There are many synonyms for the word “story.” A fable, a yarn, a tale, a narrative…the list goes on. There are many stories in some places. New Orleans is one of those places. There are so many stories in New Orleans, they call it “Storyville.” In fact, Storyville was the original red-light district in New Orleans, but somehow the name stuck and some people still call all of New Orleans “Storyville” even to this day.
New Orleans is one of those cities where, well, if only those buildings could talk they would have a lot to say. Imagine the stories they might share with us? Imagine all of the tall tales, the fabled yarns, the wild times. New Orleans is a city that knew war, feast, famine, wild times, hurricanes, reconstruction, parades and after parties. A lot has happened yet the story is not finished yet, never finished. At one point, the city almost died because there was no coffee. Imagine that? Then there was the flood, the great hurricanes and storms that hit the city. Through it all, the city goes on, it lives another day, to tell another story.
The people of New Orleans each have their own stories too. They mull about in the bars, with bar throb bass, smiles, and laughter between them, celebrating life and drinking to good times and bad along Bourbon Street. They dance at funerals and skip past the wrought iron gate rows that mark off the houses in the Garden district. They ride the street cars and meander about along Canal Street. They throw beads along the parade routes of Mardi Gras and celebrate wins of their home team at sporting events. The people of the city each have their own narratives and
everything gets woven into the rich tapestry, the culture of New Orleans. The music, the food, the people, the events, all have stories to share and the stories each contribute to make the city a richer place, a place with an even deeper history and culture.
In
the middle of it all there’s a lady walking in a red coat. I wonder
where she is going. I wonder where she came from. I wonder about her
story too.
There are a million stories in Storyville. Maybe one day one of them will be yours too. These are my stories from Storyville. I was lucky enough to get to see the stories, to get to share the stories, to bring back some of the stories for you. Now, you get to see them too.
These are some of the stories in Storyville.
Until next time…