arminnie
<font color=blue>Tossed the butter kept the gin<br
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2003
- Messages
- 9,064
I didn't post this on the Katrina board because I wanted to reach more people on the regular community board. Katrina seems to be "old news" to so many.
I live on St. Charles in New Orleans, and it has been beautiful here. (It is almost obscene how normal things appear to be here compared to the rest of New Orleans.)
Major progress has been made since my return last November in the area from St. Charles to the river.
I went to Shabat Services Friday night at Touro Temple (a few blocks from me). On the walk there the homes and landscaping were beautiful. April in New Orleans can be so lovely.
I've spent quite a bit of time on the Newcomb/Tulane campus. It looks pretty normal too (after much work).
I even went to the now infamous Wal*Mart (the one that was looted so badly) last night. It was only open for the grocery part. There's a brand new Lowe's going up right on the Jefferson/Orleans parish line. The Whole Food Store on Magazine is fabulous.
I went to a big crawfish boil on Easter Sunday on the West Bank (Gretna) - again this area did not flood. I ended up being in three homes in Gretna that day - all were beautiful with lovely landscaping.
Magazine Street is just hopping - the majority of the stores are open. The Quarter also is pretty much open too. Canal Place is open, but the Saks won't open until this fall.
If you like to gamble Harrah's is open. I'm not a gambler but went there with a friend on Easter evening to get something to eat as we knew it would be open. I asked a young man where a certain restaurant was and he said "Oh let me walk you over there" - it was not close by but he stopped what he was doing to take us over there. Everyone was SO nice.
You cannot believe how much the shopkeepers and staff appreciate your business. I've never had such good service anywhere in my life.
It truly is a tale of two cities. About 95% of what a normal tourist sees might be a little battered, but you can have a great visit. Restaurants are open, the debris is gone, there is no stench, it's safer than ever, etc. etc. The restaurants and shops DESPERATELY need your business. Please come visit.
In the interest of truth in advertising - here's the other side of the story. Broadmoor (uptown North of St. Charles - mostly North of Freret), Lakeside, and most of Eastern New Orleans are still DISASTER AREAS. I make it a point to take visitors on a quick tour through these areas because I think it is important for people to know that so much of New Orleans looks like it did just after the storm. Plus there are other areas that I have not personally been to like St. Bernard and Plaquemines.
There are still huge portions of New Orleans that look as virtually nothing has been done to fix them. (well - the refrigerators are gone). If you are willing and able - volunteers are still needed. It may be something as simple as picking up paper off the street or something as complex as helping to gut a house.
I have been to the lower 9th ward twice and have only driven down one main street for less than a mile. Many of the homes look like pickup sticks. Others are so precarious that it looks like the slightest breeze would topple them. There's been virtually no demolition of the destroyed homes (less than 200 that were in the middle of streets were recently removed).
There is a desperate housing shortage here, and I've seen no new housing even being started. I think (but don't really know) that most of the contruction work is going into renovating wind-damaged homes that did not flood. My condo is getting a new roof as I write this.
No one wants to deliver the bad news that someone's home has to be torn down or elevated to meet new flood standards - especially if there is not enough money to pay for it all. I was in D.C. a few weeks ago, and I cannot tell you the number of people (Dem. and Repub. both) who walked up to me and said "I don't want my money going to those corrupt Louisiana politicians or to rebuild where it is going to flood again."
I think part of the reticence to deliver unpopular news is because of the mayoral election. I hope that whoever is elected will step up and start taking some action immediately. Most of them are so afraid that they will lose some votes (kill the messenger) if they tell it like it is in those areas.
I live on St. Charles in New Orleans, and it has been beautiful here. (It is almost obscene how normal things appear to be here compared to the rest of New Orleans.)
Major progress has been made since my return last November in the area from St. Charles to the river.
I went to Shabat Services Friday night at Touro Temple (a few blocks from me). On the walk there the homes and landscaping were beautiful. April in New Orleans can be so lovely.
I've spent quite a bit of time on the Newcomb/Tulane campus. It looks pretty normal too (after much work).
I even went to the now infamous Wal*Mart (the one that was looted so badly) last night. It was only open for the grocery part. There's a brand new Lowe's going up right on the Jefferson/Orleans parish line. The Whole Food Store on Magazine is fabulous.
I went to a big crawfish boil on Easter Sunday on the West Bank (Gretna) - again this area did not flood. I ended up being in three homes in Gretna that day - all were beautiful with lovely landscaping.
Magazine Street is just hopping - the majority of the stores are open. The Quarter also is pretty much open too. Canal Place is open, but the Saks won't open until this fall.
If you like to gamble Harrah's is open. I'm not a gambler but went there with a friend on Easter evening to get something to eat as we knew it would be open. I asked a young man where a certain restaurant was and he said "Oh let me walk you over there" - it was not close by but he stopped what he was doing to take us over there. Everyone was SO nice.
You cannot believe how much the shopkeepers and staff appreciate your business. I've never had such good service anywhere in my life.
It truly is a tale of two cities. About 95% of what a normal tourist sees might be a little battered, but you can have a great visit. Restaurants are open, the debris is gone, there is no stench, it's safer than ever, etc. etc. The restaurants and shops DESPERATELY need your business. Please come visit.
In the interest of truth in advertising - here's the other side of the story. Broadmoor (uptown North of St. Charles - mostly North of Freret), Lakeside, and most of Eastern New Orleans are still DISASTER AREAS. I make it a point to take visitors on a quick tour through these areas because I think it is important for people to know that so much of New Orleans looks like it did just after the storm. Plus there are other areas that I have not personally been to like St. Bernard and Plaquemines.
There are still huge portions of New Orleans that look as virtually nothing has been done to fix them. (well - the refrigerators are gone). If you are willing and able - volunteers are still needed. It may be something as simple as picking up paper off the street or something as complex as helping to gut a house.
I have been to the lower 9th ward twice and have only driven down one main street for less than a mile. Many of the homes look like pickup sticks. Others are so precarious that it looks like the slightest breeze would topple them. There's been virtually no demolition of the destroyed homes (less than 200 that were in the middle of streets were recently removed).
There is a desperate housing shortage here, and I've seen no new housing even being started. I think (but don't really know) that most of the contruction work is going into renovating wind-damaged homes that did not flood. My condo is getting a new roof as I write this.
No one wants to deliver the bad news that someone's home has to be torn down or elevated to meet new flood standards - especially if there is not enough money to pay for it all. I was in D.C. a few weeks ago, and I cannot tell you the number of people (Dem. and Repub. both) who walked up to me and said "I don't want my money going to those corrupt Louisiana politicians or to rebuild where it is going to flood again."
I think part of the reticence to deliver unpopular news is because of the mayoral election. I hope that whoever is elected will step up and start taking some action immediately. Most of them are so afraid that they will lose some votes (kill the messenger) if they tell it like it is in those areas.
My Uncle is heading down in October though.
