On May 7th, 2019, going to Mahalia Jackson Theatre for The Performing Arts (for the Green New Deal gathering and rally) was a very nice 2-block walk down a side street, and into the St. Philip Street sidewalk entrance into Armstrong Park around 6 p.m. Two hours later, that side entrance, like all the other St. Philip Street entrances, was padlocked. I had heard about this practice of the city’s officials (and the park’s managers) of locking up the park, except for the main entrance, and keeping it off-limits to the Treme neighborhood’s residents. Now, I experienced it. I had to walk through Armstrong Park, and then out the main entrance, walk about two blocks down St. Philip Street, take a right onto the side street, to get to my car.

Locking up the park sends a clear message to the Treme community, that this park, created from a large swath of their neighborhood 50 years ago, isn’t theirs. They aren’t allowed in it after dark, and there are two gates left unlocked and open during the day, which are on the St. Philip Street side of the park. The Treme residents and their friends and neighbors, were forced to give up this area, so that the city could have another park.  The park was created to honor native son and jazz musician Louis Armstrong, and includes Congo Square, where slaves and free blacks would congregate on Sundays, to sing and dance. Centuries ago, Sunday was the only day off for the city’s slaves.

(See: https://www.blueskytraveler.com/louis-armstrong-park/)

What could the city be telling this park’s neighbors, by locking it up each night? That they’re “undesirable”? “Dangerous”? “Unwanted”?  To be fair, the park is a lovely network of fountains, ponds, and boardwalks. Walk far enough, though, and you come face-to-face with the still-closed, boarded-up, and unused Municipal Auditorium, which is apparently still the focus of a 14 year-long face-off between the city and FEMA over how much FEMA owes the city for needed repairs to the building, due to its Katrina-related damages. The city officials, beginning with the mayor, also need to put back into use a building whose former uses, for Carnival balls, an ice-hockey arena, and circus event site, are now used by other venues.

From blueskytraveler.com/Louis-armstrong-park

Louis Armstrong Park

The square was developed as New Orleans grew first as Beauregard Square in honor of the confederate general in the 19th century.  In the 1960’s, a controversial urban renewal project leveled a substantial portion of Tremé neighborhood around the Square to develop Louis Armstrong Park in honor of New Orleans most famous musician.

From A History of Armstrong Park (Wikipedia):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong_Park_(New_Orleans)

Louis Armstrong Park is a 32-acre (130,000 m2) park located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, just across Rampart Street from the French Quarter.

In the 1960s a controversial urban renewal project leveled a substantial portion of the Treméneighborhood adjacent to Congo Square. After a decade of debate, the City created the present-day park from that land. This park was designed by New Orleans architect Robin Riley and was named after New Orleans-born Jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

The footprint of the present-day park contains the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium, the MahaliaJackson Theater for the Performing Arts and several buildings owned by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. The portion of the park immediately in front of the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium is the site of Congo Square, formerly known as Beauregard Square, famous for its role in the history of African American music and spiritual practice.[1]

Some elements of the park’s design have been subject to critique throughout the years. Residents of the adjacent Tremé and French Quarter neighborhoods have called for the removal of the large fence that separates the park from surrounding areas and for incorporating the large concrete parking lots in the rear of the park into the park’s greenspace [2] The presence of these parking lots are often attributed to high rates of subsidence and flooding along N. Villere Street.

New Orleans Ordinance on public parks.

Sec. 106-138. – Hours for use of playgrounds and public parks.

(a)

Except for organized activities authorized or permitted by the department of recreation, it shall be unlawful for any person to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in or upon the public playgrounds under the supervision of the department between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

(b)

Upon the written request of the proper authorities of parochial and public schools of the parish and upon the written request of the officers of social and fraternal organizations of the parish, the director of the department of recreation may suspend the curfew previously described when said schools shall use the playgrounds for athletic activities for the benefit or entertainment of its students, or when such fraternal or social organizations of the parish shall use the playgrounds for athletic activities for the benefit or entertainment of the people of the parish.

(c)

Except for organized activities authorized or permitted by the department of recreation or the parkway and park commission, it shall be unlawful for any person to be on, in or upon a public playground of the city or a public park of the city which is under the supervision of the parkway and park commission between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; provided further, however, that between sunset and sunrise, it shall be unlawful for any person to be on, in or upon a public park under the supervision of the parkway and park commission which has no lights or facilities.