Going D O W N T O W N

Yesterday I drove downtown for the first time in a very long time. I drove past the Court House. You could feel 'death' down there. The Derrick Todd Lee Serial Murder Trial is currently going on. He was found guilty on the murder of Murray Pace day before yesterday. It was an eerie feeling down there. They have reached the sentencing stage and in only minutes we'll know what his fate will be. That is the big news story on the stations today.

Much has changed downtown. New buildlings have gone up and more are under construction. Streets were busy with folks going in and out of restaurants. Many of them were sitting outside at little tables. It was surprising for the middle of the afternoon. As a child, there were three movie theaters downtown. There was the Hart, the Gordon and the Paramount. Anyone who was a lifelong citizen of Baton Rouge knew it was a mistake to demolish the Hart and Paramount when they did. However, it was before the age of preservation had truly set in. Also, fun to visit was a Piccadilly located on Third Street where a new restaurant now is trying to make a go of it. I can remember shopping in Rosenfields with my mother.

There are somethings that may have changed a little but the flavor of them haven't and that is why I included this photo. It is of North Blvd. It is how I remember the street. I'm sure it must be wider or a different pavement but it is how I think back on it.