Saturday, December 01, 2007

Good News from New Orleans

I was reading yesterday's "Escapes" section in the New York Times this morning and saw a very encouraging article about the revitalization of New Orleans.

The article stated that not only are the usual tourist areas attracting a lot of out-of-town visitors, but that new, vibrant sites are being created.

"There are several new galleries, some wailing new music clubs and more than a dozen new restaurants - always a big draw in New Orleans. Even in parts of the city still in recovery there are new showcases for chefs, artists and musicians who continue to find that New Orleans inspires them in a way no other place can."

A new neighborhood, "The Musicians' Village," has been created with the help of Habitat for Humanity, an effort that was spearheaded by Louisiana natives Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr.

The purpose of the village is to provide housing for displaced musicians, and create a "community within a community" that focuses on music. Eventually it will include the "Ellis Marsalis Center for Music," an additional attraction for the area.

Another interesting site, on Chartres Street, is the Williams Research Center. In existence since 1996, the center, which holds a large collection of historical documents, recently built a new facility on the site of an old hotel. The building is a recreation of the hotel, which was built in the late 19th century. In excavating for the building, layers of archeological artificats were uncovered, including some that may date to the old brothel (destroyed by fire in 1822), the "House of the Rising Sun," celebrated in the old folksong that the Animals made famous. (Go to link to hear and see them perform it).

There is also a new "St. Claude Arts District" springing up in an area that is still in need of renovation, a harbinger of yet another recovery taking place.

In addition there are numerous new restaurants that all sound fantastic, serving New Orleans cuisine that may be literally to die for (how about "duck debris" po-boys - made from the scrapings from the pot the duck was roasted in - imagine the amount of fat in that? But I bet it's delicious!).

The response (or lack thereof) by the Federal Government at the time of the Katrina disaster was horrendous. But it is probably best that the actual restoration and rehabilitation of the city is being conducted by grass roots efforts, by the artists, chefs and residents of New Orleans, who will work to retain the character of this unique city.

Imagine how the Federal Government might have conducted a rebuilding effort here: massive destruction of neighborhoods, replacement with cookie-cutter, ugly public housing projects, no thought to historic preservation or character.

I think, in the end, New Orleans will be back as good, or better, than ever. And I'm heartily glad of it. Now if only they can ensure that all those who were left homeless and scattered around the country could be returned to their true home in the Crescent City, it would be ideal.

Today's Haiku:

New Orleans coming back
Po-boys, beignets and music
Jazz songs fill the streets
.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay haiku and NOLA! Woot!

Larry said...

Since virtually all the money donated for Katrina victims has vanished and the government failed/refused to do their part, it is amazing anything has been done.

Fran said...

Encouraging on hand but still so tragic on the other. Really tragic.

Mauigirl said...

Agree, it is amazing anything has gotten done and the government literally never took any responsibility to help New Orleans. It's still one of the greatest tragedies our country has seen, but I was happy to find a scrap of good news about the recovery after seeing nothing but sad stories about it. I know there is still a lot left to be done, however.

Tom Harper said...

Good news about New Orleans. The city will probably be more white and gentrified than it ever was before, but I'm glad to know about the Musicians' Village. And I'm sure Bourbon Street is still rocking.

world health medicine said...

nice blog friend.. i get this blog is usefull for me.. thank

Geldklammer said...

yeah good news for New Orleans...

Herbalife said...

New to blogging and thankful for your blog - especially for the principle of sowing and reaping that you follow.

Reiki said...

This is the useful post...and contents are so good....Good to post here..good thinking to share here..nice one this..thanks for sharing here with us.

Purell Hand Sanitizer Msds said...

Purell is an instant hand sanitizer made of ethyl alcohol which claims to kill "99.99%" of most common germs that may cause illness in as little as 15 seconds. Its active ingredient is ethanol (63% w/w).

moving companies Sydney said...

I am wondering why this beautiful post has very few comments, is this because of tough moderation?

Anonymous said...

For affordable, quality 3D Logo, 3D Text, Corporate Logo, and Business Logo designs come see us! http://www.nextdaylogos.com/#!home/mainPage

3D Logo said...

For affordable, quality 3D Logo, 3D Text, Corporate Logo, and Business Logo designs come see us! http://www.nextdaylogos.com/#!home/mainPage