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

This highlights the obvious avoidance of the real issues in these type of areas, a la N BR. For decades folks have been placing the blame of the conditions of these areas on anyone/anything else other than what it is. As a community, these folks have allowed their area to become cesspools. But why? It had to have started small - so why wasn’t it addressed then. No amount of blaming cops, other races, lack of grocery stores, lack of “programs”, etc. is going to fix it. When do the “leaders” of these communities say “let’s do what we can to lift ourselves up before putting blame on others”?

Not clicking the link, but only Will Sutton would write something so intellectually dishonest.

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.

Discount zone chicken 2 piece for 99 cents

Bennies is a name I had forgotten. I used to go there once a week during the summer for fishing lures and the like. The I would go over to Perry's Pharmacy to get a coke and Mr. Ernie would always just wave off us paying...of course my brothers and I were friends with his kids...still am.

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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.

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If only Wayne Babovich, hadn't beaten out Ron Faucheaux, in the runoff and then promptly ended up in federal pen for political corruption New Orleans East might have stood a chance. Instead he allowed Jackson in as the councilman and the place plunged into oblivion.

They always say there’s a food desert but how many people there live more than 1 mile from a grocery store? It’s walkable and there’s public transportation.

There are rural areas in EBR that don’t have that.

The most surprising thing from that article is the East is still 4% white. Guessing they're in Eastover or the area off of Wright Rd.

Going to da East next week to go catch some canebrake rattlers. Bringing my gun. Hoping I don’t lose my life or my truck. Zero fear of the rattlesnakes - mucho fear of da East.

ETA: Also hitting Visions this weekend - likewise, bringing my gun.