New Orleans - A Forgotten City
After a unique experience of Bourbon Street we woke up to visit the Acorn Agency that had done so much for the city of New Orleans. In my opinion and I am sure that many would agree, New Orleans can be considered “a Forgotten City”. I feel this way because, the slow responses by the structured government gave off the emotions that the officials in power put those in the city on the ‘back burner’. I understand that it takes a while for a city to overcome the hardships that New Orleans and Bay St. Louis and the government cannot just sprinkle magic dust to make everything better.
Walking the streets of New Orleans was an experience in itself. You can defiantly tell that the city is not the same after the storm. I recall being hungry and wanting to eat at the Popeye’s down the street. After walking a couple blocks I got to the front door only to see that the restaurant had not rebounded after Katrina. This was a reoccurring event as I searched for food on the once business populated corridor of Canal Street. I ended up eating at a Chinese restaurant that had debris still piled up in front of the door from the renovations made to the business.
One aspect of the city that seems to have recovered well is Bourbon Street. It was thriving throughout the night even though some vendors said that it was defiantly different than pre-Katrina Bourbon Street. I maybe could not tell, because it was my first visit to the city. Once walking up and down the street you tend to forget that such a disaster had occurred and that the very street we were walking was submerged in water. Folks working and residents partying on the street seemed to mask their heartaches by the loud music and flashing lights, while the city itself is still struggling to regain its identity
Today we visited the totally devastated Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans as well. Riding through the streets reminded me of World War II cities that had been completely wiped out by bombs and warfare. It was almost an unbearable sight. Seeing no signs of prosperity or entrepreneurship compounded with homes remaining unpopulated was very moving. Knowing that the Lower 9th Ward was one of the most poverty stricken parts of the city, I wouldn’t expect to see businesses being reconstructed in waves but wreckage left by Katrina and the presence of almost no industry was amazing. I cant even imagine how the section of town can rebound, given the socioeconomic status prior to Katrina compounded by the affects of post Katrina.