Calling them cable cars may raise a few eyebrows. You might get by with trolley. But for those unfamiliar with the green machine rolling down St. Charles Avenue, welcome aboard the streetcar.
After months of reconstruction and restoration to the tracks and power systems from damages by Hurricane Katrina, and after holding the cars in storage for tune-ups, the streetcars are back.
Though you may remember the streetcars rolling up to Napoleon Avenue in November 2007, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority opened up the remainder of the St. Charles route just in time for the spring semester- and an early Christmas gift.
At 4:27 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2007, streetcars ran the entire length of St. Charles Avenue for the first time since 2005.
More romantic than the city’s bus line, the streetcars are a taste of old New Orleans – really old, as in more than 80 years old-built in 1923 by the Perley A. Thomas Car Co. Though the cars are sometimes rickety and it’s always uncertain how they manage to tug along without causing a levee break, Loyola students are celebrating their return.
“They bring the flavor of the city back,” Brittany Voelker, accounting freshman, said. “I have a car here, so it doesn’t seem convenient to take (the streetcar) somewhere down St. Charles (Avenue), but I love it.”
New Orleans natives and business freshmen Megan Bourg and Charlie Gonzales both agree the streetcars are an essential part of the city.
“I just like riding it and walking around the Quarter,” Bourg said. “It’s so much cheaper than taking a cab. The only bummer is they stop running at midnight.”
The streetcars are now scheduled to run every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends- but New Orleans residents will tell you to give yourself an extra few minutes for the notoriously tardy lines.
But you can’t complain about the price – the $1.25 fare will take you anywhere along the St. Charles route.
“It’s fairly cheap,” Voelker said. “In San Francisco it costs $5 just to go one way.”
The South Carrollton Avenue route will reopen this spring, according to a press release from the RTA. But if you’re dying for a ride, buses will transfer you from the Riverbend stop to as far as the South Claiborne Avenue intersection at no extra charge.
You may want to catch a ride – or two or three – before the Carnival season is in full swing, since the cars operate on parade schedules.
But the cars will take you to Napoleon Avenue. Save yourself the parking tickets.
Though the streetcars help with saving a college budget from total collapse, the buzz at Loyola is no better depicted than the banner smothering Marquette Hall proclaiming “Hallelujah!” to welcome the streetcar home.
Though the streetcars stop frequently, punctuating St. Charles Avenue with signature signs, you may want to keep your eyes open for a few you don’t want to miss.
For just a $1.25, you have access to a huge chunk of the city. But where to start?
From Loyola heading inbound – that is, “going downtown” in RTA-speak – stop near the Napoleon and St. Charles Avenues intersection. This college-friendly area provides safe transport to and from school after a night at the Napoleon Avenue-area’s Fat Harry’s or Ms. Mae’s.
“It’s right in the middle of Uptown,” Voelker said. “It takes you to so many places all in one stop.”
Another brief ride heading inbound, stopping at the intersection of Louisiana and St. Charles Avenues, puts you just a few blocks from the hot spots of Magazine Street – from the ultra-hip Funky Monkey and Buffalo Exchange to one of the best restaurant strips in town, which includes Slim Goodie’s Diner, Reginelli’s Pizzeria, The Bulldog and Nacho Mama’s.
Another noteworthy inbound stop is at Lee Circle and Howard Avenue. The stop drops you in the heart of the Central Business District and surrounding Warehouse District, both home to countless galleries, fine dining and a quick stroll to the French Quarter. Some of the city’s best music venues, including The Circle Bar, The Republic, Howlin’ Wolf and the Big Top Three Ring Circus are also within the area – so no excuses for missing out on off-campus events. You won’t find a better deal getting Downtown.
But perhaps the Mecca of a streetcar-reinforced New Orleans is Uptown’s Riverbend. Though you could plan your day early and enjoy a comfortably long walk from campus, this time of year is prime for a classic streetcar ride – and you can’t pick a better destination.
The Riverbend area is a microcosm of your home away from home. With ice cream shops, drug stores and restaurants, all at the tips of your fingers, the Riverbend area is an ideal pit stop for the Loyola student.
Oak Street, the poster child for college living, is just a few blocks away, famous for its coffee shops and broken-in charm.
Just remember to find an inbound car before midnight. Though you won’t be turning into a pumpkin, you could miss your last ride home. Or wind up another BOLO.
Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].
