Is it called (the) Bywater or Upper Ninth Ward? (New Orleans: transplants, houses)

[sandwiche]

I am a non-native and it seems that there is some contention on the designation of this area. Comments?

[rburnett]

Bywater is part of the Upper 9th.

[sandwiche]

I understand that is the technicality, but from my limited experience it seems that a significant population of longterm residents know the area as the Upper Ninth Ward and believe that the term Bywater or the Bywater is more of a real-estate friendly, post-millenium invention popularly used by non-natives and resent its implications.

[rburnett]

I'm a native, and have never known anyone who is resentful of the term "Bywater". That area has been called Bywater since the 40's and there is a sign on St. Claude to prove it.

99% of people living between St. Claude and the river will refer to it as Bywater.

[sandwiche]

Interesting. That was my impression from researching the area before I moved and I noticed the signs not only on St. Claude but on other streets, but after moving I mentioned to a fellow bar partron that I had moved to Bywater and he curtly responded as a correction that I lived in the Upper Ninth Ward as his wife nodded him on. I thought that was an isolated incident until I read this posting on the Gambit's website: Public Transit Tuesdays: Marigny-Bywater | Blog of New Orleans

The author seems to clearly resent the use of the term Bywater. After doing a little google research, I noticed that this topic had been discussed somewhat here: Bywater or Ninth Ward? - New Orleans Forum - TripAdvisor

Like I said, my experience here is VERY limited as I've only been here a week! I just didn't want to ignorantly continue to commit a faux pas, if indeed that is what it is.

[Jimbo_1]

I always call the area between St. Claude and the river, the Bywater. Technically most of this area is apart of the 9th ward but it seems that most people call these nieghborhoods by the two different names. Bywater is a well established name. I also dont call it the upper 9th ward but just the 9th ward without the "upper" part.

Maybe there is some "contention" since the Bywater has a lot of transplants, hipster-types, and has different demographics from the rest of the 9th ward but actually I have never heard of any contention with the term. I think the term Bywater, and especailly the nieghbohood itself, have become increasingly popular in the last few decades (especially since 2000) and seems the term has become more widely used since the neighborhood is talked about more but that is just apart of being more well known. Maybe some residents of the Bywater try to distance themselves from the "9th Ward" and would probably give a crazy look if you called where they lived the 9th Ward, so maybe that might be a source of contention. Also if you have ever watched that 6 minute video on New Orleans accents, the opening person from the 9th Ward says she grew up near the Bywater and that video is about 30 years old.

[Drouzin]

Darlin' it's not a faux pas, it's just someone showin' off that they are native. I think I started hearing Bywater shortly before the storm and knew the area only as the Upper 9 before then. Bywater or Upper 9 it doesn't make a difference people know what you are talking about. It's not like you said "trolley" for streetcar or New Orleeeens like the song, (ooohhh like finger nails on a chalkboard). Don't worry about it go with what ever feels right.

[gypsy writer]

Back in the 30s and 40s before area codes, the telephone exchange was Bywater followed by 4 numerals. I graduated from high school in this area, took the bus to school and sometimes walked home. It's like Benny Grunch & the Bunch says "It ain't dere no more." My school burned down, and a nursing home was built on the site.

The difference is the people who live on the river side pay double property taxes b/c of the historic designation. The houses are more pricey, though I think it's a mixed bag. There are some historic houses, dating back to the 1800s, and in the mix are the twentieth century Mission style arts & crafts houses that sell anywhere from $200,000 up.