West End, New Orleans

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Entrance to West End four days after Hurricane Katrina.

West End is a neighborhood in New Orleans (now commonly referred to as "West Lakeview") largely built on land reclaimed from Lake Pontchartrain in the 1920's. It is a recreational and commercial seafood boating hub for the city and is known for its historic and renowned seafood restaurants. In recent years, the area has seen large condominium complex developments overlooking the lake.

West End is bordered to the east by the Lakeview neighborhood and to the west by Jefferson parish's Bucktown neighborhood, (or, more immediately, the 17th Street Canal) and to the south by Lakewood, New Orleans. ^[1] It is home to two large marinas, the Orleans Marina and the New Orleans Municipal Harbor.

Two Yacht Clubs, the New Orleans Yacht Club and Southern Yacht Club, along with several marine and yacht related businesses populate the areas surrounding the park, marinas and channels.

The area is adjacent to the site of the levee breach on the 17th Street Canal, Hurricane Katrina which inundated and devastated all of Lakeview and West End (the area between the 17th Street Canal and Pontchartrain Blvd.). The heavy winds and storm surge also destroyed every restaurant and music club built out over the lake. Because West End was developed above sea level, it did not flood and became a staging area for the US military and National Guard conducting rescues of stranded residents.

West End's most recognizable icon, the New Basin Canal Lighthouse, constructed in the 1830's was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

[edit] History

West End was originally a nationally renowned resort built between 1835 and 1876 and named New Lake End. In 1880, the name was changed to West End with the additions of a hotel, restaurant and an amusement park built on piers over Lake Pontchartrain.

The City of New Orleans followed and constructed a harbor and railroad and streetcar facilities along the New Basin Canal and the 17th Street Canal and by 1921 had constructed a seawall 500 feet out into the lake and filled in this space to create the large and oak lined West End Park.

West End was a popular music venue in the early days of jazz. Joe "King" Oliver wrote the tune West End Blues in commemoration of the area; a recording of the number by Louis Armstrong is one of the most famous jazz recordings of the 1920s.

The area grew to become a well known area for great and historic seafood restaurants, including Brunings which opened in 1859 and operated nearly continuously-- damage from Hurricane Georges prompted a move to a nearby building somewhat better sheltered from storm surge, but it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 along with most other buildings in the area.