Westward ho!
We headed Westbank yesterday to prospect for new business — but found none and got caught in a deluge that can only be described as Third Worldish in its ferocity.
It takes a minute to describe to outsiders the way things work when one goes “Westbank” (or to The Wank, as some call it). From the CBD, one gets on the Crescent City Connection and actually goes east to cross the river. But it’s “Westbank” because if the river was a north-south thing, as it is for most of its path, you’d be going east-to-west to cross it and, well…….yadda yadda.
Specifically, we were headed over to English Turn to see what’s over there. To be sure, there are big, lovely homes and a PGA golf course — all near the Plaquemines Parish line. If you’re into McMansions (helloooooooooo Dallas!), this is indeed Da Place To Be. But it’s weird — I mean REALLY weird — to find all these huge, lovely homes, security gates and other noveau-riche trappings in an area that’s virtually isolated. I mean, I know these folks must like the isolation, but there are no grocery stores, no gas stations and no services anywhere close by. I’m assuming all these folks have to go back to Gretna or Algiers or over to Belle Chasse to get even your most basic stuff (or get “the help” to do it for them). It was, unfortunately, too rainy for anyone to be on the golf course. This prohibited me from taking part in one of my favorite pastimes — honking my horn when some dude is in the middle of his backswing. Damn.
Another sojourn is on tap this evening, headed to the Mandeville Rouse’s for a tasting. Then we’ll hit one down in Da Swamp (Houma) tomorrow. So it’s a Mini-Road Weekend. This’ll be fun.
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the west bank is the best bank!
not a lot of smoked cheese aficionados over there though.
The west bank is weird. I used to live there years ago. I’ve heard two stories on why it’s called the west bank: First, I heard it got it’s name during the Battle of New Orleans, which was in Chalmette, and the west bank is west of there - I doubt the story though. The other explaination I heard is that it’s the westbank because coming up the mouth of the river, that side is west and if you had to cross it back in “the day”, before bridges, there was no mistaking which side you were on. Either way, it’s all weird.
No need to be peddling cheese to those swampbillies anyway….lol
English Turn was more fun back in the 70’s when it was desolate. We’d go drive back there late at night to scare ourselves silly in high school. The story told was that the land used to be a notoriously brutal plantation and the woods were haunted.
Which may be bullshit, but it seemed like a good story at the time, along with other urban legends like how Eddie Haskell grew up to be John Holmes, or how the lead singer of Queen might be gay.
Yes, the Ol’ Man runs North to South, but I’m
on its Western side so plthhhhhh!
I can’t understand grass made out of cement.
Have you tried Willowdale Country Club?
Have fun, bring water!
Laurie