Leonidas (also known as West Carrollton) is a
neighborhood designation in the city of
. A subdistrict of the
Uptown/
Carrollton Area, its boundaries as defined by the New Orleans City Planning Commission are:
South Claiborne Avenue, Leonidas and Fig Streets to the north,
South Carrollton Avenue to the east, the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
and
Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
to the west. Although an official city planning district name, the name "Leonidas" is not widely used nor has it any historical usage and the area is usually referred to by the larger neighborhood "Uptown, or "Carrollton".
The designated neighborhood incorporates the upper-river half of what had been the town of
Carrollton, Louisiana
Carrollton is a historic neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, which includes the Carrollton Historic District, recognized by the Historic District Landmark Commission. It is the part of Uptown New Orleans farthest upriver while s ...
, in the 19th century. It is commonly known to locals simply as "Carrollton, or to distinguish this section, "Upper Carrollton" or "West Carrollton".
The portion closer to the river is often called the "Riverbend" or "Carrollton Riverbend." The section closer to the Jefferson Parish line is sometimes known as "
Pigeon Town/Pension Town".
Today the area thrives on its commercial businesses but it also includes a large residential community. Landmarks in the neighborhood include the
Camellia Grill, the Carrollton Streetcar Barn, Palmer Park, the Water Works, and the
Oak Street commercial district (including the well known
Maple Leaf Bar).
Name
The formal name for the neighborhood, Leonidas, may have been derived from the famous Spartan King of 490 B.C. However, as the name also is connected with the street that intersects the neighborhood, Leonidas Street, it is more likely to have derived from
Leonidas Polk
Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which separated from the Episcopal Ch ...
, Episcopalian "fighting bishop" for whom the street was possibly renamed following the end of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
.
The informal name, Pigeon Town, has been passed down through generations. The name has its roots in the word, pidgin.
It is defined as a ''simplified speech used for communication between people with different languages''.
History
The Leonidas neighborhood area has history dating all the way back to the 1700s. ''Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville'', a French colonizer and the founder of the city of New Orleans, began a plantation in the area circa 1719.
The land went on to remain a plantation for different types of agriculture well into the 1800s. The area was then bought by the
New Orleans Canal and Banking Company Canal Bank and Trust was a commercial bank in New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
Canal Bank and Trust was formed by the 1919 merger of Commercial Trust and Savings Bank and Canal Bank. It was renamed Canal Bank and Trust Company on January 1, 1926.
P ...
and was divided into sections. In 1835, the first house was built and soon emerged a new neighborhood of the city of New Orleans.
The Leonidas neighborhood was a part of a bigger whole called the town of Carrollton. In the 1850s, Dublin was the main street of the town. Fast forward almost a century and a half later in 1980, the town of Carrollton along with the Leonidas neighborhood was purchased and divided the city into 13 districts and 72 neighborhoods by the
New Orleans City Planning Commission.
Recent development
A part of the Uptown/Carrollton area that escaped serious Katrina-related damage, the Oak Street commercial corridor is staging a comeback from problems that had begun to accumulate well before 2005. Numerous changes in public perceptions, crimes and city services
“Six months of major street repair and utility construction created new pedestrian-friendly amenities along a half-mile of Oak Street…” This project was to rebuild the roadways and make it a friendlier and safe way for people to walk to places. Leonidas is mainly a place for walking. Driving around, you could miss all the exciting and amazing events that go on. The project also includes the fixing of major water lines, drainpipes and sewer lines. As of today more and more people are driving places, this recreation promotes the using of non-motorized vehicles to make New Orleans an eco-friendlier environment.
Pigeon Town / Pension Town used to be known as an area of the bullets and the drugs and the fear. There were numerous killings and gunfire reported from the neighborhood.
For instance, in the report by Walt Philbin, a man was shot to death with three people wounded in the incident close to the murder scene. The article also mentions numerous bullet casings that litter the surrounding areas in the neighborhood.
Perhaps the greatest concern to each individual's life in New Orleans city are an increasing number of street crimes and break-in offenses. Project NOLA is an anti-crime nonprofit organization developed to help keep people in New Orleans area safe by providing public awareness of all dangerous situations happening within the community. The neighborhood of Leonidas in New Orleans is part of a major crime-fighting initiative thanks to several generous donations. The neighborhood has had dozens of HD crime cameras installed.
Geography
Leonidas is located at
and has an elevation of .
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the district has a total area of . of which is land and (12.38%) of which is water.
Adjacent Neighborhoods
*
Hollygrove (north)
*
Gert Town (north)
*
Fontainebleau (east)
*
East Carrollton (east)
*
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
(west)
*
Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
(west)
Boundaries
The New Orleans City Planning Commission defines the boundaries of Leonidas as these streets: South Claiborne Avenue, Leonidas Street, Fig Street, South Carrollton Avenue, the Mississippi River and Jefferson Parish.
A subdistrict of the Uptown/Carrollton Area, its boundaries as defined by the New Orleans City Planning Commission are:
South Claiborne Avenue, Leonidas and Fig Streets to the north, South Carrollton Avenue to the east, The Mississippi River and Jefferson Parish to the west.
The designated neighborhood incorporates the upper-river half of what had been the town of Carrollton. The portion closer to the river is often called the "Riverbend."
The section closer to the
Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
line is sometimes known as "
Pigeon Town / Pension Town."
Palmer Park
![Palmer Park (Center)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Palmer_Park_%28Center%29.JPG)
There are several historical landmarks in Leonidas, many of which have been restored since the destruction due to Hurricane Katrina. One local landmark is Palmer Park, which is located at the corner of S. Carrollton Ave. and S. Claiborne Ave. It is a historical landmark, part of the Carrollton Historic District. The park provides space for concerts, home tours, festivals, and filming. The park is more children friendly after the construction of brand-new jungle gym, rock climbing wall, swings, and slides. Each month, usually on the last Saturday of the month, the park holds an event called the Palmer Park Art Market. It is a food, arts, and craft event that showcases local craftsmen, artisans, and provides local New Orleans food.
Education
Leonidas is under the
Orleans Parish School Board
The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) governs the public school system that serves New Orleans, Louisiana. It includes the entirety of Orleans Parish, coterminous with New Orleans.
The OPSB directly administers 6 schools and has granted charte ...
(OPSB).
Leonidas does not offer as many school choices as does other neighborhoods. There were formerly four main schools in Leonidas. One of the four, Audubon Charter School, has closed down and moved to another spot. The three schools currently located in Leonidas are St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic School, and James H. Bright / J. W. Johnson Elementary. Most of the schools around this neighborhood have closed for different reasons. Even now there are new schools and forms of education being rebuilt in Leonidas.
* St. Andrew’s Episcopal School - located right out of the Leonidas dividing lines near Oak St. and S. Carrollton Ave. St Andrews Episcopal School PreK through Eighth Grade. St. Andrew’s offer classes from Pre-Kindergarten to Middle School 8th grade. After, they help students in high school placement. Students have been accepted into De La Salle High School, Benjamin Franklin High School, Academy of Sacred Heart, Isidore Newman School, NOCCA, St. Mary’s Dominican High School, and many more.
* St. Joan of Arc Catholic School - Affiliated with Blessed Sacrament-St Joan of Arc Catholic Church located nextdoor, the first
Josephite parish in New Orleans (founded by Fr
Pierre Oscar Lebeau
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, namesake of
Lebeau, Louisiana
Lebeau (also spelled LeBeau and originally known as Bayou Petite Prairie) is an unincorporated community in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the central part of the state. Nearby communities include Palmetto, Ville Platte and Washi ...
).
* James H. Bright/J. W. Johnson Elementary (now
Sophie B. Wright)
* The former Alfred C. Priestley Junior High School is in the Pigeon Town area.
In 1980, it closed. From 1980 to 1993 it housed offices, and from 1993 to 2005 it was used to store objects.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
disrupted the latter. In 2015 OPSB sold the building to the charter school
Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans
Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans (LFNO) is a type II charter school, and French international school in New Orleans, Louisiana. (2020-2021 school year) it serves Pre-Kindergarten through grade 10 and will add a new grade level each school ...
.
Politics
The Leonidas neighborhood is a part of District A in New Orleans. This district consists of seven wards including the Leonidas neighborhood.
The representative for this neighborhood on a city level is the Democrat Susan Guidry.
[“Susan Guidry” Copyright 2014. http://wiki.nolamessenger.com/index.php?title=Susan_Guidry 28 March 2014.] She was elected in 2010 and then re-elected for a second term in 2014 against her four competitors.
The issues that she focused on in her race include criminal justice committee chair, economic development and quality of life, and Maple Street bars and businesses. All these issues are important to the Leonidas neighborhood because crime and violence are a big issue in the Leonidas neighborhood. Guidry wants to make the neighborhood safer by eliminating the problem from the source and creating a stronger force to keep the problems from reoccurring.
Its representative in the Louisiana House is Democrat
Neil Abramson who was elected in 2007.
[“Your Louisiana and US Legislators” http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx 31 March 2014.] His term focuses on human trafficking and hurricane recovery.
The Louisiana Senate Representative is Republican Conrad Appel who has been in office since 2008.
His focus for his term consists of trade based economic development and development in higher education.
The polling place for the Leonidas neighborhood is Audubon Charter which is located 719 S Carrollton Ave. On elections held on Tuesday, Audubon Charter is open from 6am to 8pm. When election are held on Saturday, it is open from 7am to 8pm. In order to vote registration and an ID with a signature is needed. Voters of the Leonidas neighborhood can register at the City Hall which is located at 1300 Perdido Street, Room #1W23 or 225 Morgan Street, Room #105.
Demographics
![Demographics chart](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Demographics_chart.png)
The Leonidas neighborhood takes up about 1.054 square miles in the Uptown area of New Orleans.
[“West Carrollton (Leonidas) neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana (LA), 70118 detailed profile” Copyright 2011 http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/West-Carrollton-New-Orleans-LA.html 28 March 2014.] According to the data center that population of the Leonidas neighborhood in 2000 was 8,953. This population decreased in 2010 to 6,769. The drastic population decreased because of
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
.
[“Leonidas Statistical Area” Copyright 2014 http://www.datacenterresearch.org/data-resources/neighborhood-data/district-3/Leonidas/ 1 April 2014.]
The demographics of the neighborhood have changed over a ten-year span. Some of these aspects include occupancy and income. In the year of 2000 vacancy was 12% but after the census in 2010 it increased to 25.9%.
Income was also affected because of public assistance and average income. People who depended on public assistance income to pay their bills was 6.8% in 2000 and decreased to 0.1% in 2010.
This decrease probably occurred from the city having to more funds in rebuilding the city, therefore public assistance funds became scarcer. The average income of the citizens in the Leonidas neighborhood was $44,119 in 2000 and increased to $51,216 in 2010.
Other aspects that were affected demographically over time include population in aspects of race and age. Over the ten-year span the population of whites increased 20.6% to 30.7%.
On the other hand, the population of blacks decreased from 75.5% to 62%.
Even though the population of blacks in the neighborhood is decreasing the percentages show that there are mostly blacks. The ages of the residents in this neighborhood stayed constant between the two censuses. The only drastic change consisted of the age range from 50-64 changed from 14.5% to 20.7%.
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 8,953 people, 3,633 households, and 2,051 families residing in the neighborhood.
The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 9,731 /mi² (3,730 /km²).
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 6,769 people, 3,001 households, and 1,484 families residing in the neighborhood.
See also
*
New Orleans neighborhoods
The city planning commission for New Orleans divided the city into 13 planning districts and 73 distinct neighborhoods in 1980. Although initially in the study 68 neighborhoods were designated, and later increased by the City Planning Commission to ...
References
{{authority control
Neighborhoods in New Orleans
Louisiana populated places on the Mississippi River