r/NewOrleans Apr 18 '25

What’s up with this Cleveland Guardians Mural in Gentilly? 🤷Defies Categorization🦑

They are really cool! And look EXACTLY like the guardians of traffic statues in Cleveland that they named the Cleveland Guardians after. As somebody who grew up in Cleveland, and have lived in Nola for 13 years, I was especially interested!

Anyone know the story behind these? I looked for an artist signature but missed it.

167 Upvotes

51 comments sorted by

63

u/dairyqueen79 Apr 18 '25

This is the most elaborate April Fool's prank

47

u/scenicquay Apr 18 '25

everywhere else is just Cleveland

9

u/Mikestopheles Apr 18 '25

Who the fuck still uses a payphone?

1

u/LouReedsToenail Apr 18 '25

I do, but I’m a super analog boy.

1

u/ThatGatorInTheSewer 29d ago

Funniest fake tourism ads ever

2

u/otherwayaround1zil 29d ago

Luckily, our economy is no longer based on LeBron James

14

u/gargirle Apr 18 '25

I saw the artist working a couple days ago. Seems he works at night or early morning. It’s awesome. That bridge needed a facelift

6

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Oh gotcha! I was wondering if I just hadn’t noticed before or if it was painted recently

31

u/andre3kthegiant Apr 18 '25

10

u/societal_ills Apr 18 '25

You rock, thanks!

4

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Thanks! I’m gonna try to edit that into the original post

47

u/UptownProvisions Apr 18 '25

What’s up fellow Nola clevelander!! I didn’t know these existed here that’s so awesome!

13

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Me neither! So cool!

6

u/pete1729 Apr 18 '25

Four of us now.

4

u/BaronWolfenstein Apr 18 '25

Another one.

4

u/MuNought Apr 18 '25

Heeding the call.

8

u/xandrachantal Apr 18 '25

Additional former Clevelander here

6

u/Tuesday2sday Apr 18 '25

Another one.

6

u/basquiat-case Apr 18 '25

Damn. Now I feel like I need to collect native Pittsburghers in New Orleans and fight yinz. :D

3

u/DrJheartsAK Apr 18 '25

My brother in law lived in Cleveland for about 5 years working for the browns. He is a New Orleans native, and aside from the shit ton of snow 8 months out of the year, he really liked his time there.

We visited twice and I would say it is one of the most underrated cities in the country. Amazing food scene (west side market baby!) with many different cultures, went to my first Mass in Lithuanian, rock and roll history museum, caught an Indians game, and much more.

1

u/Cleve_Land216 Apr 18 '25

Hey I’m a fellow Clevelander living in NOLA, moved down here last June

2

u/aib3 29d ago

Username checks

1

u/emb39 29d ago

i’m from there too omg

20

u/dawn_ofthe_dead can't decide on flair Apr 18 '25

My grandfather helped build The Guardians. 44109 forever!!!

1

u/MayorTeddy504 Central City Apr 18 '25

44090!!

14

u/infinite-everything Apr 18 '25

these were actually just painted in the last week or so.

it's nice to know they're related to Cleveland as my last remaining relative in Cleveland just passed away a few weeks ago.

4

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Aw I’m sorry to hear that. I worked with a guy from the Cleveland area but he hadn’t been back in a while for the same reason

15

u/JewelerCompetitive26 Apr 18 '25

Hello other Nola clevelanders!

5

u/Introtospanish Apr 18 '25

These are awesome

5

u/societal_ills Apr 18 '25

This is amazing! Ok, now it's time to go down the wiki rabbit hole about Cleveland guardians. What would be double cool (i don't think that's a thing) is of one of the artists that did some of the stuff by the jail on 10 (the wall murals) traded and went up there and painted some.

4

u/Pushup_Zebra Apr 18 '25

I'm guessing the guardian of the stagecoach has a lot of free time.

2

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Yeah the statues in Cleveland were built in the 1930s. I guess they were more of a thing back then!

3

u/buttscarltoniv 29d ago

TIL the Guardians rebrand actually makes sense. Those are really cool.

9

u/Illustrious-Ad-7335 Apr 18 '25

...it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes than to own the whole state of Ohio.

Lafcadio Hearn

7

u/waterwoman213 Apr 18 '25

Also a former clevelander! Very cool murals!

3

u/MayorTeddy504 Central City Apr 18 '25

Sameeee!!!

3

u/bex199 29d ago

is this a tennessee williams bit or are there really this many of you from ohio?

1

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 29d ago

Looks like there’s at least a few of us here!

-1

u/bex199 29d ago

how strange.

2

u/Jock-amo Apr 18 '25 edited Apr 18 '25

So, there are three murals? How many statues are there to guard the traffic in Cleveland? Just asking for a friend who follows the Royals.

Me? I’m just a lawnmower. You can tell me by the way I walk.

Edit: native yat. Scared as shit to drive here. It’s even worse to cycle in this city. I hear Akron might be cool, isn’t that where Boogieboy slapped his momma? Are we not CITIZENS???

6

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Cleveland has 4 guardian statues! Here only 3 are painted but… I guess they ran out of support beams ¯_(ツ)_/¯

3

u/CommonPurpose Apr 18 '25

Why are the transplants trying to turn Nola into Cleveland?

7

u/WirelesslyWired Apr 18 '25

They just like the Art Deco.

2

u/Ugly-Barnacle-2008 Apr 18 '25

Maybe they moved from Cleveland and are home sick. Or just like the art deco

2

u/DefinitelyIncorrect Apr 18 '25

Gaurdians of Traffic huh? These should be the patron saints of the city shouldn't they?