Riding the streetcar like rocking in a cradle

Riding the St. Charles streetcar is as soothing as being rocked in the arms of your mother. The car slowly rolls from side to side down the tracks on the neutral ground under the soft light of lampposts and the bows of giant oaks. Passing scenery is a continuous show of gracious, white mansions fronted by stately white columns and prismed glass doors.

Wide-open windows, a breeze and fragrance of flowering trees and shrubs rushing in, create an additional pleasurable experience.

I've slept in the belly of a cabin cruiser and felt the same effect of the tide beneath me - the sensation of returning to the comfort of the womb.

I usually take the streetcar to the French Quarter, anticipating an evening of adventure. On my return, the ride is a satisfying way to ease back into the stillness of the uptown neighborhood after a night on the town.

The overhead lights put passengers onstage, not only to each other, but to everyone they pass. It's always a motley crew - college students on dates, visitors on tour, workers on commute, school kids dressed in uniforms and the usual characters just riding back and forth. Strangers chat, smile and offer seats to those standing. Others just hang on as the streetcar ambles along, bumping into each other amicably.

Some of my most cherished memories revolve around the streetcar - not just riding it, but waiting for its arrival, seeing it slowly round the bend of the tracks and grind to a stop.

The conductors almost always greet passengers and kindly assist them in getting fares into the box if necessary. There's no hurry.

One of my friend's children, a recent Tulane student, said she didn't like the streetcar because it went too slow. She said: "When my friends want to go, we just want to go." How silly! They forfeited the pleasure of the streetcar going by car, a mobile fortress that insulates them from the social experience.

For me, one of the most satisfying things about the St. Charles streetcar is that it hasn't changed much since I was in college. The fare increased from 25 cents to $1.25 - still a bargain. They splashed some new paint on the cars after Katrina and fixed the brakes.

When the streetcars were down after the storm, people were devastated. Buses had to take over the routes. And when the St. Charles line got up and running - first to Lee Circle, then to Napoleon, to Riverbend and finally to Claiborne Avenue, there was celebration.

The streetcar was not only a convenient mode of transportation, it was a symbol of rebirth. 

St. Charles streetcar vehicle for romance

Marrero man woos -- and wins -- fiancee on New Orleans streetcar

Published: Sunday, May 08, 2011, 5:30 PM     Updated: Sunday, May 08, 2011, 5:41 PM

 By Kat Stelly 

In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love, and Marrero resident Lee Cormier is no exception.

Amber Fountain shows off the engagement ring she just recieved from Marrero resident Lee Cormier, who proposed to her on the streetcar they rode on their first date.

He decided that April was the perfect time to ask his girlfriend, Amber Fountain, to marry him. He knew that he wanted the proposal to be as special as she was, so he thought back to the beginning of their relationship and began to make plans.

They met when Fountain transferred to William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss.; Cormier already attended and was her leader for orientation. They quickly became friends and spent a lot of time together, but the first date didn’t occur for two years, in July 2010.

According to Cormier, they ate in the French Quarter and then rode on the streetcar for an hour and had “an amazing conversation.”

Their great start stalled a bit because Fountain was back home in Alabama while Cormier remained in the New Orleans area, but they spoke often and in December decided to make their relationship official. This was a step they didn’t want to rush into for fear of ruining a great friendship, so they didn’t do it until they were confident that it would lead to marriage.

Several months after that momentous decision, the time felt right to take the next step. Cormier wanted the proposal itself to take place on the streetcar that was so special to them, so he decided to re-create that first, special date -- with a few added flourishes Fountain would know nothing about.

So they ate at Embers on Bourbon Street and then boarded the streetcar to head to Angelo Brocato’s for dessert. Cormier had arranged for a friend to be on board as well, armed with a camera. When the streetcar stopped on North Carrollton, Cormier took a deep breath, told Fountain he loved her, dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him.

Utterly surprised, she took the ring from him but didn’t speak for a few seconds -- seconds that felt like days to Cormier. Perhaps wondering at the wisdom of a public proposal, he finally broke the silence with, “You have to say something,” which thankfully was met with a smile and “Yes, of course!” As he hugged her, they were inundated with congratulations and best wishes from the other passengers.

That might seem like quite enough excitement for one night, but Cormier had one more surprise planned. When they entered Angelo Brocato’s, Fountain was overwhelmed to see that their families and closest friends were there to celebrate with them.

The happy couple is already deep into plans for a December wedding. After that, they both plan to further their education at a seminary in New Orleans, where he will study urban missions and she will study Christian counseling.

Kat Stelly is a Marrero resident who writes about people and events of community interest. To reach her, call 504.347.4262 or send e-mail to katilac@bellsouth.net.

© 2011 NOLA.com. All rights reserved.

Take a ride along St. Charles Avenue

all the way to Napolean...

(Click here) on the St. Charles streetcar.