The Gumbel Fountain: A Place Of Serenity In A Lively Neighborhood

The Uptown/Carrollton Neighbourhood in New Orleans is known to be a pleasant, laid-back neighbourhood with an atmosphere, that is formed by the many avenues decorated with Oak trees and numerous restaurants providing a wide variety of international food choices, ranging from Empanadas at “Empanola”, to Shish Kebab at the Mediterranean “Green Olives Cafe” or French specialities at “La Madeleine”. On the other hand, the Uptown/Carrollton Neighbourhood houses both Tulane and Loyola University, two very spirited private colleges. The outgoing communities of both of these Colleges make sure that the neighbourhood does not lack in events and parties, like the frequent College Football Game Days or the Crawfest, and can create a rather busy atmosphere in the Carrollton Neighbourhood at times, especially if one lives on campus or in close proximity. As everyone, including the hard-working students from both Colleges need a mental or physical break from time to time, it can be hard finding a peaceful scenic place nearby where one is not disturbed by crowds, music or other outdoor entertainment. Thus, I am writing this article to share my place of serenity, as I believe in the cruciality of the role of peace of mind and breaks from everyday activities in order to remain healthy mentally: “Built up environments, such as busy city streets (…) may overwhelm the brain with noisy, glaring stimuli, whereas the calm and quiet of green spaces, such as parks and forests, allow the mind to relax and recuperate.”(Jabr 5). 

The Gumbel Fountain located in Audubon Park, which is found almost directly adjacent to both colleges, is my place of choice when I feel the need to find peace and relax. While acting as a small oasis in its busy surroundings, one can reach it in just a matter of a couple minutes. The heart of this oasis is the Fountain, which can be seen from a far and was erected in the honor of Simon and Sophie Gumbel, who were born in Germany but moved to New Orleans where they experienced economic success and founded the Sophie L. Gumbel Home, providing education and job training for girls and young women with mental disabilities. Not only does the fountain provide a calming sight of majestic oak trees surrounded by colorful flora, but is also a large attraction to dogs who frequently play in the water, which is especially appealing to people with a love for dogs. 

When spending time at the Gumbel Fountain, one will soon realize that the Fountain and the surrounding area is not only a place for people to enjoy, but also for many animals that live in the surrounding area. Sharing the space with singing birds, bathing dogs and curious squirrels can sound like a busy atmosphere, but I’ve soon found the sight to be very enjoyable and calming. Especially when I am feeling stressed or lacking good mood during the day, the purity and wholesomeness of the happy or curious reactions of the many animals that visit the fountain rarely fails to lighten up my mood after a while. The majestic Oak Trees that tower over the benches provide both shade and a powerful presentation of nature, which employs a sentiment of protection over the peaceful sanctuary. While the reason is yet to be discovered, it is proven that natural spaces decrease stress and offer a soothing effect on us humans. This is highlighted in an experiment by Roger Ulrich of Texas A&M University, in which merely the viewing of videotapes and sound recordings of a natural environment was able to induce a much deeper and more significant recovery from stress compared to tapes of an Urban Environment. Studies like these reinforce the importance of embracing green spaces when faced with the opportunity and explain my sentiment of protection by the green oasis that is the Gumbel Fountain. Its area is full of diverse plants and flowers that attract various animals and contribute to the overall beauty of the place. In short distance, one can even walk to or glance at a small pond surrounded by gigantic trees, which allows a fantastic view at the blue sky between the crowns of the numerous trees. The combined ambience of the environment allows a person to be almost fully immersed with the surroundings and its calming effect can sometimes lead one to forget that they are actually sitting in short proximity to the busy St Charles Avenue. The close distance to the avenue means that the Gumbel Fountain is not too far from a Streetcar station and one can even see the monumental Holy Name of Jesus Church, as well as the Gibson Hall of Tulane University. 

Gumbel Fountain Photo/ Credit: Loys Hollein

Gumbel Fountain/ Photo Credit: Loys Hollein

The strong sense of serenity exerted by the surroundings make this place not simply a fountain in a park, but an oasis that can transfer one into a place of peace governed by the atmosphere of a fairy tale. It is places like these that allow me to relax, think and daydream with ease in comparison to simply sitting in your room or on a bench on campus. The combination of stone, moss and a stark presence of nature at the Gumbel Fountain shares a common theme with a Japanese Zen Garden. Both spaces allow visitors to draw their focus and appreciate the details of their environment. The flowerbeds and flora are arranged in a way to surround, but not overwhelm you, and in order to create a barrier between you and the urban environment around it, trees and bushes form a sanctuary with their crowns that does not invoke claustrophobic feelings from the visitor. Often, with the Gumbel Fountains round shape serving as an example, geometric shapes or sharp edges are avoided, as they have been found to be more stress inducing. Furthermore, the water motion of the fountain is balanced to bubble subtly in order to create a calming background noise to your thoughts, as too much noise of gushing of water can break the relaxing atmosphere of the space. Surrounding the fountain and in addition to creating a pleasant smell, flowers like lavender are known to be able to relax you physically through their essential oils. Together, these deliberate combinations and details form an environment that motivates you to relax your mind and body while embodying serenity, inspiring reflection and philosophical thinking through shifting the focus in the space on yourself. It creates a consuming effect of a background audience to your thoughts that is free from judgement or threat: “Imagine that you could find a sanctuary in your daily experience from the cognitive overstimulation and the frenetic pace that all too often consumes us. Imagine that within this safe haven you might quiet the inner turmoil and gain a measure of clarity and focus about what you feel and who you are. Imagine further that you could see, and work through, restrictive psychological conditioning and behavior. You could then have a less insulated and egocentric view of yourself and reality. There might be a profound sense of connectedness with yourself, nature and the environment, and other people. Imagine even further that if this happens, then something sacred might be revealed.” (Rubin 1) Gumbel Fountain is a safe haven that welcomes all animals and humans alike and by allowing myself to become immersed by the environment I have found great value in the rather simple space in Audubon Park. Acting as my sanctuary for a less egocentric view and connectedness with myself, the Gumbel Fountain achieves this through the mesmerizing atmosphere of the surroundings, which can help one think freely and relax, but can also make one shortly forget that they are in the middle of busy New Orleans. 

View on Pond/ Photo Credit: Loys Hollein

Gumbel Fountain/ Photo Credit: Loys Hollein