In a message dated 10/17/99 11:40:47 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << Not being from New Orleans... but looking and hoping to go and photograph the headstones of family members... can anyone tell me why the cemetaries are locked up? Why are they so dangerous??? >> Living in Metairie (a suburb of New Orleans), I guess I can tell you a "few" reasons why they are so dangerous. Most of the older cemeteries are located near the housing projects. Of course, as someone mentioned before, when they were first built, there were no housing projects and most of these were in "nice" neighborhoolds. Most of them have an easy access into them that people can climb over fences or holes in the fences etc...to gain entry and they use them for quiet meeting spots for drug deals....remember we are a big city. There have also been not only robberies of people, but statues on tombstones, vaults, headstones that are being sold...remember hearing about all the things being offered on e-bay? This doesn't mean that all of them are like this though. Just the very old, very large cemeteries. Since crime is so rampant in all the large cities, I wonder if more large cities are having this type of crisis...where you can go visit relatives without fearing for your life? Honestly though, I have been to several cemeteries in and around the New Orleans area and have never had any problems, but I always have someone with me and always leave my "valuables" locked up in my car. I can make the offer to take pictures at these cemeteries if it can help anyone: St. Mary's and St. Bartholomew's in Algiers (in a very old area of Algiers, can be a little scary, but have been there without any problem) Westlawn in Gretna Metairie (Lakelawn) Cemetery (Actually located on the New Orleans/Metairie parish line) These three I am familiar with. Westlawn and Metairie are big, but open and not easy to "hide" in. It's the older cemeteries that are crammed together that can be a little scary. Don't worry, I don't even go in if I see any "suspicious characters" lurking about. Lisa