Katy Reckdahl with photos by Gus Bennett, Author at The Lens

Blighted Bywater Navy base kicks off redevelopment with 300 affordable apartments

January 22, 2026 Updated January 22, 2026

Poland Avenue base will be repurposed and rehabbed in three phases that will create a ‘mixed-use campus’ that includes affordable housing, retail, and a tech startup hub.

Police tape blocks the street outside Dooky Chase Restaurant in New Orleans at night, illuminated by colorful exterior lights following a shooting.

Four injured, one dead, after man enters Dooky Chase’s with gunman in pursuit

January 17, 2026 Updated February 6, 2026

LENS EXCLUSIVE: The governor pops up on Bourbon Street

January 2, 2026 Updated January 7, 2026

Landry pays his respects to the 14 Bourbon Street victims and addresses ICE presence in the city

To combat violence, Young Rollers offer a happier alternative: New Orleans culture

December 7, 2025 Updated December 7, 2025

At age 15, Jahmad Randolph gave his club an anti-violence theme and christened it the Young Rollers, to imbue the club with a certain state of mind, rooted in freedom and motion. “It makes you feel light. It makes you hopeful.”

Focused On

Author: Katy Reckdahl with photos by Gus Bennett

Blighted Bywater Navy base kicks off redevelopment with 300 affordable apartments

Four injured, one dead, after man enters Dooky Chase’s with gunman in pursuit

LENS EXCLUSIVE: The governor pops up on Bourbon Street

Our reporting has more urgency than ever.