Penultimate Dawn on Jackson Avenue Ferry
The powers that be have decided that the Jackson Avenue Ferry isn’t busy enough to merit staying open, and who am I to argue? After all, it took its closing to make actually get us on it.
Well, not even ‘us.’ Some of us (ah hem) were happily still abed while other, more boatcentric of us were up with the dawn to capture the end of the line (despite having to get directly on a plane afterward- otherwise I’m sure he’d have been there for the very last day).
The ferry itself will still run to the Gretna suburb, now from the Canal Street terminal on the edge of the French Quarter where it should get more use. Or so they hope- it was still early when Charlie went, but there were only 3 pedestrians and a very few cars making the trek. From a transportational point of view, it doesn’t seem like it’s much of a loss.
But I hadn’t been inside the Jackson Ave terminal building- it squats on the corner of Tchoupitoulas, where there’s no parking and even less security in an iffy area. All of which, I’m sure, contributed to the lack of passengers, but much thought went into the terminal- inside it’s light and airy, with escalators that I’m sure haven’t worked in years, but somehow that they were included at all seems like someone was just so… uncharacteristically hopeful.
It’s even kind of attactive from the river view.
Obviously, somebody cared about this building and, like so many others, it’ll likely just be torn down now.
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October 4th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Love those pictures!
October 17th, 2009 at 11:04 am
I’m so glad you documented this. The photos are grand. As for the escalators, try: they haven’t run in decades maybe. I used to rode the Jackson-Gretna ferry often in the late ’80s as a pedestrian. It was dismal, lonesome and the escalator broken even then. But like you, I always thought it had been built with promise and forethought. Hadn’t thought of “hopeful.” But I like that. Good job.