Go check out the Lower 9th ward. (ask a cabbie to show you). Lakeview, where the levee first broke up on Lake Pontchartrain, is getting more built up but if you look down the side streets you'll see gutted houses, dumpsters, FEMA trailers, etc. When on the freeway (I-10) from the airport, once you get around the Superdome, look at the neighborhoods. Still lots of blue tarps on roofs. Once you know what to look for (ask a cabbie about it; they'll show you) it's very, very sobering.
You'll still see boarded up buildings, and look closely when downtown. You can see water lines on the buildings. You'll see a spray-painted X on a lot of buildings. The number on the left is the date the building was searched, and it'll say "FEMA" or "HSUS" even. The number in the bottom quadrant of the x is the number of people dead, and to the right is any hazards: "gas", for example. Population wise, it's about 40% of what it was, but the Lower Ninth was pretty much obliterated.
The city's great, but take lots of cash for cabs. All bars have cover and drinks are pretty expensive (at least, to me, they were: $5 for a beer). The bloody marys at Port of Call (near the French Quarter) are amazing, as are the hamburgers, and if you want a bit of a swanky meal, go to Gulfstream on St. Charles. Seafood.
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Date: 2007-05-14 05:27 am (UTC)You'll still see boarded up buildings, and look closely when downtown. You can see water lines on the buildings. You'll see a spray-painted X on a lot of buildings. The number on the left is the date the building was searched, and it'll say "FEMA" or "HSUS" even. The number in the bottom quadrant of the x is the number of people dead, and to the right is any hazards: "gas", for example. Population wise, it's about 40% of what it was, but the Lower Ninth was pretty much obliterated.
The city's great, but take lots of cash for cabs. All bars have cover and drinks are pretty expensive (at least, to me, they were: $5 for a beer). The bloody marys at Port of Call (near the French Quarter) are amazing, as are the hamburgers, and if you want a bit of a swanky meal, go to Gulfstream on St. Charles. Seafood.