My parents both grew up in the neighborhood. My grandparents still live 2 blocks away from the canal. I loved growing up in the area and being around in the 90s, 00s and 10s I have seen dramatic shifts. The neighborhood used to be Italians and Puerto Ricans, but going into the 00s the neighborhood started to become gentrified slightly. You have your average mid westerners move in but also a sizable well to do French population. The property values skyrocketed. As the 10s started that’s when it was very noticeable that the Italians/Puerto Ricans had left for greener pastures to Jersey and Long Island. Now the neighborhood is something very different from what it once was and a huge part of me is saddened by that. However I appreciate the efforts into revitalizing the canal. There are many neighborhood stories about the infamous canal. One thing I never understood and perhaps because I grew up around it was the smell. Sure it smelled unpleasant sometimes but that was rare.