve Street to the north, Washington Avenue and Toledano Street to the east, South Claiborne Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue,...
(west)
Boundaries
The City Planning Commission defines the boundaries of Central City as these streets: MLK Boulevard, South Claiborne Avenue, Pontchartrain ExpresswayPontchartrain Expressway
The Pontchartrain Expressway is a parallel 6-lane section of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The designation begins on I-10 near the Orleans Parish/Jefferson Parish line at the I-610 Split. The expressway follows I-10 into the Central Business District of New Orleans ...
, Magazine Street, Thalia Street, Prytania Street, Felicity Street, St. Charles Avenue
St. Charles Avenue
St. Charles Avenue is a thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. and the home of the St. Charles Streetcar Line. It is also famous for the hundreds of mansions that adorn the tree-lined boulevard for much of the Uptown section of the route. The southern live oak trees, particularly found in...
, Toledano Street, Louisiana Avenue and Washington Avenue.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 19,072 people, 8,147 households, and 4,016 families residing in the neighborhood. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 13,526 /mi² (5,155 /km²).
Landmarks
Major streets include Baronne, Oretha Castle Haley, Martin Luther King Jr. BoulevardStreets named after Martin Luther King, Jr.
Streets named after Martin Luther King, Jr. can be found in many cities of the United States and in nearly every major metropolis in America. There are also a number of other countries that have honored King, including no fewer than ten cities in Italy...
, and Simon Bolivar. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Melpomene Avenue) is near a Martin Luther King statue and memorial on Claiborne Avenue
Claiborne Avenue
Claiborne Avenue is a major thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana. It runs the length of the city, about , beginning at the Jefferson Parish line and ending at the St. Bernard Parish line; the street continues in each of these locations under different names. It is called South Claiborne Avenue...
, and the boulevard is part of the route of New Orleans's annual Martin Luther King Day parade. Several murals of King are painted along the boulevard.
Neighborhood businesses include Brown's Velvet Dairy and Leidenheimer Bakery, which have furnished the city with milk and Louisiana french bread for po'boy sandwiches respectively for generations. Café Reconcile
Cafe Reconcile
Café Reconcile is a non-profit organization and restaurant in Central City area of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. It was founded in 1996 by Craig Cuccia and Rev. Harry Tompson, S.J...
is both a restaurant and a non-profit educational institution. The neighborhood is also home to New Orleans Croatian seafood restaurant Uglesich's. The neighborhood also contains three of New Orleans' housing developments.
The Ashe Cultural Center and various art galleries are also located in Central City.
History
The area closest to Saint Charles Avenue developed first, in the first half of the 19th Century, booming with the opening of the New Orleans & Carrollton Railway, which became the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar line. The opening of the New Basin CanalNew Basin Canal
The New Basin Canal, also known as the New Orleans Canal and the New Canal, was a shipping canal in New Orleans, Louisiana from the 1830s through the 1940s....
at the neighborhood's lower end contributed to the area's development as a center of commerce and a working class residential area, attracting many Irish, Italian, and German immigrants. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
many African Americans from rural areas settled in this part of the city. By the 1870s, the urbanized area extended back to Claiborne Avenue.
Dryades Street in this area was a neighborhood commercial district by the 1830s, but gained greater importance in the first half of the 20th century, becoming the city's largest African American commercial district during the Jim Crow law era and a major hub for the Uptown African American community, overtaking the older South Rampart Street
Rampart Street
Rampart Street is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana.The upper end of the street is in the New Orleans Central Business District...
area in importance. At its height in the years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Dryades Street district boasted over 200 businesses.
Dryades Street began a decline in the 1960s, which became a steep nose-dive by the 1980s. At the low point somewhere around 1990, blighted and vacant buildings predominated. The blighted area got city attention, and the old commercial section of Dryades Street was renamed after local civil rights activist Oretha Castle Haley. Projects to improve the neighborhood gradually saw fruit by the start of the 2000s.
A large part of Central City was above the flooding which devastated the majority of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005 (see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans have been long-lasting. As the center of Katrina passed South-east of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, winds downtown were in the Category 3 range with frequent intense gusts and tidal surge. Hurricane force winds were experienced throughout the...
). As there were many vacant buildings and vacant lots in this rare piece of high dry ground, greater attention has been drawn to Central City in plans for post-Katrina redevelopment of the city.
The Melph
Melpomene Projects
The Melpomene Projects, officially called the Guste Apartments, is located in Central City New Orleans and is one of the Housing Projects of New Orleans....
& Calliope Projects
Calliope Projects
The B.W. Cooper Apartments is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans and one of the housing projects of New Orleans, more commonly known by its former name, the Calliope Projects. This area of New Orleans gained nationwide fame/infamy for its extremely high violent crime rate, one which rivals...
are located in Central City, along Martin Luther King Blvd. The Magnolia Projects
Magnolia Projects
The Magnolia Projects, officially the C.J. Peete Projects, was one of the Housing Projects of New Orleans. As part of the ongoing redevelopment, the area has been renamed Harmony Oaks. The project was among the largest, housing approximately 2,100 people...
are also located in Central City. The area's recent history is deep rooted in violence and is notorious for its high murder rate. The area is where New Orleans rap labels Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records
Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011...
& No Limit Records
No Limit Records
No Limit Records was an American hip-hop record label that was founded in 1990 by hip-hop artist, Percy "Master P" Miller. It was distributed by Priority Records.-No Limit Early years:...
started.
In mid-2006, the area was considered the most dangerous part of the city, in terms of murders and crime activity, and was the major reason for the June decision to deploy the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
to the city so that NOPD officers could focus on the 'crime hotspots', such as this area. In 2007 the neighborhood had a murder rate of 316 per 100,000. The problem with high rates of violent crime has continued to the end of the 2000s.
Notable residents
- Buddy BoldenBuddy BoldenCharles "Buddy" Bolden was an African American cornetist and is regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of rag-time music which later came to be known as jazz.- Life :...
, jazz pioneer - C-Murder, rapper
- JuvenileJuvenile (rapper)Terius Gray, better known by his stage name Juvenile, is an American rapper, He is also a former member of hip-hop group the Hot Boys . At the age of 19, he began recording raps, releasing his debut album Being Myself in 1995...
, rapper - Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
, rapper - Larry ShieldsLarry ShieldsLawrence James "Larry" Shields was an early American dixieland jazz clarinetist.Shields was born into an Irish-American family in Uptown New Orleans, on the same block where jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden lived...
, jazz pioneer - Soulja SlimSoulja SlimJames Tapp, Jr. , better known by his stage name Soulja Slim, was an American rapper who achieved massive success on Master P's No Limit record label. He also achieved fame throughout New Orleans and Nation Wide from his work done with B.G., UNLV, and other local artists. He is known for writing...
, rapper - TurkTurk (rapper)Tab Virgil, Jr., better known by his stage name Turk , is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his time with Cash Money Records and with the Hot Boys. His debut album Young & Thuggin became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard 200 and pushed his album to Gold sales in the...
, rapper
External links
- Central City Storymapping Project Central City Storymapping Project
- Central City Participatory Documentary Project Central City Participatory Documentary Project, New Orleans videovoice