Emma Lesser's field notes

When I first went to Algiers today I was unsure of what to look for and just pulled into the first non-residential building that I saw. It turned out to be a little super-market type place. The man behind the counter seemed annoyed with us as soon as we walked into his store making me feel hesitant to ask too many questions. When we asked him if there was anything specific he thought that we should be looking for he suggested we drive up the road more. Luckily we took his advice because just up the road we found a place called “The Village.” “The Village” was a little market-place set up along the river. There were plaques hung up explaining how it used to be the site of slave auctions but has since been converted into a flee-market. I plan to come back on a Saturday to see it in action. After leaving “The Village” we went to a bar where we were met with a very warm reception. Two people we met there, Kathy and Wally B., told us everything we needed to know about Algiers. They both expressed many times that they would never choose to live anywhere else ever. Both were proud of the fact that Algiers has the two top high schools in the area, St. Andrews and Alice Heart as well as the oldest fire station in New Orleans. They suggested that we go to Mardi Gras world to look at the warehouses where the floats are built and stored for Mardi Gras parades. All in all Algiers seemed like a close-knit community rich with history.