New Orleans History -- Lake Pontchartrain
Monday, October 07, 2024
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Pelican Stadium/Fountanbleau Hotel

Does anyone have any history with the Fontainebleau that used to be on Tulaine Ave.? I remember going there as a kid. My mother would somehow slip us kids into the wonderful pool there. I remember it being a great looking place when I was a kid. Too bad it's a storage place now. Any one else have any fond memories of the place?
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I not only have many memories of the Fountainbleu, but also Pelican Stadium which was in the exact same spot as the Hotel. When we were kids we would climb trees just past the Centerfield Fence and watch the games.

In 1966, I was in the Air Force stationed at keesler in Mississippi. My Mom and Dad lived in Slidell and he drove a Checker Cab in New Orleans. I got a permit to drive a cab and would drive my Dad's cab in New Orleans at night. My Dad only drove his cab from 8AM to 5 PM, so I would pick it up and drive it most of the night.

The Fountainebleu had a contract with Checker Cabs to only allow Checkers to line up on its property to pick up fares from the hotel. I got to know the Manager, Frank Rizzo, at that time because I spent many hours waiting for fares to come out of that hotel. Mr Rizzo would come out and chat with us as we waited.

In March 1967 I got orders to go to Danang, Vietnam so my cab driving days were over. When I got ready to come back to the States in 1968, I wrote Mr Rizzo a request for reservations for a room for a week at his Hotel for my wife and me.

He wrote back that I could have the room as a gift from him and his staff. All I had to do was pay a nominal fee of a dollar for Tax purposes I suppose.

I left Vietnam on the 14th of March 1968 and flew to the Phillipines, then on to Los Angeles, switched planes from a Military Charter to a Delta flight from LA to New Orleans. My whole family met me at Moisant at 4AM and after a happy reunion my wife and I spent our second honeymoon at the Fountainbleu.

Mr Rizzo was thoughtful enough to have a Bottle of Scotch, a flower arrangement and a basket of fruit in the room.

Ahhhhh yes, I still have fond memories of the Fountainbleu. I no longer have that wife, but still have those fond memories. Sorry this is so long!
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Directly across Tulane Avenue from the Fountainbleu was a "Copper Kettle" restaurant that we drank many cups of coffee and ate a lot of hamburgers. A little farther up the block on Tulane was a restaurant named "Home Plate" I believe. Ate some great Italian lunches in that little restaurant.

When Pelican Stadium was still standing the "New Basin Canal ran beside the stadium all the way into town where the Union Station is now.

The Tulane Street Car ran from Washington and Carrollton Avenues to Tulane across a scary bridge on Carrollton Ave over The New basin Canal.

At that time there was a wide neutral ground running up Tulane Ave to the River. The Tulane Streetcar would run all the way to a street in front of Charity Hospital and hook a left turn toward Canal Street.

At Canal Street The streetcar would turn toward the River and go to Barrone Street where it made a right turn on Common and run back into Tulane.

I used to take that streetcar every Saturday and get off at Barrone and Common and walk a couple blocks on Barrone to the Strand Theater.

You sure started those old memories popping up in my mind!