Our story begins back in 1974 when Greta rented a house on Maple
St. and opened a coffeehouse called the Penny Post. Penny Post
patrons enjoyed a homey atmosphere for meeting friends, playing
games and listening to live entertainment. Then, in 1977, there
was a kitchen fire. It did quite a bit of damage and Greta decided
not to reopen. Instead, she offered the business to a group of
dedicated regulars and suggested they run it as a co-op. Their
quest for a new location ended at 5110 Danneel Street, the former
home of a seedy uptown neighborhood bar called the Red Lion. Taking
Greta's advice, the Penny Post was set up as a co-op, owned and
operated by its membership. Anyone could, for a small yearly fee,
become a member. Members were asked (but not required) to volunteer
for the various duties involved in running the coffeehouse. Being
a member made you part of the family. Members received monthly
newsletters in the mail and discounted prices on coffee and pastries,
along with inclusion in the occasional member events, such as
picnics and camping trips. The Penny Post grew and flourished.
Then, in the early 90's they started having financial problems,
and had to close down. Deprived of their "third place",
a few determined members decided to try again, and in 1992 the
Neutral Ground was born.
The Neutral Ground was the Penny Post incognito. Same rose, different name. It looked like
the Penny Post, it sounded like The Penny Post, and even felt
like the Penny Post. And, like the Post, the Neutral Ground was a great success and thrived
for many years. Alas, in the end, the Neutral Ground suffered
its own financial losses and closed its doors. Core members kept in
touch via the internet, searching for a way to reinvent the Neutral
Ground. Rumors began to circulate... someone's buying the Neutral
Ground. Hope battled with the fear that the new owner might turn
it into something horrible, or worse, boring.
Their fears were for naught. The buyer was none other than long
time Neutral Ground family member, Philip Melancon. Phil reopened
the coffeehouse and kept the Neutral Ground spirit alive. Katrina
did her damage, but The Neutral Ground has bounced back, strong
as ever. As long as there's a New Orleans, there'll be a Neutral
Ground.
