Gentilly Woods (New Orleans, Claiborne, Franklin: home, to buy, college)

[toupsee]

This weekend my daughter and her husband moved into an older neighborhood in Knoxville. We went to help out and took a tour of the neighborhood. I was floored when we turned a corner and found an old school, still in use, that looked just like WCC Claiborne. Same open walkways and loads of glass for the kids to see the world. The homes in this area were built in the 40's and 50's, and are very cozy and unique. What a blast form the past!

[jduggan86]

I lived in Gentilly Woods for 30 years from '67-'85, in the house my grandparents bought in 1957. Went to WCC Claibourne (69-74?), had Mrs Stroll when Kindergarten was 1/2 day. Played football and baseball at Harris play ground (then operated by NORD) went to church at St. Gabriel. I remember the shopping center before it had an enclosed mall! The opening day at the Mall was an event to a small kid! I lived on the corner of Stephen Girard and St. Ferdinand, behind the old Maison Blanche building, that then tunred into Gaylords, and then was bought out by the Baptist Seminary. I remember helping my grandma re-paint the metal sign that read Gentilly Woods on the corner of Press Dr. and Stephen Girard. There used to be the GW Club that built a truck float during Mardi Gras, and it was usually parked in front of our house.
My parents sold the house in 1985 to the Baptist Seminary after a family friend was shot and killed for her purse in the parking lot at Schwegmanns on Chef Hwy. Guy was caught in the Desire project. The neighborhood started changing alot in the late '70's as I remember. Even the Mall was getting dangerous.

Bitter and Sweet memories

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by jduggan86

I lived in Gentilly Woods for 30 years from '67-'85, in the house my grandparents bought in 1957. Went to WCC Claibourne (69-74?), had Mrs Stroll when Kindergarten was 1/2 day. Played football and baseball at Harris play ground (then operated by NORD) went to church at St. Gabriel. I remember the shopping center before it had an enclosed mall! The opening day at the Mall was an event to a small kid! I lived on the corner of Stephen Girard and St. Ferdinand, behind the old Maison Blanche building, that then tunred into Gaylords, and then was bought out by the Baptist Seminary. I remember helping my grandma re-paint the metal sign that read Gentilly Woods on the corner of Press Dr. and Stephen Girard. There used to be the GW Club that built a truck float during Mardi Gras, and it was usually parked in front of our house.
My parents sold the house in 1985 to the Baptist Seminary after a family friend was shot and killed for her purse in the parking lot at Schwegmanns on Chef Hwy. Guy was caught in the Desire project. The neighborhood started changing alot in the late '70's as I remember. Even the Mall was getting dangerous.

Bitter and Sweet memories

Yes, and that entire stretch of Chef Hwy..

[janakaz2001]

Wow! What memories!! I lived in NO at NO Baptist Seminary from 82-85. I attended WCC and loved it. So many memories of the school!! The HOT days when we had to smell the tar while they were redoing the roofs, seeing my first solar eclipse, rubbing the plastic lunch checks on the brick wall because they would leave either a red or green mark and doing square dancing during PE!! I remember walking from the Seminary to school and what a great neighborhood I always thought it was. It's so sad to think of the place that you lived and learned is gone.

[wallyburger]

Originally Posted by toupsee

This weekend my daughter and her husband moved into an older neighborhood in Knoxville. We went to help out and took a tour of the neighborhood. I was floored when we turned a corner and found an old school, still in use, that looked just like WCC Claiborne. Same open walkways and loads of glass for the kids to see the world. The homes in this area were built in the 40's and 50's, and are very cozy and unique. What a blast form the past!

Hey Toupsee - I had a similar experience bringing my kids to school recently. My youngest is in 1st grade; went into his class and the smells are the same from when we were young - paste, glue, crayons, Mr. Sketch markers... It reminded me of my days at Claiborne.

[bluejean53]

Originally Posted by janakaz2001

Wow! What memories!! I lived in NO at NO Baptist Seminary from 82-85. I attended WCC and loved it. So many memories of the school!! The HOT days when we had to smell the tar while they were redoing the roofs, seeing my first solar eclipse, rubbing the plastic lunch checks on the brick wall because they would leave either a red or green mark and doing square dancing during PE!! I remember walking from the Seminary to school and what a great neighborhood I always thought it was. It's so sad to think of the place that you lived and learned is gone.

Hey janakaz2001,
I also lived at the Baptist Semunary from 62-63. Some of my fondest memories in life were living there on the Seminary, and attending WCC. If you want to see the area now, use Google earth, and you can do a street level walk around by the school. The pictures are taken sometime after Katrina, because there is still some damaged houses that can be seen when looking 360 degrees at street level.
I think the school is closed now, with plans to reopen at a later date. It's now a magnet school, and I can't remember the new name. What a time rush to see the school, still for the most part looking like I remember it.
Try the Google earth if you have a high speed internet connection. Otherwise, trying to use it with dialup is impossible.

[bluejean53]

WCC is now a magnet school. Don't think it's in use right now. The name was changed some time ago.

[NealL]

Mrs. Phyllis Laney long a resident of Gentilly Woods passed away on 12/30/08. She will be memorialized and interred at Lakelawn funereal home on Saturday Jan 3 from 1-3 pm. Open to the public.

[mardigras pk]

Was looking for WCC Claiborne too. there in the early 80s while living at the seminary. Funny thing, you can take the kid away from mardi gras, but you cant take mardi gras away from the kid. Had to even provide a little culture to my texan kids class with a king cake. Man, the King Cake parties and the floats made out of little red wagons (the metal kind) were the bomb!
Miss you N.O.

[cmego_sh]

Just returned from a rebuild effort there. I lived off Pauline Drive fron 1963 - 1986 in Gentilly Woods which received 4 ft of water from Katrina. Claiborne Elementary was renamed Parkview and is closed permenantly. They are about 40-50 percent rebuilt and repopulated at this time. I.