Last Friday, a beautiful windy spring day, my sister L and I met in the late afternoon at Longue Vue Gardens, on Bamboo Road at the very edge of Orleans Parish near the 17th Street Canal border with Jefferson. This tiny enclave of private mansions was developed in the late 1930's for wealthy New Orleanians of the non-elite class (that is, non-St. Charles Avenue types). Here Edgar and Edith Stern built their dream home with all the modern conveniences of the early 1940's, and laid out an extensive series of formal gardens and fountains. Since Edith's death in the late '70's, it has been a private museum, available for tours and sometimes private events. (You can read all about it and see photos at their website: http://www.longuevue.com/ )
Both L and I had visited Longue Vue before, but years and years before, so it felt fresh to us. The day was lovely, sunny, with fluffy clouds scudding by quickly in the wind that tossed our hair every which way. Since we had just missed a house tour (and there's only one at a time going), we strolled the Yellow Garden, the Terrace, the Sunken Garden, the Canal Garden and pavillon, the Herb Garden, the alley of oaks that led to the front door, and even the Children's Garden. We peeked into the Playhouse (which, contrary to the name, was built for adults, not kids, to accommodate large parties such as weddings) and viewed the old tennis court. It was all so lovely, even to the small details such as the way the river stones were laid along the fountain allee. Flowers that were blooming were mostly bulbs, such as narcissus, parrot tulips, crocus, and iris -- colorful and sweet-smelling. We felt our spirits lifting at all these tangible signs of spring.
We went back to the beautiful curved lower front door for the house tour to begin. Ours was a small group, just L and I plus two couples who said they were relocating from Pittsburgh. We welcomed them to the city and teased them about the weather. ("Just as nice as home, eh?" and like that.)
Either new things had been added to the tour since we had been there last, or the guide was feeling expansive as our little group was the last one of the day, because we saw details we had never seen before. We saw (but did not use) the hidden elevator, and were given a glimpse through a false door that revealed the house's inner construction. When shown the little well-fitted flower room on the first floor, the guide opened the curved drawers, showing how they pivoted outward, making them more accessible. In the formal dining room, we were shown private label wine bottles from the house's still extensive cellar (parts of the cellar will be added to the tour for the first time ever later this year -- we'll have to go back), with the Stern's name on them, to avoid the import tax. (And they say the rich pay their full share of taxes!) As always, we loved the strange multi-bud vase holders of brass and wood spread throughout the house to display specimens from the gardens (you can purchase reproductions in the gift shop.)
In the sleeping porch on the second floor, we admired the three murphy-style beds that could be raised and then rotated back into the wall when not in use. (Imagine being so wealthy that you need a separate room for napping, so you don't mess up your real bed!) While we liked Mrs. Stern's lovely French-papered and mirrored bathroom and closet, we really *loved* Mr. Stern's black marble bathroom with large corner shower. Despite its age, it looked so contemporary. We giggled at the elaborate air exchange that had been set up so that Edgar's cigars in his study would not bother Edith in the master bedroom, and we gasped in admiration at the cunning little reading light hidden in a faux stack of books on the shelf in that study, shining a tightly focused beam right in the lap of anyone sitting in the seat nearby.
The Henri Schindler Mardi Gras accessories exhibit in what had been once the mansion's kitchen on the ground floor was something of an anticlimax, and you really can't get all the way into it, as the guide is standing right there, wanting to move you onwards to finish the tour. And to tell you the truth, L and I enjoyed the little package wrapping and receiving room, with its rolls of wrapping paper and vintage hatboxes, just as much if not more. (Who doesn't want a wrapping room? I hear both New Orleans socialite and philanthropist Louella Berger and mega-millionaire Oprah have one.)
We made a big show of tipping the guide -- to prompt the out-of-towners to do the same -- and left as the group went from the main house to the Carriage House and Playhouse, since we had already done those ourselves earlier. We departed very happy, vowing to return when they open the cellar, and to bring our spouses. Big Man is a big believer in opulence and will get a big kick out of it, I know.
A lovely time. We recommend you go.
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