Having been in Lafayette I took U.S. 90 home this weekend, sharing the green road with trucks loaded with sugar cane. Driving leisurely through the sun in Lafourche Parish I saw a turtle, an armadillo, and an alligator, and a rat.
The feeling of proximity to New Orleans begins on the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, where the roads grow more stately and the radio comes in clearly with drums, kazoos, stride piano and on Saturdays, Cuban son. All of the rhythms are relaxed, yet precise, as this is a Caribbean city.
I like to take the Metairie Road/Canal Street exit so I can go past the cemeteries and City Park, and down Esplanade, past the Creole mansions and the Treme. I do not go into the French Quarter but turn left on Rampart, which becomes St. Claude. I ride past Elysian Fields and across the railroad track. Then I am home, among streets with names like Music, Pleasure, Harmony, and Desire.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
I don’t live in such an excellent place –although perhaps I live in one of the more desirable parts of Perthian suburbia. That is to say, Aboriginals live here in more numbers than in most other suburbs. The people here are generally blue collar working class, or outlawish. The martial arts gym is just down the street. Birds — espcially doves — are common here. There are some tall trees and some nice parks.
Before the storm N.O. was truly stellar. I wish I really lived here – circumstances have me exiled to the country except for when I can get into town. Aboriginals in suburban Perth – that’s excellent!!!
Yeah. We don’t get to see them much, but it is enough to know they are around here. That makes life more interesting. Actually Queenspark used to be, from what I understand, an exclusively aboriginal area. Hence it has the reputation these days for being a “dangerous neighbourhood” — although Mike and I have not had any trouble.
“Dangerous” is dangerous only if there is a lot of shooting and things like that. Otherwise “dangerous” is safer than “safe” because “safe” really means a white neighborhood which is deserted during the day and people have money and do not know each other.
By any standard, our neighbourhood is hardly dangerous. Australia does not have the gun problem that America has. This is a tame neighbourhood. But it doesn’t have that reputation of being tame.