- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: TulaneLSU's Top 10 St. Charles Avenue signs, lakeside
Posted on 4/14/20 at 6:32 pm to TulaneLSU
Posted on 4/14/20 at 6:32 pm to TulaneLSU
7. Houston’s
After the great success of the original Houston’s on Veterans, which opened in 1982, this 1755 St. Charles Avenue fixture opened in 1990, not 1977 as Tom Fitzmorris claims. Its opening was first announced on July 4, 1989. Mother reminds me of this blemish on the calendar weekly. She had hoped to buy the building to open an antiques store there. “The bordering cobblestone parkway on Felicity, borne of ballast and bones, are an ideal entrance for antiques,” she once said. I agree. Felicity’s cobblestones are stunning.
The Houston’s building has quite an interesting history. The current building was built in the 1910s as the Hamilton Motor Corporation before becoming the 666 Tire and Vulcanizing Company building in 1920. It soon reverted to a used Chrysler dealership. Our friend OleWarSkuleAlum’s great grandfather bought a used Chrysler here, instituting a family tradition of Chrysler ownership, continued to this day with our friend’s Cirrus.
The building’s most historically significant resident was Higgins Industries, which opened here in 1931 as an outboard engine and boat showroom. Great, great grandfather bought a 16 foot flatboat with an Evinrude 25 here. He never did forgive Mississippi for his unlawful arrest during that outing from the Tally Ho in 1905. Nor did he ever want to be without a boat of his own.
Most of you will recall Higgins as the designer and manufacturer of the LCVP or Higgins boat. This boat found extensive use during World War II, with its visual fame resulting from it being the primary means of ocean to beach transport during D-Day. The building was sold for $81,000 in 1947 and became a Sherwin Williams paint store. Hemenway’s Furniture store replaced the paint store in 1956. For my Alexandria and Baton Rouge friends, this name may ring a bell, as it provided those cities with fine furnishings for years. The company’s headquarters sat in the grand building at the corner of 3rd and Jackson Streets in Alec. Hemenway’s lasted a decade before Nu-Idea Decorative Center replaced it. In 1973, the property’s last tennant before Houston’s, Shop in Denmark, opened its doors. It sold distasteful Scandanavian furniture.
I can remember trips to Houston’s after psychology appointments in my teens. Mother would give me change for the streetcar. I would go downtown and make my appointment with this mammoth of a counselor, who did not give me much of any beneficial counseling. Mother would meet me at Houston’s after where we would discuss the appointments. It was there I developed a love of their cheese bread, which is no longer, available, and the cheeseburger. When one excludes the famous smoked Whole Foods burger, Houston rises to the very top of the top of New Orleans’ best hamburgers.
The sign itself is clean and gives all necessary information. The colors are muted but catching. An arrow crowns a circle, satisfying certain philomathic needs. Neon always gets a few extra plaudits from me.
6. Christ Church Cathedral
This holy place is where life began for me, for it was here I first felt the renewing and welcoming waters of baptism. I have written extensively of this church’s history, which began on the corner of Bourbon and Canal, so will not repeat. The signage is neither gaudy like some Catholics nor staid like some Presbyterians. In good Episcopalian fashion, it communicates clearly and with beauty. We, like Christ, simply invite you in, to worship and to live a life of joyful abundance.
5. Tulane University
As an alumnus only by virtue of having enrolled here, I do not tell people I am an alumnus. I spend one year here, a successful year, but one that ended in tragedy. I have a Top 10 signs of Tulane’s campus with attendant stories. It will have to wait for now.
4. Please U Restaurant
Signage suggests a 1946 opening. The earliest opening for which I can find evidence is 1954. What I do know is that in 1940 there was a Please U Food Store nearby on Prytania and a second location in Marrero, which hosted an annual Christmas lights competition. Uncle says the “PU” is the closest survivor to Uglesich’s, which was one of his favorite lunch spots. Everything I have tasted here has been good. There is no standout dish, just good and solid New Orleans neighborhood comfort food.
I really enjoy the different fonts on this sign. Why choose one font when you can use three? Whatever pleases you. The colors are autumnal and warming, perhaps hinting at a sweater produced in 1975.
After the great success of the original Houston’s on Veterans, which opened in 1982, this 1755 St. Charles Avenue fixture opened in 1990, not 1977 as Tom Fitzmorris claims. Its opening was first announced on July 4, 1989. Mother reminds me of this blemish on the calendar weekly. She had hoped to buy the building to open an antiques store there. “The bordering cobblestone parkway on Felicity, borne of ballast and bones, are an ideal entrance for antiques,” she once said. I agree. Felicity’s cobblestones are stunning.
The Houston’s building has quite an interesting history. The current building was built in the 1910s as the Hamilton Motor Corporation before becoming the 666 Tire and Vulcanizing Company building in 1920. It soon reverted to a used Chrysler dealership. Our friend OleWarSkuleAlum’s great grandfather bought a used Chrysler here, instituting a family tradition of Chrysler ownership, continued to this day with our friend’s Cirrus.
The building’s most historically significant resident was Higgins Industries, which opened here in 1931 as an outboard engine and boat showroom. Great, great grandfather bought a 16 foot flatboat with an Evinrude 25 here. He never did forgive Mississippi for his unlawful arrest during that outing from the Tally Ho in 1905. Nor did he ever want to be without a boat of his own.
Most of you will recall Higgins as the designer and manufacturer of the LCVP or Higgins boat. This boat found extensive use during World War II, with its visual fame resulting from it being the primary means of ocean to beach transport during D-Day. The building was sold for $81,000 in 1947 and became a Sherwin Williams paint store. Hemenway’s Furniture store replaced the paint store in 1956. For my Alexandria and Baton Rouge friends, this name may ring a bell, as it provided those cities with fine furnishings for years. The company’s headquarters sat in the grand building at the corner of 3rd and Jackson Streets in Alec. Hemenway’s lasted a decade before Nu-Idea Decorative Center replaced it. In 1973, the property’s last tennant before Houston’s, Shop in Denmark, opened its doors. It sold distasteful Scandanavian furniture.
I can remember trips to Houston’s after psychology appointments in my teens. Mother would give me change for the streetcar. I would go downtown and make my appointment with this mammoth of a counselor, who did not give me much of any beneficial counseling. Mother would meet me at Houston’s after where we would discuss the appointments. It was there I developed a love of their cheese bread, which is no longer, available, and the cheeseburger. When one excludes the famous smoked Whole Foods burger, Houston rises to the very top of the top of New Orleans’ best hamburgers.
The sign itself is clean and gives all necessary information. The colors are muted but catching. An arrow crowns a circle, satisfying certain philomathic needs. Neon always gets a few extra plaudits from me.
6. Christ Church Cathedral
This holy place is where life began for me, for it was here I first felt the renewing and welcoming waters of baptism. I have written extensively of this church’s history, which began on the corner of Bourbon and Canal, so will not repeat. The signage is neither gaudy like some Catholics nor staid like some Presbyterians. In good Episcopalian fashion, it communicates clearly and with beauty. We, like Christ, simply invite you in, to worship and to live a life of joyful abundance.
5. Tulane University
As an alumnus only by virtue of having enrolled here, I do not tell people I am an alumnus. I spend one year here, a successful year, but one that ended in tragedy. I have a Top 10 signs of Tulane’s campus with attendant stories. It will have to wait for now.
4. Please U Restaurant
Signage suggests a 1946 opening. The earliest opening for which I can find evidence is 1954. What I do know is that in 1940 there was a Please U Food Store nearby on Prytania and a second location in Marrero, which hosted an annual Christmas lights competition. Uncle says the “PU” is the closest survivor to Uglesich’s, which was one of his favorite lunch spots. Everything I have tasted here has been good. There is no standout dish, just good and solid New Orleans neighborhood comfort food.
I really enjoy the different fonts on this sign. Why choose one font when you can use three? Whatever pleases you. The colors are autumnal and warming, perhaps hinting at a sweater produced in 1975.
This post was edited on 4/14/20 at 6:38 pm
4
Posted on 4/14/20 at 6:32 pm to TulaneLSU
3. Audubon Place
Before the middle class thought it cool a century later, certain tony New Orleanians decided in 1896 they wanted their lives and homes to be governed by a HOA. So they built a fancy gate, locked out those unworthy, and forbade small homes and parking cars on the front yard and on the street. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, caterers, and florists are exempted from the prohibition of street parking during certain hours. Great, great grandfather was offered a property here before houses filled them, which he declined due to those strict rules.
For a time, Audubon Place was, after Madison Avenue, the most sought after address in America. I have not been within its gates in two decades. The last time was for a classmate’s birthday party. It was raucous, involving unfettered alcohol consumption by adults and minors both inside and outside. Trying to escape the Gomorrah downstairs, I went upstairs to pray. There, I walked into a lude sexual tryst between two classmates, which forever poisoned my mind. I vomited and ran out the house before catching the streetcar home. Barring a miracle, I will never be invited there again. I have no desire to enter those gates, but I once dreamed that my Poorboy Tours of New Orleans bus burst through the gates and did some donuts on the neutral grounds before heading to Guy’s.
Many of the first residents had a hand in constructing St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, which opened in 1930. It is no mistake that the signage then, like that church, is flush with quatrefoil stylings. The quatrefoil is the only good thing about Audubon Place. But it is so good, it pushes the sign to number three.
2. The Pontchartrain Hotel
The concept of The Pontchartrain Hotel was launched in 1889. At the time, planners looked at how large cities were building skyscrapers that were being used as primary residences for the wealthy. The idea flopped, but 30 years later, Theodore Grunewald, better known for The Roosevelt, unsuccessfully attempted to revive the idea. Lysle Aschaffenburg finally did and built this fine structure in 1927.
The family has quite a few stories from this hotel, which I shall share one day. A great aunt actually purchased a condo here around 1930, but eventually let it go, with the understanding from the ownership that one room from her condo would always be on retainer for the family.
When the Aschaffenburgs sold the hotel around the time of my birth, that understanding died. Although we still say we have a room on retainer out of tradition, we now have to book and pay for the room like anyone else. Still, Mother made it tradition to use the room on Bacchus Sunday. We would worship at Christ Cathedral before making our way to the hotel. It was a perfect respite and base for our Bacchus viewing.
The sign is often missed by people. Perhaps its subtlety is what makes it so appealing. Big metal letters are filled with golden yellow light bulbs, evoking a feel of Hollywood’s Golden Age. During my conductor days, I made sure to announce to all uptown bound riders, regardless of the time of day, “Look up and to the right. It is one of America’s finest hotel’s sign.”
1. Kolb’s
Unquestionably, with the Lamplighter, Crystal Hot Sauce, and Williams Blvd Baptist Church signs, the Kolb’s sign is one of the Top 10 signs in all of the New Orleans Metro. Opened in 1899, the restaurant was always proud of its beautiful leather belt fan system, which it incorrectly boasted was the only existing artifact from the 1884 Cotton Centennial.
If there were such a cuisine as Creole German, Kolb’s personified it. Mixing New Orleans seafood recipes with German staples, this was a favorite of many families, especially during the month of October. I always got the Kolb's Schnitzel, which was a thin fried piece of veal topped with lump crab. I also got the same dessert every time: Eva’s Kiss Cake. Two slices of German chocolate cake slathered in chocolate sauce hugged a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious! Uncle always got the German Platter. I tried the sauerkraut once. Yuck!
I do not know exactly why Kolb’s could not make it. Every time we went in October, it was packed. And perhaps that is why -- the only time my family and people I know who talk about the restaurant went was October. The rest of the year it was left to a few tourists, most of whom found better food in the French Quarter. Not only that it was one of the more expensive restaurants in New Orleans. When it shut its doors in 1994, the Kolb’s Schnitzel was $15, which rivaled the cost of most white tablecloth restaurants.
It was in Kolb’s that I was introduced to the Chicken Dance song, officially known as the Birdie Song, which was written in Switzerland in the 1950s. How many endless hours of fun that song has brought me, perhaps you too, throughout the years. The moves I learned doing the Chicken Dance at Kolb’s inspired my middle school sock hop dance at the JCC, which ultimately brandished me with the nickname that shall not be written. Uncle was able to purchase a few restaurant items from the Kolb’s auction in 1994, one of which he gave to me.
Friends, remember every time you walk, drive or ride on St. Charles Avenue, you have shared that space with me and many others. Open your eyes to the wonders around you, wherever you are. The beauty of this world is unending. Thank you for reading.
Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU
P.S. Its companion is TulaneLSU's Top 10 St. Charles Avenue signs, riverside
Before the middle class thought it cool a century later, certain tony New Orleanians decided in 1896 they wanted their lives and homes to be governed by a HOA. So they built a fancy gate, locked out those unworthy, and forbade small homes and parking cars on the front yard and on the street. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, caterers, and florists are exempted from the prohibition of street parking during certain hours. Great, great grandfather was offered a property here before houses filled them, which he declined due to those strict rules.
For a time, Audubon Place was, after Madison Avenue, the most sought after address in America. I have not been within its gates in two decades. The last time was for a classmate’s birthday party. It was raucous, involving unfettered alcohol consumption by adults and minors both inside and outside. Trying to escape the Gomorrah downstairs, I went upstairs to pray. There, I walked into a lude sexual tryst between two classmates, which forever poisoned my mind. I vomited and ran out the house before catching the streetcar home. Barring a miracle, I will never be invited there again. I have no desire to enter those gates, but I once dreamed that my Poorboy Tours of New Orleans bus burst through the gates and did some donuts on the neutral grounds before heading to Guy’s.
Many of the first residents had a hand in constructing St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, which opened in 1930. It is no mistake that the signage then, like that church, is flush with quatrefoil stylings. The quatrefoil is the only good thing about Audubon Place. But it is so good, it pushes the sign to number three.
2. The Pontchartrain Hotel
The concept of The Pontchartrain Hotel was launched in 1889. At the time, planners looked at how large cities were building skyscrapers that were being used as primary residences for the wealthy. The idea flopped, but 30 years later, Theodore Grunewald, better known for The Roosevelt, unsuccessfully attempted to revive the idea. Lysle Aschaffenburg finally did and built this fine structure in 1927.
The family has quite a few stories from this hotel, which I shall share one day. A great aunt actually purchased a condo here around 1930, but eventually let it go, with the understanding from the ownership that one room from her condo would always be on retainer for the family.
When the Aschaffenburgs sold the hotel around the time of my birth, that understanding died. Although we still say we have a room on retainer out of tradition, we now have to book and pay for the room like anyone else. Still, Mother made it tradition to use the room on Bacchus Sunday. We would worship at Christ Cathedral before making our way to the hotel. It was a perfect respite and base for our Bacchus viewing.
The sign is often missed by people. Perhaps its subtlety is what makes it so appealing. Big metal letters are filled with golden yellow light bulbs, evoking a feel of Hollywood’s Golden Age. During my conductor days, I made sure to announce to all uptown bound riders, regardless of the time of day, “Look up and to the right. It is one of America’s finest hotel’s sign.”
1. Kolb’s
Unquestionably, with the Lamplighter, Crystal Hot Sauce, and Williams Blvd Baptist Church signs, the Kolb’s sign is one of the Top 10 signs in all of the New Orleans Metro. Opened in 1899, the restaurant was always proud of its beautiful leather belt fan system, which it incorrectly boasted was the only existing artifact from the 1884 Cotton Centennial.
If there were such a cuisine as Creole German, Kolb’s personified it. Mixing New Orleans seafood recipes with German staples, this was a favorite of many families, especially during the month of October. I always got the Kolb's Schnitzel, which was a thin fried piece of veal topped with lump crab. I also got the same dessert every time: Eva’s Kiss Cake. Two slices of German chocolate cake slathered in chocolate sauce hugged a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious! Uncle always got the German Platter. I tried the sauerkraut once. Yuck!
I do not know exactly why Kolb’s could not make it. Every time we went in October, it was packed. And perhaps that is why -- the only time my family and people I know who talk about the restaurant went was October. The rest of the year it was left to a few tourists, most of whom found better food in the French Quarter. Not only that it was one of the more expensive restaurants in New Orleans. When it shut its doors in 1994, the Kolb’s Schnitzel was $15, which rivaled the cost of most white tablecloth restaurants.
It was in Kolb’s that I was introduced to the Chicken Dance song, officially known as the Birdie Song, which was written in Switzerland in the 1950s. How many endless hours of fun that song has brought me, perhaps you too, throughout the years. The moves I learned doing the Chicken Dance at Kolb’s inspired my middle school sock hop dance at the JCC, which ultimately brandished me with the nickname that shall not be written. Uncle was able to purchase a few restaurant items from the Kolb’s auction in 1994, one of which he gave to me.
Friends, remember every time you walk, drive or ride on St. Charles Avenue, you have shared that space with me and many others. Open your eyes to the wonders around you, wherever you are. The beauty of this world is unending. Thank you for reading.
Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU
P.S. Its companion is TulaneLSU's Top 10 St. Charles Avenue signs, riverside
This post was edited on 4/14/20 at 6:47 pm
Posted on 4/14/20 at 6:32 pm to TulaneLSU
Finally.
Posted on 4/14/20 at 6:51 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
6. Christ Church Cathedral
I was in that church 2 months ago for a meeting
Posted on 4/15/20 at 1:32 am to TulaneLSU
Fascinating history of the Houston's building you told. There is a marker by the Felicity entrance concerning Higgins Industries. Higgins' corporate offices in those days were located at the former Pythian Temple, 234 Loyola, another interesting building.
As a bit of trivia, Houston's wasn't actually Houston's for a year or so in 2006. The ownership rebranded it "Gulfstream" after Katrina and tried to make it a high end seafood restaurant like GW Fins. It didn't go over well and was quickly converted back to Houston's.
Where do you get the historical information on these buildings? Historic collection? Notarial archives?
As a bit of trivia, Houston's wasn't actually Houston's for a year or so in 2006. The ownership rebranded it "Gulfstream" after Katrina and tried to make it a high end seafood restaurant like GW Fins. It didn't go over well and was quickly converted back to Houston's.
Where do you get the historical information on these buildings? Historic collection? Notarial archives?
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News