streetcar, decay, and a curious garden

The kids and I are without a car most days.  But we are happy to walk and are fortunate to have parks and shopping in walking distance as well as the streetcar which takes us across town.  Last week we took the St. Charles line into the Warehouse district to visit the Children's Museum and have lunch.  St. Charles Ave is lined with beautiful live oaks and mansions.  It's a pleasant and picturesque ride to say the least.

I love the Warehouse District for the massive industrial buildings.  It's age, character, and history can be seen as we read faded signs, peer into windows of now vacant structures, and count the layers of peeling paint on the brick.  Many of these buildings have been converted to galleries, restaurants, and lofts, but many sit vacant.

Greta, Henry and I are good at identifying the Curious Garden that insists on finding it's way in this seemingly inhospitable part of the city.  So much color and life, even in the decay.  It's all beautiful.  The rust, the peeling paint, the weeds, washed out signs, are all evidence of the wild natural elements that we live with everyday.  Elements that have a will much stronger than ours.

And then you have the revelers off to a parade.  

A colorful city, indeed!