What's Up Downtown
24 March 2016 Issue


In celebration of the Easter Holiday, the DDD office will be closed on Friday, March 25. We will resume normal office hours on Monday, March 28. As always, the DDD Public Safety Rangers will be on duty from 10am to 10pm and may be reached at (504) 415-1730 or rangers@downtownnola.com.
 
Be sure to check out the DDD website for a listing of Downtown restaurants, bars and other great entertainment.

EARLY VOTING STARTS SATURDAY

Early voting for the Saturday, April 9 election will begin this Saturday. The early voting period continues through Saturday, April 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, March 27. Downtown residents may vote early at City Hall, located at 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W24.
 
Any questions regarding early voting, absentee voting or voter registration should be directed to the Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters at (504) 658-8300 or by e-mail at orleansrovc@sos.la.gov.

NEW ORLEANS ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION AND AIA NEW ORLEANS DESIGN AWARDS 2016
 

AIA New Orleans is pleased to announce the upcoming 2016 Design Awards gala dinner on Thursday, March 31 at the WWII Museum's U.S Freedom Pavilion - The Boeing Center.
 
This year, AIA New Orleans joins with The New Orleans Architecture Foundation to host the awards dinner.  Each year the awards program accomplishes three simple, yet invaluable, goals: celebrate the best of this region's architecture; recognize achievement in a broad range of architectural work; and inform the public of the breadth and value of architectural practice.
 
The evening begins with a Cocktail Reception at the AIA Center of Design, 1000 St. Charles Avenue (at Lee Circle). Guests will then walk over to the U. S. Freedom Pavilion. Dinner will be catered by the world-famous Chef John Besh.
 
ADAM PENDLETON: BECOMING IMPERCEPTIBLE 
EXHIBITION ON VIEW APRIL 1-JUNE 16, 2016 AT THE CAC
 

Opening Party Friday | April 1, 8-10pm
Featuring Edna Karr High School drumline, a performance of Steve Reich's Clapping Music by David Reinfurt and Dan Fox, and DJ RQ Away
 
The Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (CAC) is pleased to announce Adam Pendleton: Becoming Imperceptible, the largest solo museum presentation of the artist's work in the United States, will open at the CAC April 1, 2016. Including film, wall paintings, ceramics, silkscreens (on mylar, plexiglass, steel, and canvas), the exhibition frames the artist's oeuvre as a complex dialogue between culture and system, a body of work invested in the cross-referencing of aesthetic and social histories.

WEDNESDAY AT THE SQUARE

Cyril Neville's Royal Southern Brotherhood will be the featured performer at the March 30 Wednesday at the Square Concert at Lafayette Square. Also performing will be Pat Casey & The New Sound (featuring Robin Barnes & Khris Royal).

The 12-week concert series will continue each Wednesday through May 18. The Young Leadership Council presents the weekly event that features live music, food and beverages and arts and crafts. The DDD is a major sponsor. For a complete list of performers and to volunteer, CLICK HERE.

NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES 2016 NATIONAL POETRY MONTH EVENTS SCHEDULE

This April marks the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month, which was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Over the years, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry's vital place in our culture.
 
The New Orleans Public Library
is celebrating with events that include a workshop and reading by Louisiana Poet Laureate Peter Cooley, Pothole Poetry and Pizza Poetry for teens, and multiple readings by local poets. Click here for more details and poetry related programs.

LeMieux Galleries Art Listings
 

Jon Langford
Song Paintings
April 2-May 28, 2016
Reception with artist, Saturday April 2nd from 6-8 PM
Also special Jazz Fest reception
Thursday April 28th from 7-9 PM
 
Mama's Nightingale
April 2-30, 2016
Original illustrations by Leslie Staub
Reception with artist, Saturday April 2nd from 6-8 PM
 
LeMieux Galleries, 332 Julia Street, 504-522-5988

NEW ORLEANS FILM SOCITY GALA
 

Named one of New Orleans top 11 parties of 2015, the annual New Orleans Film Society Gala and Patron Party is a night to remember! The event will be held on the evening of April 16 at the home of John and Yulia Houghtaling, located at 4717 St. Charles Ave. It will celebrate film with craft cocktails, food, live music and dancing. Click here for details and tickets.

TRAFFIC ADVISORIES for Downtown


 
Picayune Pl.
Picayune Pl., between Natchez and Gravier streets closed to vehicular traffic with no on-street parking, during work hours while crews perform exploratory excavation work. Due to underground utility conflicts, the Sewerage and Water Board must redesign placement of the new waterline prior to installation. Once exploratory excavation work is completed, the street will be temporarily asphalted and open to vehicular traffic until waterline replacement work begins.
 
Waterline replacement work is scheduled to begin in March 2016 and last approximately three months. During this time Picayune Pl., between Natchez and Gravier streets, will be closed to vehicular traffic with no on-street parking, during work hours.
 
 
Gravier St.
Beginning Monday, February 22, 2016 and lasting approximately three months, Gravier St. between Baronne and O'Keefe streets will be closed to vehicular traffic with no on-street parking, during work hours. The scope of work includes excavating a portion of the roadway, replacing damaged or leaking water lines, placing fill material beneath the roadway, and paving the damaged portion of the roadway.
 
In both projects, construction crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Work on the weekends is not anticipated; however, inclement weather may alter the project schedule.
 
For more information about these projects, or to sign up for regular e-mail status updates on the FEMA-funded Waterline Replacement Program, contact Kristen Sawyer at kksawyer@nola.gov or 504-658-8483.

TRAFFIC COORDINATION MAP 

View Areas Impacted by Construction

 

City of New Orleans Department of Public Works has traffic coordination maps for the major portions of the City that are currently being impacted by construction including Downtown New Orleans. Visit www.nola.gov/dpw/traffic-coordination to view them. The maps are updated every 2 weeks.

 
DOWNTOWN NOLA APP

Downtown in the Palm of Your Hands

Download the free Downtown NOLA Mobile App featuring the Downtown guide, SafeWalk and ways to communicate directly with the DDD about Downtown matters. Download now by clicking on one of the links below to have Downtown NOLA in the palm of your hand.

ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE DDD WEBSITE

Downtown organizations may register and add their company and/or event to the site for free. Click here to begin your post. 

 

Don't miss this opportunity to let us help promote you!

 

And be sure to follow us on Twitter @DDDNewOrleans & Instagram @DDDNewOrleans and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/DowntownNola. 
SAFECAMNOLA.COM 

Register Your Security Camera with NOPD to Help Fight Crime

 

If you own a security camera in New Orleans, you can now register it with NOPD to help detectives solve crimes in your neighborhood and provide strong evidence to put offenders away. 

 

The New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation, in partnership with the NOPD, launched a new online service called Safecam NOLA.  The program allows residents and business owners to register their security cameras with New Orleans Police. The SafecamNOLA project is an expansion of "Safecam8," which was an on-line program that Downtown residents and business owners in the Eighth Police District have been using for years to register their cameras with Eighth District police.  The 1,302 8th District cameras that are in that system are now included in the citywide SafecamNOLA system.  

 

Please visit www.SafecamNOLA.com to enroll today.

 
RECYCLING BINS BEING DELIVERED DOWNTOWN
Glass Recycling Included 

Citizens in Downtown New Orleans can call 311 to request delivery of the blue recycling bins if their property is eligible for collection by the City.
 
Residents and small businesses can recycle paper, small metals, cardboard and plastics (#1-#7) on Tuesday of each week. Glass will be collected on Thursday.
 
Collection of recyclable materials operated by Empire Services. For more information visit www.nola.gov.