Balconies - Living in New Orleans

It’s pretty obvious from my blog and my website that I like taking pictures of cool people, inspiring places and interesting things.   To me, this picture represents all three. 

You might look at it and think it’s just an old dirty building, but this apartment in the French Quarter in New Orleans says so much more.  The building itself was probably built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s, as were most of the buildings in NOLA.  

I walked around the city looking for things that caught my eye when I saw these balconies.  Most of the buildings in the French Quarter have shops, galleries, restaurants and bars on the first floor and apartments above.  Absorbing all the city has, I felt like I was back in Europe, and wondered what it would be like to live here.  You would have to be the type of person who embraced all that NOLA has to offer – the music, the people, the culture as well as the noise and challenges of a big city.  But I’m guessing you must also be someone who makes life your own. 

While there isn’t much they can do to make this building attractive – it is old and dirty - they’ve done a lot to make it their own space.  The painted shutters, the plants, decorations, Christmas lights (even though this was taken in July) and flags all say that these people take pride in where they live and color it with their own personalities.  It seems to me, by where they live and how they celebrate it, they are getting the most from their journies in life.  I think that’s what makes them pretty cool; makes NOLA is an inspiring place; and this building an interesting thing.