Downtown Living: August 2013

Places: The Roosevelt Hotel
For well over a century, The Roosevelt Hotel has been a prominent historic landmark on Baronne Street in New Orleans’ Central Business District. Opened in 1893, it began life as “The Grunewald” and housed what is believed by many to be the first nightclub in the United States, called “The Cave.” Since then, the famed location has survived a few incarnations, but has always remained a favorite in the hearts and minds of locals and tourists alike.

After being closed for several years due to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, the hotel underwent a $170 million restoration, revealing splendid architectural elements like mosaic tile floors and coffered ceilings that had been hidden for decades. To the excitement and pleasure of the whole city, The Roosevelt finally reopened in 2009.

Aside from exuding old-world grandeur and elegance, The Roosevelt Hotel offers modern, luxurious amenities like the prestigious Guerlain Spa, one of only three locations in the U.S. Pamper yourself with a full line of services including massages and facial treatments tailored to rejuvenate your senses and feed your soul.

Speaking of nourishment, the hotel also offers rustic Italian cuisine at Domenica, a John Besh restaurant headed by one of the city’s finest chefs, Alon Shaya. Often touted as the best spot for pizza, Domenica also serves dishes like Octopus Carpaccio, Tagliatelle with rabbit and porcini mushrooms and Fried Eggplant with tomato pesto and goat cheese. Plus, though the French Quarter is only steps away, you don’t need to leave the hotel to discover the finest in hand-crafted cocktails at The Roosevelt’s famous bar, The Sazerac. Relax on plush banquettes and sip on a classic Ramos Gin Fizz, the preferred drink of our infamous yet colorful governor, Huey P. Long.

Just recently, the Downtown Development District (DDD) honored The Roosevelt Hotel for its “extraordinary contribution and commitment to the development of Downtown New Orleans.” The hotel displayed unflagging dedication to the renaissance of the Downtown area, and became a title sponsor of the DDD’s “Canal Street: Home for the Holidays” initiative, a month-long schedule of activities, including an outdoor movie, parade and fun holiday activities for kids.

The Roosevelt Hotel ~123 Baronne Street ~ (504) 648-1200 ~ TheRooseveltNewOrleans.com

Nightlife: Victory
Ultra-modern with a Gothic vibe seeping from the blood-red walls and and rust-colored couches, Victory is a Downtown gastropub luring in the corporate zombies at happy hour and loosening their ties. Daniel Victory opened the bar with business partner Andrew Emery a few years back after Victory made a name for himself behind the stick at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, not to mention placing at several national cocktail competitions.

Take a seat at the sparkling bar and relish the “About 7 Blocks of Sippin,” a cocktail that includes rum, hibiscus tea and crème de violet. Or, sip on a classic Pimm’s Cup and munch on some of Victory’s notorious nosh like Truffle Popcorn, Bacon Wrapped Scallops or a Prosciutto Pizza. Are you in the mood for a victory?

Victory ~ 339 Baronne Street ~ (504) 522-8664 ~ VictoryCocktails.com

Downtown Proud
Launched in 2011, Pelican Bomb is “an online platform dedicated to the growing Louisiana arts community.” Funded in part by the Joan Mitchell Foundation in New York, Pelican Bomb is essentially a team of art promoters who are using vacant commercial spaces in the Downtown area to host pop-up art exhibitions. Entrepreneurs Cameron Shaw and Amanda Brinkman launched the project after winning the DDD’s Inaugural Arts-Based Pitch Challenge during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week back in mid-March.

Shaw and Brinkman have since temporarily set up shop at beta: a shared workspace in the Maritime Building on Common Street and are continuing to host exhibitions across the city. The young entrepreneurs are seeking a permanent home Downtown and look forward to hosting a grand opening celebration soon.

For more information on upcoming exhibitions and reviews, please visit PelicanBomb.com

Tip: Curb Your Dog
The growth in residential development has been great for Downtown and we welcome both residents and their dogs. With limited green space, however, dog owners have more responsibility for cleaning up after their pets on streets and sidewalks. Did you know that allowing an animal to soil public property may be punished by a fine of no less than $100.00 along with no fewer than three seven-hour days of trash cleanup duties? (New Orleans Municipal Code, Section 18-13 “Soiling of public and private property by animals”). Please respect your fellow residents and visitors and help keep Downtown sidewalks clean by picking up after your pets.