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The Lafitte Greenway spans 2.6 miles, connecting Mid-City to the riverside edge of Treme.
Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Lafitte Greenway: 9 things to see along the path

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The Lafitte Greenway spans 2.6 miles, connecting Mid-City to the riverside edge of Treme.
| Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

While the Lafitte Greenway is one of New Orleans’s newest parks, it has a history that dates back over 200 years. The site was once the Carondelet Canal, which governor of the Spanish colony of Louisiana, Francisco Luis Hector de Carondelet, commissioned in 1794. Replaced by the New Basin Canal in the 1830s, the site became a rail corridor used by Norfolk-Southern Railroad—which fell vacant during the last half of the 20th century.

In 2006, several New Orleans residents collaborated to preserve the Greenway, hoping to make it a leading example of long-term planning and open-space development in the City of New Orleans. Part of the masterplan to revitalize the Treme-Lafitte neighborhood and to increase stormwater management throughout New Orleans, the City of New Orleans broke ground on this $9.1 million greenway in 2014 and opened it to the public in late 2015.

The Lafitte Greenway now has a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that connects Mid-City to the riverside edge of Treme. You’ll find over 500 trees (mostly live oak and cypress), bio swales and permeable pavement for stormwater management, open fields, several play areas for children, LED-lighting, beautiful wildflower meadows, and now eight Blue Bikes stations along its trail. It also incorporates Lemann playground, which the National Recreation and Parks Association renovated in September of 2017.

Along with the Friends of Lafitte Greenway and New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, the city has planned several developments to enhance the park over the next decade. While officially operated by NORDC, the Friends of Lafitte Greenway continues to assist in the historic preservation and community programming in the park.

In celebrating this linear park’s unique history, here are 9 things to see on your next trip along the Greenway.

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Turning (prayer wheels for the Mississippi River)

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The Friends of Lafitte Greenway, the City of New Orleans, and the Arts Council of New Orleans unveiled this public art display that illustrates the Mississippi River throughout three time periods—the wild era, colonial plantation era, and petrochemical era. Created by artist Michel Varisco, and unveiled in November of 2017, these three stainless steel wheels stand 9 feet tall with beautiful mosaic bases.

Varisco created the interactive installation to raise awareness of social and environmental activism, especially as it pertains to the Mississippi River.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center tennis courts

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Maintained by the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, which sits further down the Greenway, these two public tennis courts open to the public every day of the week. On a first-come, first-served basis, these courts are among the few that are free to use in New Orleans.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

FitLot Fitness Park

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In the beginning of 2017, FitLot opened the What You Give Will Grow Fitlot Fitness Park, adding the first outdoor workout facility to the Lafitte Greenway. FitLot’s title sponsor, What You Give Will Grow, is a nonprofit owned by the New Orleans Saints’ Thomas Morstead.

The covered workout space has over 1,000 square feet of space and several resistance stations. You’ll find a unique QR code on each station that, when scanned, leads to a video of Thomas Morstead performing that specific exercise at the station.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center

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Located in the heart of the Greenway, this community center has community rooms, meeting spaces, classrooms, and a commercial kitchen. It also houses several organizations that support development across the Treme-Lafitte neighborhood—including the Friends of Lafitte Greenway.

Just outside of the neighborhood center, you’ll find a children’s playground and a small community garden.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Carondelet Walk

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This walkway follows the former path of the 1.6-mile long Carondelet Canal, which was first commissioned in the late 18th century. The canal was formerly used as a shipping route until the 1830s when the city constructed a new, wider canal called the New Basin Canal. By the 1920s, this Canal fell into disrepair and later decommissioned.

In homage of the former canal, the city build this unique walkway that spans form North Galvez Street to North Claiborne Avenue. Along the walkway you’ll also find gorgeous wildflower meadows across the walk.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Meadows and bio swales

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While the trail may run long and narrow, you’ll find a ton of green space along the path. Part of the city’s effort to increase its stormwater management, the Greenway has several bio swales and plenty of open fields to help in water absorption.

Along the trail you’ll find several meadows that have in the past included Zinnias, Cosmos, Marigolds. Friends of Lafitte Greenway executive director Sophie Harris Vorhoff says that a variety of annuals will be cycled throughout the Greenway’s future.

Photo by Sophie Harris Vorhoff/Friends of Lafitte Greenway

Lemann Pool murals

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This public pool has public murals wrapped around all of its four corners created by local youth and the Arts Council of New Orleans. The murals tell stories of the neighborhood past, such as the circus that used to run through the neighborhood via the railroad corridor, and general life around the greenway before the linear park existed.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2017, lead artist Keith Duncan led over 130 locals design murals centered around harmony.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Lemann Playground No. 2

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Considered part of the Lafitte Greenway, this park is divided into two by the North Claiborne Avenue. The National Recreation and Parks Association selected this part of the Greenway for a major renovation. In September of 2017, donors from around the country in tandem with NRPA supplied new lights, bleachers, a new basketball court, a children’s music playground, and an outdoor workout facility (which is separate from FitLot).

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Lemann Playground No. 1

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This open field has large live oaks, cypress trees, an open grass area, and a basketball court. It spans from North Claibrone Avenue to Basin Street.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Turning (prayer wheels for the Mississippi River)

The Friends of Lafitte Greenway, the City of New Orleans, and the Arts Council of New Orleans unveiled this public art display that illustrates the Mississippi River throughout three time periods—the wild era, colonial plantation era, and petrochemical era. Created by artist Michel Varisco, and unveiled in November of 2017, these three stainless steel wheels stand 9 feet tall with beautiful mosaic bases.

Varisco created the interactive installation to raise awareness of social and environmental activism, especially as it pertains to the Mississippi River.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center tennis courts

Maintained by the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, which sits further down the Greenway, these two public tennis courts open to the public every day of the week. On a first-come, first-served basis, these courts are among the few that are free to use in New Orleans.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

FitLot Fitness Park

In the beginning of 2017, FitLot opened the What You Give Will Grow Fitlot Fitness Park, adding the first outdoor workout facility to the Lafitte Greenway. FitLot’s title sponsor, What You Give Will Grow, is a nonprofit owned by the New Orleans Saints’ Thomas Morstead.

The covered workout space has over 1,000 square feet of space and several resistance stations. You’ll find a unique QR code on each station that, when scanned, leads to a video of Thomas Morstead performing that specific exercise at the station.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center

Located in the heart of the Greenway, this community center has community rooms, meeting spaces, classrooms, and a commercial kitchen. It also houses several organizations that support development across the Treme-Lafitte neighborhood—including the Friends of Lafitte Greenway.

Just outside of the neighborhood center, you’ll find a children’s playground and a small community garden.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Carondelet Walk

This walkway follows the former path of the 1.6-mile long Carondelet Canal, which was first commissioned in the late 18th century. The canal was formerly used as a shipping route until the 1830s when the city constructed a new, wider canal called the New Basin Canal. By the 1920s, this Canal fell into disrepair and later decommissioned.

In homage of the former canal, the city build this unique walkway that spans form North Galvez Street to North Claiborne Avenue. Along the walkway you’ll also find gorgeous wildflower meadows across the walk.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Meadows and bio swales

While the trail may run long and narrow, you’ll find a ton of green space along the path. Part of the city’s effort to increase its stormwater management, the Greenway has several bio swales and plenty of open fields to help in water absorption.

Along the trail you’ll find several meadows that have in the past included Zinnias, Cosmos, Marigolds. Friends of Lafitte Greenway executive director Sophie Harris Vorhoff says that a variety of annuals will be cycled throughout the Greenway’s future.

Photo by Sophie Harris Vorhoff/Friends of Lafitte Greenway

Lemann Pool murals

This public pool has public murals wrapped around all of its four corners created by local youth and the Arts Council of New Orleans. The murals tell stories of the neighborhood past, such as the circus that used to run through the neighborhood via the railroad corridor, and general life around the greenway before the linear park existed.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2017, lead artist Keith Duncan led over 130 locals design murals centered around harmony.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Lemann Playground No. 2

Considered part of the Lafitte Greenway, this park is divided into two by the North Claiborne Avenue. The National Recreation and Parks Association selected this part of the Greenway for a major renovation. In September of 2017, donors from around the country in tandem with NRPA supplied new lights, bleachers, a new basketball court, a children’s music playground, and an outdoor workout facility (which is separate from FitLot).

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA

Lemann Playground No. 1

This open field has large live oaks, cypress trees, an open grass area, and a basketball court. It spans from North Claibrone Avenue to Basin Street.

Photo by Eric Craig/Curbed NOLA