Freret Street underwent a huge revival post-Hurricane Katrina, and now it looks like it's going through a second wave of change: Uptown Messenger has a fascinating article about the changes happening in the Uptown corridor (the story also appeared in this week's print issue of Gambit).
In recent weeks, four businesses on the street, two of which far predated the Freret revival, closed up shop: Freret Garden Center, Freret Service Center, Jaques Clothing and Full Blossom Chic (the former two are the old-timers). Renowned historian and geographer Richard Campanella, who is quoted in the article, says the next wave of Freret Street that's afoot, in which big investors displace some of the businesses currently operating, is reflective of the current patterns of gentrification in New Orleans as a whole.
One big development down the pipeline is that of Frank's Steakhouse, planned as a residential and commercial space with some high-end tenants — including a juice bar, a wine bar, and a chain fro-yo spot (Pinkberry, likely) — said to be moving in.
As James Carville, who is quoted in the beginning of the piece, says: "A little bit of a sense I have is how Freret Street goes, how goes New Orleans."
· Some old-guard Freret businesses give way to new development as the corridor keeps changing [Uptown Messenger]
· Tenants lining up for redevelopment of steakhouse property on Freret [Uptown Messenger]
· All Freret neighborhood coverage [Curbed NOLA]