From Lakeview to Bywater

The allure of the Bywater lies partly in its charming architecture

“Are you crazy?”

“I hope you have your concealed carry [license].”

These are the sorts of responses I get when I tell people about my move from Lakeview to the Bywater. But then there are exclamations like these from a former co-worker and a Craigslist landlord whose apartment I had tried to rent in Lakeview, of all places.

“Excellent. That is a great area.”

“Awesome. The Bywater is a fun place.”

I grew up on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Lacombe specifically. My parents were born and raised in Jefferson Parish. The lack of Orleans Parish blood, however, never affected my family’s affinity for the Big Easy. Still, despite our love for the unique vibe and culture of New Orleans, my family and I knew predominantly what most tourists know of our city: the French Quarter, CBD, and Magazine Street. Add the lakefront and Audubon Zoo to my list of previously visited sites, and you can see easily why, when I moved to Lakeview, it never really felt as though I had left my comfort zone.

As I began to explore New Orleans more deeply, I initially found myself enamored of Mid-City. The small neighborhood bars and restaurants were exciting and new to me. Bayou St. John reminded me of youthful days spent paddling canoes on Bayou Lacombe, only with significantly less vegetation and wildlife. I started to feel like I knew what living in New Orleans was all about each time I walked to a bar or rode the streetcar into the French Quarter.

Then I discovered the Bywater.

I work in Chalmette as part of a finance team assisting in the disaster recovery program for Hurricane Katrina, so I drove through the Lower 9th Ward every day. Taking the Franklin exit from I-610, my commute turned down North Robertson, until the Claiborne bridge underwent maintenance and led me to St. Claude Avenue. I heard from friends how cool the Bywater is and how it used to be before gentrification started taking place. I didn’t see that for myself until I started taking St. Claude to work.

Observing the area on a quick drive-through in the early morning wasn’t enough. I knew I needed be here at night, to take my time with it. I started with Booty’s Street Food on Dauphine for my girlfriend and my first date, then chomped pizza by the slice at Pizza Delicious and bathed in the sun at the Country Club.

Each time I came to the Bywater, I fell in love with it more and more. My desire to live near the bayou in Mid-City evaporated quickly. That was it. The Bywater had become my ultimate destination.

The search for a home within our price range was tedious and exhausting, but that’s a tale of its own. After combing through Craigslist every single day and battling other applicants for the opportunity to sign a lease, my girlfriend and I landed a place on Dauphine Street.

As I’m writing this, we’re not officially moved in. We get the keys tonight. We’ll be sleeping in the new place this weekend. We’re both extremely excited and ready to embrace our new neighborhood. If living there is anything reminiscent of the nights spent in that eclectic, vibrant neighborhood near the river, then I’m certain we’ll be renewing our Bywater lease next year.