Otis,
Ya asked me how it was going test driving animation software. I figured out this much today. This sh#t is easier than it looks. I want to see and play with some more software before deciding on which one to use.
Written by cartoonist Eric T Styles about moving into the French Quarter of New Orleans. The day to day experience of living in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The Quarter Rat is the name of the publication that Styles illustrates for featuring off the wall stories as told by locals who work as bartenders, bouncers, dancers and in the service industry on Bourbon Street.
Showing posts with label royal street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label royal street. Show all posts
Thursday, July 26, 2012
I got to get me some sleep, after I finish my last energy drink. Let me know what ya think.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Courtyards
When you have 10 million visitors cramming themselves into your 70 square block neighborhood every year, you need a sanctuary. Very few of those 10 million ever get to see the nicest parts of the Quarter, courtyards. The front of almost every structure is has it's toes on the sidewalk. Behind these iron gated and shuddered dwellings are open air rustic brick lined spaces. The size can vary according to lot layout and building design.
The Pontalba building has small courtyards that are 4 stories deep. Those were designed primarily to provide cross ventilation in the days prior to air conditioning. The townhouse layout utilizes long hallways, winding steps and lots of windows to funnel the slightest breeze from the balcony to the courtyard. Windows from each unit facing into the staircase are authentic. I remember one windy day, someone opening up the first floor door caused a door on the fourth floor to slam.
Some of the least expensive and yet coolest places to rent are slave's quarter efficiencies. To my Yankee friends: Yes, former living quarters for slaves. Carries Karma with it. The original popular layout is an apartment on each floor with two bedrooms off of the balcony facing the street, a sitting area and maybe a dining room. The kitchen area is usually a long narrow brick building connected by an exterior balcony (To you Yankees "decks") Two of these "L" shaped buildings facing each other produce a small courtyard in the center.
This time of year they are Eden like. Old and sometimes crumbling brick walls divide the space into small cozy halves. I've been in some adorned with folk art and plush with tropical plants and fruit trees. Water features trickling as tiny green lizards dart about the fauna. Drink up under an umbrella during the day, smoke up under gas light at night and watch a rat bounce across the slate floor with that piece of chicken that your were saving for later.
The main apartment facing the street has the balcony that everyone associates with the Quarter, the slave's quarters balcony faces the quiet private court. It was easier to keep them in that way I guess. A lucky quarter rat can afford one of these less than 200 square foot domiciles. It's about like living in a roomy RV. Most have 12 foot high ceilings with windows only on the side facing the balcony. No cross ventilation here. Mine has a large loft space for my bed at the 8 foot mark. Better suited for people in their 20's, most nights I end up crashing on the couch. Too sore and too old to deal with the fold up ladder. At my age I don't do bunk beds.
I enjoy my time out on my tiny private little balcony. If I want to stand out there in my underwear at 3 am to have a smoke, I can. The other day I realized that the courtyard for the "Court Of Two Sisters" could probably be hit from here with one of those water balloon launchers. Just sayin.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Louie Louie
Friday night the Quarter Rat delivered the lattest issue (#26) to all of the finer drinking establishments in the French Quarter. Like the previous times the copies were dropped off by topless girls with their breasts painted in festive Mardi Gras themes. We started out with ten lovelies, I think only three managed to finish the route. One didn't even make it out of the first bar. Rather than writing about the night in my blog like I usually do, we videotaped the entire adventure. I know we should be able to edit it down to at least 30 minutes of non stop debauchery, nudity, stupidity and fun.
As Otis and I were unloading cases of the magazines from his car, I looked up across the street and famed street mime "Uncle Louie" was walking by with his bucket from working all day on Royal Street. It just turned out that Uncle Louie made the cover of this month's Quarter Rat. I grabbed a handful of copies for him and went over to hand them to him. I'll admit that I couldn't wait to see his reaction. Anyone who has visited the French Quarter has seen Louie in his pristine white suit posing on Royal, anyone who lives in the Quarter has shaken his hand and probably had a drink or two with him. A real cool man who is a staple to the French Quarter.
We had to videotape the evening because I really don't think anyone outside of the Quarter believes the stuff I write about. We couldn't get our buddy Zan and his pedicar to help deliver the boxes this time around. Zan said that he had a wheel fall off or something. (Personally, we think his wife got tired of him peddling up and down Bourbon Street with topless young women. We're not sayin, just sayin.) So I dressed up like a homeless guy and pushed a shopping cart around the Quarter loaded with cases of magazines. At one point on Lower Decatur Street I passed an actual homeless guy with a shopping cart loaded with personal belongings. Awkward at first, I had to comment to him about his cart "Nice model, what year is it?"
Towards the end of the night we had to meet up with the remaining girls and the rest of our krewe at the Ginger Lime Japanese restaurant at 200 Decatur. They treated us great with fantastic food. I vaguely remember eating sushi off of a couple of the women. We had a few block to travel to get there so we broke up into small groups and hopped into Pedicabs for the journey. I however was stuck with a shopping cart loaded with magazines and almost had to walk. Otis yelled "Styles! Sit on your cart and hang on to the back of the Pedicab and he'll tow you." So, dressed like a homeless guy I was towed behind one of the bikes down several blocks of Royal Street. All night I had been rolling ontop of the shopping cart. It was like "Jackass on Bourbon Street" I did take a spill when the front wheels of the cart dug into a pothole. You'll have to wait for the video.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Home Video
Eric, would you post some random pics of your block someday? Every block is cool, and I'd love to see yours.
Ok, Brooks, here is my little corner of the world...
Ok, Brooks, here is my little corner of the world...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Ok, it use to be cute, now it's annoying
Durring my first year in New Orleans the only real work I could find was doing background work in films. It was kind of exciting at first, then it just became a boring part time job. Sure they fed us well and on occassion I got to stand next to an exploding building or get chased by monsters, but it got old fast.
I can currently make more money painting apartments, and I don't have to listen to whiny cry babies in the Extra Holding tent piss and moan about how hard of a job it is. "It's too hot, we've been here for hours, the director doesn't know what he's doing." Shut the hell up, you're getting paid $80 a day to walk back and forth across a street. "Oh, at lunch they ran out of the Bar B Que chicken..." Yea, they were out of it on your THIRD TRIP BACK TO THE TABLE. I knew a woman who use to load up her purse from the craft table, no class.
I stopped applying for the work to devote myself to a steady income. Lately I have been annoyed by the amount of filming here in the Quarter. Sure, it's great for the local economy and we can take pride in our creative community, but damn it, you are blocking my path. I went to meet a friend on Frenchman Street, blocked by a Treme shoot, on my way to work this morning I had to step over cables and around trucks on Royal Street. I went for coffee on Decatur this afternoon, sidewalk blocked by lighting equipment and gawking tourists.
Yea, yea yea, they're filming a movie, big shit, get out of my way.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Art imitating life or life intimidating art debate
Art imitating life or life intimidating art old debate. Down here in the French Quarter, they are one in the same. You can stop in front of an art gallery on Royal Street and look in the window at the paintings while your thoughts are being serenaded by a classical violinist playing eight feet behind you, while stepping in dog crap.
Tonight if you had looked in the window of Peter O'Neill's gallery you would have seen them filming a pilot for a series Subrosan. My friend Robert does a lot of film work on the side and is helping out on this hopeful pilot. When Robert heard they were looking for a gallery, he suggested our friend Peter's gallery. The director loved the look of the place, so it became a set. It is a cool spot, open up the front doors right on the corner and the rear of St Louis Cathedral is the back drop.
Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill were in featured background. Ironically, Peter and Noelle were cast as a doctor and wife buying Peter's art on his own walls. That life / art thing again.
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