About Central City
Central City was a major African American hub and commercial district in the first half of the 20th Century. Beginning a long and painful decline in the 1960s, it hit a low point in the 1990s as a result of urban blight, vacant buildings, and violence. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the area slowly began to improve thanks in large part to a number of community organizing projects. Most of Central City was above the flooding following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and in the years since, the area has seen signs of revival.
Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is a main commercial corridor in Central City, and is also the site of several community development organizations. Together with Lasalle St, O.C. Haley Boulevard links Central City to the downtown financial district, French Quarter, and Garden District.
The O.C. Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association has a list of merchants and organizations that are active in the community. A sampling of organizations include Good Work Network, Ashé Cultural Arts Center,Café Reconcile, and ECD/Hope Community Credit Union.
Places to visit in Central City: