Lake Pontchartrain is a vast, shallow estuary — technically a lagoon connected to the Gulf of Mexico — that forms the entire northern boundary of New Orleans. It is about 40 miles across and the view from the lakefront in the Lakeview neighbourhood feels genuinely oceanic. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which crosses it to the north, held the record for the longest bridge over water in the world for many years: 23.8 miles of twin spans.
The lakefront is a popular spot for locals to walk, fish, cycle, and watch the sunset. On a clear evening the light across the water is extraordinary. Lakeview is one of the neighbourhoods most devastated by Hurricane Katrina — much of it was under water for weeks in 2005 — and walking through the rebuilt streets gives a different perspective on the city's recovery than the tourist-focused French Quarter. The lake itself is warm and murky in summer; swimming is possible but not particularly inviting. What is inviting is the space and the light.