Birmingham, Ala.– The Holy Cross neighborhood in New Orleans is named one of the 10 best comeback neighborhoods in the South, according to the January issue of Southern Living magazine, on newsstands now. For the full story, click here.
Southern Living scoured the South to find neighborhoods that were once down on their luck but are now resurging with community pride. It’s where revival isn’t just about fixing up old houses, it’s about working together to rebuild traditions and save the soul of a place, according to the magazine.
“These stories are the essence of the South,” Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Griffin writes in her editor’s letter. The “10 communities…are reborn with the feels-like-a-small-town lifestyle we Southerners cherish.”
“In choosing the neighborhoods, Southern Living considered civic pride backed up with community action. What makes our choices special are the owner’s drive to work beyond the walls of their own homes to improve public parks, support local shops, and each other,” according to Southern Living Building Editor Rex Perry. “We considered the comeback story — how far down did the neighborhood fall, and how far has it come back.”
“Our top choices recognize the importance of local amenities, walkable neighborhoods, and streetscapes with character. Finally, we looked at neighborhood green spaces,” he said.
“Natural disasters bring out the best and worst in people and the places where they live,” writes Southern Living. “The destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina on Holy Cross laid bare countless civic and social problems. More than four years after the flooding, the restoration of Holy Cross is also uncovering the resilience of people determined to save their neighborhood,” writes the magazine.
“Volunteers from the neighborhood and beyond, the Preservation Resource Center, and countless other organizations are saving Holy Cross by rebuilding the historic homes and allowing residents to return to this sliver of high ground within the Lower Ninth Ward,” according to Southern Living.
According to Southern Living, the Top 10 Comeback Neighborhoods are:
1. Springfield — Jacksonville, FL
2. North Chattanooga — Chattanooga, TN
3. Wilmore/South End — Charlotte, NC
4. Crescent Hill — Louisville, KY
5. Patterson Park — Baltimore, MD
6. Historic Fairmount — Fort Worth, TX
7. Phelps Grove — Springfield, MO
8. Viola — Greenville, SC
9. East Nashville — Nashville, TN
10. Holy Cross — New Orleans, LA
Southern Living, the premier lifestyle and entertaining magazine of the South, reaches more than 16 million readers each month and enjoys a circulation of 2.8 million. Published 12 times a year by a subsidiary of Birmingham, Alabama-based Southern Progress Corporation, Southern Living celebrates the heart of Southern life.
