What's Up Downtown
22 July 2016 Issue
DDD HONORS DOWNTOWN ALL-STARS!

Check out this year's five honorees to be celebrated at the Downtown NOLA Awards luncheon on Friday, September 16 at the JW Marriott, located in Downtown New Orleans at 614 Canal Street. The luncheon will be held from Noon to 1:30 pm, with networking and cocktails before from 11:00 am to 11:45 am. Click here to view the honorees and to buy tickets.

FESTIGALS 2016!

Join ladies from all over for a weekend of fun and empowerment in Downtown New Orleans. FestiGals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting, educating and inspiring women through seminars and events that empower, showcase the culture of New Orleans, and raise awareness and resources for targeted women's causes. DDD is proud to be a sponsor.
 
Click here for a complete schedule of events and speakers.

Whitney White Linen Night 2016

Whitney White Linen Night 2016 will launch the Contemporary Arts Center's milestone 40th Anniversary Season. This annual event is a fundraiser for the CAC and will be held Saturday, August 6 on Julia Street in Downtown New Orleans from 5:30pm to 11pm. Click here for all the fun and activities.

The DDD is a proud sponsor.

THE CALLING CARD

The new design and print shop will celebrate its grand opening in the Arts District on White Linen Night at 5:30pm. They are located at 835 Julia St., at the corner of Baronne. Be sure to stop by. 

Simplee Gourmet Kitchen Boutique Coming to The Beacon at South Market

Simplee Gourmet, a specialty kitchen boutique, will open its second location in late 2016 at The Beacon at South Market District in Downtown NOLA. In addition to high-end kitchenware and cooking products from national and local brands, Simplee Gourmet will cultivate a strong gift registry program and serve as a hub of culinary activity, offering recreational cooking classes and specialty events. The 3,000sf store will feature lines by Le Creuset, MacKenzie-Childs, YETI, Nordicware, Viking, and more.

The Covington-based gourmet kitchen boutique and venue is the third retailer to join The Beacon in the South Market District, Downtown NOLA.

NEW ORLEANS NAMED RISING STAR DESTINATION IN GOGOBOT'S 2016
FOODIE TRIBE AWARDS

Gogobot - the award-winning, tribe based travel-planning app and website - has announced its 2016 Foodie Tribe Awards with its top 10 Rising Star Foodie Destinations and 10 Destinations On The Decline, But Worth A Second Look lists.  A true heaven for dining aficionados featuring artful cuisine and rock star chefs, it's no surprise that New Orleans is only continuing to rise in the ranks of the world's iconic culinary hubs. Click here for the details. 

SATURDAY SPECIALS AT THE SHOPS

Saturday at the Shops at Canal Place, enjoy the cool sounds of Ed Wise on piano from Noon to 2pm, followed by the duo of Kris Takarski on piano and Matt Johnson on guitar from 2 to 4pm, while complimentary wine and Abita Beer flow from 1 to 4p.

CREATIVE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

CAC, on behalf of installation artist Chung-Fan Chang, is seeking volunteers--both amateurs and professionals--to assist with the construction of CAC's Land, a unique large-scale, site-specific wall drawing, to be featured at the CAC during the upcoming exhibition, "A Building with a View": Experiments in Anarchitecture, opening August 6 for Whitney White Linen Night. 

Ideal candidates will be available to volunteer for regular shifts between July 15-29 (weekdays and weekends) from approximately 10am-12pm and/or 3-5pm. Email visualarts@cacno.org if interested.

MOVIES AT THE ORPHEUM

Movies have returned to the Orpheum Theater. The meticulously restored, century-old performing arts palace in New Orleans' CBD is hosting a new summer screening series of contemporary and classic cinema. Co-presented by the Tipitina's Foundation, the series will see films screen every Monday and Tuesday through summer 2016. Admission to all Monday screenings is free, with tickets being distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the Orpheum box office, which will open one hour before each show. Proceeds from concessions sales during the free screenings will go to the Tipitina's Foundation. Click here for schedule.

BLAZE PIZZA

Pizza + beer = perfect weekend combo. Visit Blaze Pizza this summer on Saturdays and Sundays for a beer and a pizza special. 

 Art Downtown


Jonathan Ferrera Gallery
First Saturday Gallery Openings 
6pm - 9pm

ART HYSTERICAL
Curated by Matthew Weldon Showman
Now - July 30

400 Julia Street
Click here for a listing of exhibits

LOW WATER PRESSURE - PICAYUNE PLACE

Boh Brothers Construction Company, working for the Sewerage and Water Board, will tie-in a series of new water lines in your area.
 
Residents and businesses will experience low water pressure for four (4) nights next week.  The dates and times are listed below:
 
           ON                           FROM                              TO
Monday, July 25                11:30 p.m.           7:00 a.m Tuesday morning 
Tuesday, July 26                11:30 p.m.          7:00 a.m. Wednesday morning
Wednesday, July 27           11:30 p.m.           7:00 a.m. Thursday morning
Thursday, July 28              11:30 p.m.           7:00 a.m. Friday morning
 
The area affected is listed below:
 
       ON                                  FROM                                        TO
 
   Picayune Place                Gravier Street                          Natchez Street

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 expected to be complete sometime this summer. 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.

Going on now and lasting in the summer 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 general, 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. Residents are reminded to use caution when driving, bicycling and walking near construction sites.
 
Work in the Central Business District / French Quarter began in January 2014 and is scheduled to last through summer 2016. The construction contract was awarded to Boh Brothers Construction for $6.8 million.


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. 

RTA INCREASED BUS SERVICE

The RTA Board of Commissioners has increased bus service by over 11 percent to support more job access and make weekend and late evening travel more convenient. Click here for the new schedule.
 
These changes include 5am start times and 24 hour service on many routes used by commuters to access Downtown employment centers, education facilities, and medical care.
 
These service enhancements are designed to restore weekend service in many areas, improve neighborhood access, provide connectivity to major transit lines, and increase frequency on many lines. Additionally, an express line has been added to the Louis Armstrong International Airport to provide access to jobs at the airport and at the new terminal construction site.