Mid-City is the heart of New Orleans, defined by all that makes the city great: famous neighborhood eateries, busy commercial strips for local shopping, architectural beauty and variety, impressive green space and passionate residents of all ages and creeds. A sense of old-time community is ever apparent in Mid-City, with neighbors strolling the streets, streetcars on Canal and Carrollton transporting commuters, and homes with wide porches where residents sit on swings and rockers. Mid-City was made habitable in 1913 with the invention of the screw pump, a device that allowed water to be pumped from land situated below sea level. Before then, the whole area, known as “back o’ town,” was poorly drained swampland. The most substantial developments in the area during the 19th century were the cemeteries along the natural high ground at the intersection of Canal Street and what is now City Park Avenue.