re: A "Why isn't NOLA East bustling?" story that takes 35 paragraphs before mentioning "crime"

To be fair, the area has something like 1 grocery store. I can remember when I was a kid there were 4 grocery stores on Crowder between Morrison and Lake Forest. Ferrera Yeager, Bon Marche IGA, Winn Dixie and Canal Villere. On Read you had Phil's, up by Chef you had Winn Dixie. Later on Bullard there was a Winn Dixie, followed a few years later by a big Schwegmann's and there was an A&P at Kenilworth. So 9 grocery stores in the mid '80s. By the mid to late 90s most were gone.... oh yeah, I forgot the Delchamps at Read and the Service Rd.

I can remember a time when Lake Forest Blvd was bustling with businesses from Bundy to Read. There was good dining out there as well. Ro Je was out there. Croziers had their start on Lak Forest.Sclafanis on Hayne was very good. Spinellis started in a strip center and then moved to where Souther Oaks is today that used to be the LeBoeufs House. On Read you also had Jade East which was a very good Chinese Restaurant and in Deer Park at Read and Lake Forest there was a really good steak place. Not to mention Shakeys and Godfathers Pizza. Augies Tower of Pizza on Downman was excellent. They have been long gone.....way before Katrina.

Johnny Jackson became Councilman in the mid 80s after redrawing districts and then advocated moving Desire into the apartments out there along with others from the lower 9. It destroyed the area in under 5 years. The death blow really came in February of 91 when there was an execution style murder at the Thursday night parade before Mardi Gras....after that houses went up for sale FAST and the money left as well.