Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.gadling.com/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[10 Things To Like About Detroit Now]]>http://www.gadling.com/2013/05/06/10-things-to-like-about-detroit-now/http://www.gadling.com/2013/05/06/10-things-to-like-about-detroit-now/http://www.gadling.com/2013/05/06/10-things-to-like-about-detroit-now/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Detroit is like an empty lot down the street that's sat vacant for years. Some people in the neighborhood doubt it will ever be put to good use. Then one day, you notice that the rubble is being carted away, and there are actually some green shoots popping up from the newly cleared ground. Somebody, it seems, thinks they can make something of it.

That's what's happening with the Motor City these days. Despite wrenching financial problems (it's this close to Chapter 9 bankruptcy), deteriorating city services and endless political wrangling over its future, the empty lot is seeing life.

Entrepreneurs, some civic minded, others out to make a buck, are snapping up long abandoned properties and sprucing them up. The ground swell of activity is attracting younger residents and empty nesters to the downtown neighborhood. National brand names are starting to appear next to local businesses, with more on the way.

Continue reading 10 Things To Like About Detroit Now

10 Things To Like About Detroit Now originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbaseballbicyclingchurchDetroitfarmers marketFarmersMarketfoodfood and drinkFoodAndDrinkurbanMon, 06 May 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[5 Tips For Experiencing Toronto's Changes]]>http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/03/5-tips-for-experiencing-torontos-changes/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/03/5-tips-for-experiencing-torontos-changes/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/03/5-tips-for-experiencing-torontos-changes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


As the author of "Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto," Shawn Micallef knows more corners of Toronto than most visitors will ever see. He can take a look around a neighborhood and pick out the new places in an instant. But newcomers may not know the difference. Here, Micallef offers his five tips for enjoying Toronto (with a little help from me).
  1. Hop on a street car. "It's slow, it's above ground, and the stops are every block. You can get off, walk a block, if you're bored, get back on." He advises picking one street - such as College, Queen, or Spadina - and riding it from end to end. An affordable way to do so is the Day Pass sold by the Toronto Transit System at all subway stations. Up to six people, with a maximum of two adults, can ride the system from the date on the pass until 5:30 a.m. the next day, meaning you can take a street car to sight see, dine out, and drink until bars close, if that's your fancy.
  2. In the summer, go to the beach. The Toronto Islands are just a short ferry ride from downtown. The breathtaking view of the skyline is exchanged for a visit to cottage country, akin to a 1930s movie set. Toronto is proud of its eight Blue Flag beaches, recognized internationally for their cleanliness and safety. The islands are also home to Hanlan's Point, a clothing optional choice, one of the few such public beaches in the country. "It's all the weirdness of urban Toronto landing on a beach," says Micallef.
  3. In the winter, go underground. Visitors to Toronto are often amazed when they venture down a staircase and find an entire city beneath the city. Underground Toronto stretches for 17 miles, from Front Street up to Yorkville. There are restaurants, shops, shoe repair stores, the basements of major department stores, parking garages, and more than 125 access points to buildings up above. "You could live down there," he says, as a reporter for the Toronto Star did recently. Even if you don't want to spend that much time, at the very least, it's a pleasant short cut.
  4. Visit a market. Toronto has embraced farmers markets with gusto. During the height of the summer and fall harvests, there is a market somewhere every day of the week, with some starting at dawn and others in the evening. Because of its varied ethnic groups, Toronto markets range well beyond fruits, vegetables and cheese. I've tasted Thai influenced dumplings and salad, enjoyed Dutch pancakes and taken home vegan tarts. Don't overlook the permanent St. Lawrence Market, either, where stalls are open six days a week. The Kensington Market area in Chinatown abounds with sights and smells, and newcomers from Latin countries and South Asia are adding their own contributions.
  5. Watch for contrasts. With neighborhoods shifting, you will find old school and new school right next door to each other. Conduct your own pub crawl or tea tastings. Sample baked goods from traditional and modern purveyors. And talk to the owners. Torontonians have the same friendliness found in Chicago and New Orleans. They'll tell you what they think of what's changing around them.
For more on "Toronto In Transition" click here

[Photo Credits: Micheline Maynard]

5 Tips For Experiencing Toronto's Changes originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ChinatownEntertainmentFront StreetKensington MarketNew OrleansSt. Lawrence MarketTorontoToronto IslandsToronto Transit CommissiontorontointransitionThu, 03 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Toronto In Transition: Coming In From Elsewhere]]>http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/02/toronto-in-transition-coming-in-from-elsewhere/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/02/toronto-in-transition-coming-in-from-elsewhere/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/02/toronto-in-transition-coming-in-from-elsewhere/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Over the past 40 years, Toronto's Queen Street West has undergone a transition that's shifted it from trendy boutiques and galleries to international chains and lively restaurants. As a result, the art scene that long called the street home has been pushed farther west to an area called West Queen West.

And now, even West Queen West is seeing its own transition. The galleries, little cafes and funky hotels are still there. So is the mental hospital that is the area's major employer. But there are other newcomers, including one from way across Canada.

Gravitypope, with roots in Edmonton, Alberta, and stores in Calgary and Vancouver, opened its first Toronto store this fall. It's the kind of well-groomed, innovative spot you'd see featured in Town and Country Magazine or a Nancy Meyers movie, with shoes and clothing that look meticulously selected by fashion stylists.

In another time, Gravitypope would have found a home in the opposite direction on Queen West, among the well-known names. But with that part of the street chockablock with retailers, its owner, Louise Dirks, decided she'd be better off away from the fray.

"Everybody kept saying, 'go to Queen, go to Queen, go to Queen,'" she says of the area. "But I couldn't find a space with a decent basement," which was a requirement for the extensive inventories her stores carry.

Dirks is among a number of new arrivals who are staking their claims in Toronto neighborhoods. Some of them, like Nicole Angellotti at Lit Espresso Bar in Little Portugal, are already established in other parts of town, and see opportunities for expansion.

Others are rolling the dice on their first ventures in the city, hoping that the Toronto customers who visit their stores elsewhere are willing to do business with them at home.

Toronto author Shawn Micallef says their investments are the strongest endorsement a neighborhood can receive. "When outside Toronto moves in, you know the neighborhood is on peoples' radar," he says.

Gallery: West Queen West, Toronto

Continue reading Toronto In Transition: Coming In From Elsewhere

Toronto In Transition: Coming In From Elsewhere originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CalgaryCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthDundas WestEdmontonNancy MeyersQueen Street WestSusur LeeTim HortonTorontoToronto StarTown & CountryVancouverWed, 02 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Toronto In Transition: Pushing Neighborhood Boundaries]]>http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/01/toronto-in-transition-pushing-neighborhood-boundaries/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/01/toronto-in-transition-pushing-neighborhood-boundaries/http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/01/toronto-in-transition-pushing-neighborhood-boundaries/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Joel and Joshua Corea grew up in Toronto's Little Portugal, which lies west of downtown. They can tell you about the park where they played, the streets their parents didn't want them to visit, and give you details of who owned which store.

Now, the Coreas have opened their own place, Archive, a gleaming new wine bar in the same sized storefront where many other entrepreneurs have gotten their start. The street sign on the corner says "Portugal Village" and just down the block are bakeries, banks and a radio station serving the Portuguese community.

But this end of the neighborhood is known by another name: Dundas West, after the street where Archive sits. It is still a little lonely looking area, lacking the polish of a gentrified neighborhood like Leslieville, or the bustling activity of Toronto's Chinatown.

However, Dundas (pronounced Dun-DASS, as in behind) West has now become what's known in Toronto terms as a "micro-neighborhood," and its offerings are growing. In Archive's block, there's a standout breakfast/lunch cafe called Saving Grace, a small art gallery, two coffee bars - Ella's Uncle and Ezra's Pound - along with a laundromat and a travel agent.

It was the idea of starting fresh but with proximity to their roots that attracted the Corea brothers to Dundas West. They had restaurant experience, and a deep interest in wine, especially those made across Canada. "We wanted to create a civilized drinking establishment," explained Joel, who had another idea in mind.

He and his brother wanted to make Archive a hangout for their colleagues in the restaurant business, who were often looking for a place to go after their establishments closed around 10 or 11 p.m. The only trick was finding the right spot.

Gallery: Little Portugal and Dundas West

Continue reading Toronto In Transition: Pushing Neighborhood Boundaries

Toronto In Transition: Pushing Neighborhood Boundaries originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ChinatownDundas WestEntertainmentLittle IndiaLittle PortugalLittlePortugalRoncesvalles AvenueTorontotorontointransitionTue, 01 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tales Of A Reluctant Unpacker]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/tales-of-a-reluctant-unpacker/http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/tales-of-a-reluctant-unpacker/http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/tales-of-a-reluctant-unpacker/#commentsFiled under: ,



There are two kinds of travelers in the world - those who unpack promptly after a trip, and those who can't bring themselves to do so.

I fall into the latter category. More times than not, I am unpacking my suitcase in order to pack for my next trip. Apparently, I'm not alone, because when I asked friends about this on Facebook, I got more unpacking procrastination stories than replies from the tidy.

It's a conundrum, because whenever I'm on a trip, I unpack my suitcase as soon as I arrive, even if I'm only staying for two nights. Things that need to be hung up immediately are placed in the closet, or put on hangers in the bathroom if a light steam is required. I create an accessories drawer, a T-shirt drawer and one for sweaters. Then I put my empty suitcase in a corner, or in the closet.

My parents were strict unpackers. As soon as we got in the door after a vacation, my parents toted the American Touristers upstairs. "Give me your laundry," my mother would say, and woosh! Down the chute it would go. Sometimes, she would start a load that very night, and I'd fall asleep to the sounds of the washing machine.

Perhaps that's one reason why I am in no rush now to get at my suitcase, although I'm getting a little old for parental rebellion.

I've decided there are some practical and some psychological reasons why I leave my battered Tumi on the dining room floor as long as possible.

Continue reading Tales Of A Reluctant Unpacker

Tales Of A Reluctant Unpacker originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>organizepackingsuitcaseunpackingMon, 31 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Toronto In Transition: Changing Before Your Eyes]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/toronto-in-transition-changing-before-your-eyes/http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/toronto-in-transition-changing-before-your-eyes/http://www.gadling.com/2012/12/31/toronto-in-transition-changing-before-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



If you ask a native Torontonian how things are going in their town, you might receive an eye-roll and a laugh in response - the Canadian equivalent of a New Yorker's "Oy, vey." Things in Toronto are turbulent these days, to say the least.

For one thing, nobody is sure who the mayor will be in 2013, given the conviction of Mayor Rob Ford. Toronto neighborhoods are mulling whether they want to allow casino gambling. And, big chunks are falling off the Gardiner Expressway, the municipal freeway that runs parallel to Lake Ontario on Toronto's eastern shore, leading to renewed calls to tear it down.

The sense of change goes beyond just politics and infrastructure. All over Toronto, neighborhood borders, once defined by ethnicity and income, are blurring. Long-time immigrants have decamped for the suburbs, as new residents and merchants with different backgrounds take advantage of location and lower rents.

These things might not be readily apparent to casual visitors. For them, Toronto has always been laid out in a sprawling "I." Their well-trod path has begun just north of the lake on Front Street, stretching from the Rogers Centre (or Sky Dome, as many here still call it) and the CN Tower to the west, and to the east across Union Station to the Air Canada Centre and St. Lawrence Market.

Heading North, many visitors have plied Yonge Street, the clogged commercial district, or University, which is home to the Art Gallery of Ontario. The northern boundary, for many visitors, is Bloor, border on the tony Yorkville district, where upscale stores like Holt Renfrew and outlets of international brands are found.

But the Toronto neighborhoods where most savvy residents reside lie outside the I, in eastern and western stretches of streets like Queen, Dundas and College. And these are where the biggest changes are taking place.

"There's a lot of hidden neighborhoods that you don't see in Toronto on first visit, but you'll see it if you come a few times and hang out a while," says Shawn Micallef, the author of "Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto" and a senior editor and co-owner of the magazine Spacing.

Gallery: Toronto In Transition

Continue reading Toronto In Transition: Changing Before Your Eyes

Toronto In Transition: Changing Before Your Eyes originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Air Canada CentreArt Gallery of OntariocasinosCN TowerDundas StreetFront StreetGardiner ExpresswayGerrard StreetHolt RenfrewLake OntarioLeslievilleLittle IndiaQueen Street EastRob FordRogers CentreSt. Lawrence MarketTorontotorontointransitionYonge StreetMon, 31 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: On The Horizon, Even More Change]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/20/the-new-new-orleans-on-the-horizon-even-more-change/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/20/the-new-new-orleans-on-the-horizon-even-more-change/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/20/the-new-new-orleans-on-the-horizon-even-more-change/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Ask anyone in New Orleans what they'd like to see happen in their city, and you'll get a long list of suggestions. Some think crime is the top priority. Others want grocery stores. Some want top quality public schools, and others seek private schools that won't cost an arm and a leg.

The New New Orleans has far more room to grow and evolve, and developers are already talking about opportunities beyond Freret Street and the Municipal Auditorium.

Two areas come up most often. One is O.C. Haley Boulevard, which sits in a traditionally black and Jewish neighborhood called Central City. The boulevard, named for civil rights activist Oretha Castle Haley, who founded the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, is being called The Next Freret. It has attracted a boxing gym that used to be part of Freret, and it will be the home of the new Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

The avenue boasts grand buildings, many still empty, with plenty of space for developers to launch major projects. It is attracting some of the same supporters and investors who helped Freret come back to life.

Another area that is garnering attention is St. Claude Avenue, which runs through the Bywater, a neighborhood that sits not far from the French Quarter and adjacent to the Marigny. It's known for an art scene, dive bars and the makings of gentrification, although it remains undeniably funky.

Continue reading The New New Orleans: On The Horizon, Even More Change

The New New Orleans: On The Horizon, Even More Change originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alon ShayaAlonShayaBywaterCuisine of the Southern United StatesDomenicaJohn BeshnewneworleansOC Haley BoulevardOcHaleyBoulevardRoosevelt HotelSt. Claude AvenueSt.ClaudeAvenueTue, 20 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: 5 Things To Do On Freret Street]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/19/the-new-new-orleans-5-things-to-do-on-freret-street/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/19/the-new-new-orleans-5-things-to-do-on-freret-street/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/19/the-new-new-orleans-5-things-to-do-on-freret-street/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Here are community leader Greg Ensslen's top suggestions for visitors to get the most out of a visit to Freret Street.

1) Attend a fair. The Freret Street Market takes place the first Saturday of each month at the corner of Freret and Napoleon (look for the tents in the big parking lot). There's food, live music, vendors, and it's easy to shop even if you don't have cash. Vendors accept tokens that can be purchased at the market's main table. There will be two markets in December, including Freretstivus, a holiday theme fair on Dec. 8.

2) Have a drink. Cure, the artisanal cocktail bar credited for the revival of Freret Street, opens each day at 5 p.m. Happy hour runs from 5-7 p.m., with classic cocktails for $5 and half price bottles of wine on Thursday. The mixologists will concoct something exactly to your taste. (I brought a bag of grapefruit from the Crescent City Farmers Market and wound up with a refreshing drink.)

If you'd prefer something non-alchoholic, the High Hat Cafe makes its own tonics, lemonades and other sodas. Satsuma lemonade features real orange slices and fresh mint. Company Burger serves its own style of punch, made with iced tea, lemonade and orange juice.

Gallery: The New New Orleans

Continue reading The New New Orleans: 5 Things To Do On Freret Street

The New New Orleans: 5 Things To Do On Freret Street originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drinkeatFreret StreetFreretStreetNew New Orleansnewneworleansshopstreet fairStreetFairMon, 19 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: Memories Still Locked Behind Closed Doors]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/16/the-new-new-orleans-memories-still-locked-behind-closed-doors/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/16/the-new-new-orleans-memories-still-locked-behind-closed-doors/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/16/the-new-new-orleans-memories-still-locked-behind-closed-doors/#commentsFiled under: , ,



New Orleans is a city of festivities - conventions, Mardi Gras balls, graduation ceremonies, entertainment. And for decades, the place where New Orleanians of all races gathered for those events was the Municipal Auditorium, the centerpiece of Louis Armstrong Park.

An afternoon spent at the New Orleans Public Library brings to life a sense of what the auditorium, dedicated in May 1930, meant to this city. Page after page of records and photographs depict ice shows, diving exhibitions, boxing matches, performances by the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo.

One of the two meeting halls was hung with bunting for a 1937 gathering of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, the pictures show. The auditorium hosted gatherings of morticians, shown looking over the latest double lined caskets and gleaming stainless steel morgue examining tables.

A list of events for 1953 lists Carnival balls every single night in January except New Year's Day, often two a night. And the auditorium did not limit itself only a white audience. Joe Louis appeared that year in August with singer Ruth Brown (at an event labeled "All Colored.") Later on, the auditorium was used as a temporary casino, and housed the New Orleans Jazz basketball team as well as hockey.

This auditorium where so many of New Orleans' festive events took place still stands across from the French Quarter, in use as recently as 2005, when it was a center for the distribution of MREs (Meals Ready To Eat).

But since the aftermath of the storm, the Municipal Auditorium has stood quiet, a looming reminder of the memories locked behind its closed doors, despite years of trying to figure out what can be done with it. It is arguably the single most important civic building in New Orleans that remains shut since Katrina, although there has been plenty of discussion about its future.

Gallery: The Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans

Continue reading The New New Orleans: Memories Still Locked Behind Closed Doors

The New New Orleans: Memories Still Locked Behind Closed Doors originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ballets RussesDante AlighieriEntertainmentHBOJoe LouisJoeLouisMardi GrasMitch LandrieuMonte CarloMunicipal AuditoriumNew OrleansNew Orleans Public LibrarynewneworleansPoetryRay NaginRuth BrownWilliam ShakespeareFri, 16 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: Finally, Louis Armstrong Plays Again]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/15/the-new-new-orleans-finally-louis-armstrong-plays-again/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/15/the-new-new-orleans-finally-louis-armstrong-plays-again/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/15/the-new-new-orleans-finally-louis-armstrong-plays-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



North Rampart Street forms the western border of New Orleans' French Quarter. On one side, streets named St. Louis, St. Peter and Dumaine lead to picturesque homes, elegant restaurants and rowdy bars. On the other side of Rampart sits a park that's been both feared and beloved by residents and visitors, avoided by some, a lifeline for others.

Louis Armstrong Park has been through a series of trials in the years since Hurricane Katrina. Named for one of the city's most famous musical sons, the park that was supposed to be a tribute instead became something to avoid.

Although it houses a historic landmark, Congo Square, where slaves came to socialize and share African rhythms, many tourists never saw it, or were told not to set foot inside. Fences kept many out, including residents of the Treme neighborhood nearby.

The worst insult came in summer 2010, when a botched facelift went awry and a contractor cracked the toe of the Louis Armstrong statue. Mayor Mitch Landrieu ordered work to stop and the park was closed. The city discovered newly poured sidewalks were cracked, curbs and manholes damaged, and a sprinkler system was improperly installed. Even one of the park's soaring palm trees was knocked down.

A new contractor was found, work began anew, and finally, last year, Louis Armstrong Park came back to life, a symbol of the New New Orleans that's evolved since the storm.

Gallery: Armstrong Park, New Orleans

Continue reading The New New Orleans: Finally, Louis Armstrong Plays Again

The New New Orleans: Finally, Louis Armstrong Plays Again originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bryant ParkCity HallCongo SquareEntertainmentFrench QuarterLocalLouis Armstrong ParkMitch LandrieuMunicipal AuditoriumNew OrleansNew York CitynewneworleansSaint PeterU.S.Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: A Stroll Down Freret Street]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/14/the-new-new-orleans-a-stroll-down-freret-street/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/14/the-new-new-orleans-a-stroll-down-freret-street/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/14/the-new-new-orleans-a-stroll-down-freret-street/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Everyone who visits New Orleans has strolled through the French Quarter at least once (whether they remember or not). Many shoppers have walked some of the three miles of Magazine Street's commercial zone, while football fans have made their way through the Central Business District en route to the Superdome.

But Hurricane Katrina created an opportunity for other parts of New Orleans to come into their own. One place that many visitors have yet to find is Freret Street, in Uptown New Orleans. And even some locals stay away, because of Freret's checkered history - which merchants and restaurant owners are doing their best to obliterate.

Freret began as a commercial area for people who were left out of New Orleans' most powerful social groups: the French Creoles, who governed old society, and the wealthy "English" traders and business owners, who dominated the CBD and built their homes in the Garden District. Instead, the neighborhood, named for brothers William and James Freret, became a refuge for Italian and Jewish residents, who shared the commercial district.

But population shifts took place in the 1950s, driving middle class residents to the suburbs, and by the 1980s, when bakery owner Bill Long was shot and killed in the doorway of his store, Freret was disintegrating.

Help came in 2001 when the National Trust for Historic Preservation adopted Freret Street under its Main Street program. Yet, the neighborhood took a body blow from Katrina, whose damage can still be seen, and its comeback never seemed farther away.

But seven years after the storm, Freret is a symbol of the New New Orleans, where a handful of business pioneers and long time stall warts provided the nucleus for its growth to take place. Bars, restaurants, businesses, and a monthly fair have popped up in a few short years, and the sounds of construction resonate as cars and pedestrians ply the bumpy street between Tulane and Loyola Universities.

"You could see the revolution happening with just a few places, and just a few pieces finally falling into place," says Greg Ensslen, a property developer and New Jersey transplant who has lived in the neighborhood since 1984.

Gallery: Freret Street, New Orleans

Continue reading The New New Orleans: A Stroll Down Freret Street

The New New Orleans: A Stroll Down Freret Street originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Freret StreetFreretStreetMagazine StreetNew New OrleansNewNewOrleansUptown New OrleansWed, 14 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The New New Orleans: Life Takes A New Direction After Katrina]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/13/the-new-new-orleans-life-takes-a-new-direction-katrina/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/13/the-new-new-orleans-life-takes-a-new-direction-katrina/http://www.gadling.com/2012/11/13/the-new-new-orleans-life-takes-a-new-direction-katrina/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Until Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey in October, New Orleans was perhaps the biggest urban natural disaster story the country had ever seen. Seven years after Hurricane Katrina, the city has gotten back on its feet, regrouping after the storm of a lifetime.

Now, New Orleans isn't just rebuilding what it was before. It's beginning to move forward. Across, the city, new people, places and points of view are adding flavors to an already rich gumbo. People who weren't in New Orleans before Katrina are helping to craft the city's future. And places that have been derelict since the storm, and even before it, are coming back to life.

This New New Orleans has many of the elements of other successful cities. It's attracting entrepreneurs, through the same kind of incubators you find in Silicon Valley. Young professionals, like the Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans, a grassroots giving circle, are contributing money and time. Big name companies, like General Electric, are making investments and creating jobs.

But the most visible evidence of the New New Orleans is in the city's food industry, which has doubled in size since before Katrina, and which has broken away from some of the traditions of the past. If New Orleans once rested on its food laurels, as critic Alan Richman proclaimed a year after the storm, it's not doing so any longer.

"The best thing that happened with that experience, with Katrina, was that it forced people who were on their knees to come back and compete," says restaurant owner and entrepreneur Joel Dondis (above).

"Whoever came back was going to get better. The beauty is what you see today."

Gallery: The New New Orleans

Continue reading The New New Orleans: Life Takes A New Direction After Katrina

The New New Orleans: Life Takes A New Direction After Katrina originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Central Business DistrictfoodFood NetworkHurricane KatrinaJohn BeshLouisianaNew OrleansNew York CitynewneworleansrestaurantsTulane UniversityTue, 13 Nov 2012 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: 6 Tips For A Car Plant Tour]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-6-tips-for-a-car-plant-tour/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-6-tips-for-a-car-plant-tour/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-6-tips-for-a-car-plant-tour/#commentsFiled under: ,

I just love visiting factories. After finishing my Southern Road trip, I've now been to 99. I went on my first plant tour when I was 8 years old, and my family went to visit Ford's Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

Like me, you can visit many of the car plants that have been built in the South over the past 20 years. (See here for a list - and companies are adding tours all the time.) But, what are you actually going to see?

Here are some tips to help you understand what to look for.

1) Robots. Hands down, people who go on plant tours want to see robots. And you'll see plenty at Mercedes-Benz in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Pretty soon, it will have 1,000 robots in its body shop. It has some of the most interesting uses for robots of any plant in the South. It actually hands them upside down, so they're easier to repair and maintain. Robots do a variety of things on the assembly line, but they're primarily used to weld things together. Don't let the sparks scare you.

2) Organization. Felix Unger of the Odd Couple would love going on a plant tour. It's the primary example of how things are organized to reach an outcome. When you're on a plant tour, look at how parts are arranged on the side the assembly line - and also look to see whether there are many parts at all. In some plants, big pieces of a car, like the dashboard, are now delivered to workers in one module.

3) Atmosphere. Is the plant well lit? Is it hot, or cool and does it smell? Odor is a problem in engine plants, like Toyota's factory in Huntsville, Alabama. The women who work there don't bring their purses inside, because the smell gets into leather. (That odor is coolant, which is used because there is so much metal being processed.) On the flip side, I don't think I've ever seen cleaner plants than Toyota in Tupelo, Mississippi, BMW in Greenville, South Carolina, or Mercedes.

4) Flow. Car plants have a particular flow. The biggest ones, like Hyundai, in Montgomery, Alabama, start with stamping plants, where they make the hoods and sides and trunks from big coils of steel. All the metal pieces get put together before they go through the paint shop. Then, car companies take the doors off so that workers can get inside and underneath to add parts, without damaging the hinges (or themselves). You'll always see a "wet test" at the end where the car gets sprayed with water to test for leaks.

5) Staging yards. Outside the factory, you may notice a huge lot filled with vehicles - rows and rows of them. This doesn't mean the cars aren't selling. These are called staging yards, where the cars are lined up to be put on rail cars and transport trucks. They're busy places, with cars zooming out of the factory and into the yard. It's fun to see how many different colors are being made and which models are the most popular.

Finally, one last piece of advice FOR you, not about what you'll see.

6) Don't touch anything. You're not in danger of having anything fall on you, but please keep your hands out of the assembly line and don't push any buttons. Also, don't feel like you can help yourself to a free Mercedes emblem or a BMW hubcap. These things are expensive. And, many parts are lined up in sequence. If you somehow walked off with a rear-view mirror, you might wind up delaying the assembly line, and that would be some plant tour to remember.

Continue reading The Southern Road: 6 Tips For A Car Plant Tour

The Southern Road: 6 Tips For A Car Plant Tour originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlabamaFelix UngerFord Motor CompanyFord River Rouge ComplexMercedes-BenzMississippiSci/TechSouthern RoadSouthernRoadThe Odd CoupletipsToyotaMon, 10 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: The Next Bend In The Road]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-the-next-bend-in-the-road/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-the-next-bend-in-the-road/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/10/the-southern-road-the-next-bend-in-the-road/#commentsFiled under: ,

In Alabama, they say that Huntsville has the intellect; Birmingham has the money; Montgomery has the power; and Mobile has the bay.

Soon enough, Mobile also will have airplanes, which will be built at a factory that Airbus plans to open in 2016. And from there, the same folks that brought you the southern auto industry hope they can develop a southern aviation corridor.

And while it's still going to be a leap to get from here to there, the South is where the Wright Brothers flew their first flight (Kitty Hawk, North Carolina), where countless thousands of Air Force pilots have been trained, and where there's already a small but growing aviation industry, in places like Columbus and Batesville, Mississippi.

But let's get back to Mobile. I drove down on an August Saturday from Birmingham, a four-hour drive that's legendary in Alabama for its tedium. (Actually, if you break it up with a visit to Peach Park, and you stop for green boiled peanuts and to see Hank Williams Sr.'s birthplace in Georgiana, it isn't that bad.)

Compared with the rest of the Deep South, Mobile is a city apart. For one thing, it's on breathtaking Mobile Bay, which is shaped like an inverted U, with Mobile sitting at the top of the upside U.

Continue reading The Southern Road: The Next Bend In The Road

The Southern Road: The Next Bend In The Road originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alabamaAnn Arbor, MichiganArmy Air CorpsBirminghamCape CodDeep SouthFairhope, AlabamahuntsvilleKitty HawkMobile Airport AuthorityMobile BayMobile Regional AirportSouthern RoadSouthernRoadUnited States Air ForceMon, 10 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: Ty Cobb Lives On]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/09/the-southern-road-ty-cobb-lives-on/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/09/the-southern-road-ty-cobb-lives-on/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/09/the-southern-road-ty-cobb-lives-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I have been a fan of the Detroit Tigers since I was old enough to hold one of the big, fat, orange pencils that they used to sell at Tiger Stadium. Through the years, I've heard plenty about Ty Cobb, the famous, supposedly mean slugger who set records that still stand. Since his nickname was "the Georgia Peach," I knew he was from Georgia.

So, when I spotted a sign for Royston, Georgia, on Interstate 85 on the way from Greenville, South Carolina, to Chattanooga, of course I had to stop and find the Ty Cobb Museum. Along the way, I saw other signs for the Ty Cobb Healthcare System, which I thought was amusing, and which I soon learned is one of Cobb's greatest legacies outside baseball.

Cobb wasn't lucky in love, and two of his three sons died young. Left somewhat adrift, Cobb donated $100,000 to build a hospital in Royston, and he donated almost $1 million in today's dollars to set up a scholarship fund for Georgia youngsters.

The Ty Cobb Museum is housed in a clinic that is part of the medical system. The gift shop, which sells the Ty Cobble-head and some snazzy fleece tops, is also the clinic office. Once you pay $5, you can enter the museum where there's a film, and exhibits that include Cobb's Detroit Tigers uniform, and his spikes, which he supposedly turned on every opposing baseman.

It's a tiny memorial to someone who's still talked about in baseball, a century after he played. But the bigger legacy is obviously in what he did for Royston.

Continue reading The Southern Road: Ty Cobb Lives On

The Southern Road: Ty Cobb Lives On originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 09 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baseballGeorgiaSouthernRoadSun, 09 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: How To Eat A Boiled Peanut]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/08/the-southern-road-how-to-eat-a-boiled-peanut/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/08/the-southern-road-how-to-eat-a-boiled-peanut/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/08/the-southern-road-how-to-eat-a-boiled-peanut/#commentsFiled under: ,

Boiled peanuts are one of those delicacies where you either love them, or you don't. You can find them all over the south. They're boiled because they are cooked in salted water, and are then kept warm in their juices in an electric casserole or crock pot.

I first encountered them in a gas station between Birmingham and Montgomery, and dipped up a cupful to try in private. I wound up with a mouthful of hull, which I spit out, and peanut, which I liked. But until I got to Georgiana, Alabama, I didn't know I was doing it wrong.

I spotted the signs first: "boiled green peanuts." Then I spotted The Peanut Hut. Venturing inside, I was offered a sample of boiled green peanuts - green, because they've just come out of the ground, where other boiled peanuts are made from dried peanuts. Green, I was assured, are superior.

I also received instructions. You don't bite a peanut in the middle, and peel it, as I was doing. You take a peanut, and place it horizontally between your top front and bottom teeth. Give it a gentle bite. The hull ought to break open the long way, in two, revealing the peanuts inside.

Here's a recipe for boiled peanuts and a little more history. They are an acquired taste. But now you know the right way to eat them.

Continue reading The Southern Road: How To Eat A Boiled Peanut

The Southern Road: How To Eat A Boiled Peanut originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FoodpeanutsSouthernRoadtipsSat, 08 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: The Perks Of Gas Station Food]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-gas-station-food/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-gas-station-food/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-gas-station-food/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The South has its highways, but in order to get to some places, you have to take four-lane or two-lane roads. That's where you'll find gas stations. And in many gas stations, you'll find food.

Up north, hardly anybody I know eats food from a gas station, unless they're starving and it has a Subway attached. Down south, gas station food is its own form of cuisine. If you're fortunate, you can score breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in a good gas station, which may also have its own booths and dining tables.

At bare minimum, a gas station worth its salt (or fat) will serve breakfast - primarily a biscuit. This is usually a chicken, country ham or sausage biscuit. It is as far from Grape-Nuts as breakfast can get. I had resisted the biscuit breakfast until I was on the road from Birmingham, Alabama, to West Point, Georgia.

I passed a gas station that offered "Hot Biscuits & Full Breakfast, Live Bait, Hunting and Fishing Supplies." Inside, I bought plain biscuits. They were fine, and flaky, and filled my mid-morning needs. But I knew there was more out there.

I found gas stations that featured barbecue, gas stations with fried catfish (many proudly displaying a "raised in the USA sign") and gas stations with fried chicken. I found gas stations with a head-spinning, rainbow variety of frozen drinks that actually scared me.

I really struck gold at the Dodge's Chicken Store in Lexington, Tennessee. It isn't technically a gas station, but a restaurant with an adjacent gas station. The signs offered the trinity: chicken, barbecue and catfish.

Inside, people were jostling each other to get up to the counter. The variety was enormous and the prices divine: $2.99 for a pulled pork sandwich, $5.99 a pound for barbecue, $2.59 for a slab of catfish. There was corn on the cob, fried corn on the cob, hush puppies, mac and cheese. And, there were fried hand pies, a little bigger than a McDonald's pie.

Since I knew I'd be eating a big lunch, I asked for a small piece of catfish and a sweet potato pie. The counter girl looked disappointed: "Aren't you going to have any sides?" she asked. It was a perfect snack, and a terrific example of gas station food.

Continue reading The Southern Road: The Perks Of Gas Station Food

The Southern Road: The Perks Of Gas Station Food originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlabamabarbecueBirminghambiscuitscatfishfoodgas stationGeorgiaLive BaitSouthernRoadTennesseeFri, 07 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: Under The Factory Roof]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-under-the-roof/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-under-the-roof/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/07/the-southern-road-under-the-roof/#commentsFiled under: ,



I can't stop thinking about Corey Burkett. And Tonya Williams. And the Burton family.

These folks - and thousands more - are southerners who have joined automobile companies to plot new careers and, hopefully, achieve some of their personal and financial goals. And the jobs along the Southern Road aren't just going to people who were born in the South.

During my trip, I met people with roots in Detroit who made a reverse migration from the North, landing positions at the foreign automakers. Others traveled across oceans, from Korea, Japan and Germany.

These are the people you'll see when you take a tour of a car plant. I got to talk to a couple dozen while I was on the Southern Road, and I was struck by the similarities and differences among the people I met.

All of them, it seems, feel the auto industry is their future, and the future of their communities and their states. Numerous times people said they felt "blessed" to have landed jobs for which hundreds of thousands of applications came in.

The pay for these positions generally starts around $15 an hour, but some earn more, and promotions seem to be readily available. These plants aren't union, and there doesn't seem to be any overwhelming drive to organize them.

You never know, as a reporter, whether people have been briefed on your arrival. But I saw more folks smile and wave at me than in any factory I'd ever visited up north. The employees in places like Mercedes, Hyundai and BMW are also used to being interviewed. Some have even starred in commercials and on the local news.

So, who's working under the roof?

Gallery: Workers on the Southern Road

Continue reading The Southern Road: Under The Factory Roof

The Southern Road: Under The Factory Roof originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlabamaBMWChattanooga, TennesseeGreenvilleHuntsville AlaHyundai Motor Co LtdMelting PotMontgomeryNorth CarolinaS.C.Southern RoadSouthernRoadToyotaVolkswagen AGFri, 07 Sep 2012 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[5 Southern Travel Tips For Women]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/5-southern-travel-tips-for-women/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/5-southern-travel-tips-for-women/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/5-southern-travel-tips-for-women/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I spent two weeks this summer traveling across the Deep South for Gadling, on top of a two-week business trip/vacation there in May. When the mayor of Chattanooga told me, "You have the heart of a Southerner" I blushed, but I also felt like I must have figured out how to feel comfortable there. The South is a little different from the rest of the United States - especially if you're a woman traveler. But I find it an especially intriguing and hospitable place for women who are willing to slow down and saunter. Here are my five Southern Travel Tips.

1) Enjoy the conversations. I found the South to be much like visiting France, in one sense: you say "good morning," pour on the charm, and don't expect to get away quickly even if all you're buying is gum. You should expect - and enjoy - conversations everywhere and with everyone, from strangers to waiters and farmers market vendors. I was at a rest stop in Alabama when the man in the next car ran after me. Had I left my lights on? No, he'd seen my Michigan plates and had relatives in Detroit. Did I know them? No, but I now know he and his mother were driving his little sister to college and it was a big day for them. Likewise, if you need recipes for anything, just say, "I don't know how to make this," and you'll be bombarded with advice. I can now make black-eyed peas, thanks to a farmer in Tupelo. Also, expect to be hugged by people you've just met. My daily hug count was usually three, and one day hit seven. Karen, my server at The Grand Hotel in Fairhope, Alabama, was among my hug givers.

Continue reading 5 Southern Travel Tips For Women

5 Southern Travel Tips For Women originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Southern RoadSouthernFoodSouthernRoadSouthernStatesSouthernTraditionThu, 06 Sep 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Southern Road: History And The Future Collide]]>http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/the-southern-road-history-and-the-future-collide/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/the-southern-road-history-and-the-future-collide/http://www.gadling.com/2012/09/06/the-southern-road-history-and-the-future-collide/#commentsFiled under: ,



If you mention Montgomery, Alabama, to anyone outside the South, you'll probably get a response that includes Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. People know Chattanooga, Tennessee, best for the Glenn Miller song about a choo-choo, and others because they are Civil War buffs.

These two Southern cities, rich in history, now have something crucial in common: they've become car towns. Along with their places in America's past, Montgomery, and Chattanooga can now share industrial futures, one thanks to Korea's Hyundai, the other to Germany's Volkswagen.

And boy, are the movers and shakers happy to have their auto factories, probably no one more than Chattanooga's mayor, Ron Littlefield. "It's the Holy Grail," says the mayor.

His office on the third floor of Chattanooga's stately city hall is full of memorabilia related to the city's efforts to land the VW plant that dominates the site of a former TNT plant, just south of town.

Continue reading The Southern Road: History And The Future Collide

The Southern Road: History And The Future Collide originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>African-American historyAlabamaChattanooga Choo ChooChattanooga Times Free PressCivil WarGeorge WallaceGlenn MillerHyundai Motor Co LtdMartin Luther King, Jr.Randy GeorgeRon LittlefieldRosa ParkssouthernroadTenneesseeVolkswagenThu, 06 Sep 2012 10:00:00 EST