Front Porches

One of most wonderful manifestations of the openness of New Orleans is the front porch.  Sure, lots of places have front porches, even front porches with benches or chairs, but I have never been anywhere where people sit around on their front porches as much as New Orleans.  It used to be that before air conditioning, sitting on the front porch was just what everyone did, you tried to capture every possible flutter of a breeze to cool down. 

But three things really forced people off their porches and into their living rooms: the air conditioner, the television, and the suburban house set back from the street.  Suddenly you didn't need to chat with your neighbors for entertainment, it was delivered to you right on your couch, where it suddenly wasn't too hot to sit anymore.  We became complacent, and front porch sitting just kind of fell out of fashion. 

But that's not as true in New Orleans as in the rest of the world.  Here people still sit on the porch in the evening with a glass of wine and talk to everyone that passes by - after all, you know most everyone, but even if you don't there's still the obligatory "Hey, how're you?" 

This is yet another little twist of the knife in my gut when I think about leaving New Orleans.  I'll just have to bring the tradition back wherever I end up.