The Rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina

I recently spent two weeks in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first time I had ever been down to Louisiana and all in all it was a great trip. I was very curious to see the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina and this trip was very informative. The people were very nice, and the southern twang accent was easier on the ears the more I got used to hearing it. The food was definitely good, but me not particularly liking cajun food, somewhat disqualifies me as a good judge. But it was fun trying to eat the crawfish (although I don't really like seafood either) and experiencing what New Orleans has to offer. For the most part the French Quarter has recovered decently since Katrina (unfortunately I can't say the same for the poorer parts of New Orleans). A lot of the local vendors, who are very proud of their city, were pretty resilent in bringing back the French Quarter to its former pre-Katrina glory. I met a local Chessmaster on Decatur Street, a couple excellent artists, one on Charter, the other in the French Marketplace. I also found my favorite restaurant in the South, an excellent mexican restaurant. All in all a pretty fun place for a trip. I even dared to venture down Bourbon Street on my last day there. I had heard stories of how bad it used to be but it seemed pretty well cleaned up to me. A few seedy places, but for the most part a lot of sports bars or beer vendors offering a huge cup for a decent price.

There were some parts of New Orleans I did not prefer. Not the cleanest city in the world and an awful lot of vagrants in the tourist areas. I also thought I'd be able to find some better deals down there but besides the few vendors I met everything was pretty much marked up for the tourists. I also found out that they are short on police, even in the Quarter. Some places had private security but for the most part it would be hard to find a cop if you really needed one. According to the locals, after dark, things in the French Quarter get very, very dangerous. The locals warned if I were to attempt Bourbon Street to bring a large group with at least four large men. The also advised carrying only $40 in case you're robbed and no purses, packages or anything like that. I also heard of many murders and shootings that ocurred not in the Quarter, but not that far away as the rest of the city is still struggling heavily with poverty. There's definitely an ominous side to New Orleans and one local made a good point. We're spending all this money in Iraq but we can't rebuild New Orleans but that is entirely new hub all on its own (or maybe a forum).

All in all however, in the daytime, besides having a bum ask for my leftovers from a local restaurant, I felt very safe in New Orleans and had a good time. If anyone is to visit down there I definitely suggest staying in the main parts of the Quarter unless you know any of the locals, because it sounds like getting lost can be very dangerous at night. I also have 4 local vendors/business owners who are very friendly people and can help you out if you might get lost, or maybe hungry. I have attached links to their websites below. I recommend a visit, but definitely be careful.