It’s so Easy in the Big Easy Feb 26-27

Arrived in New Orleans after a pretty short drive from Biloxi. The RV park we stayed in was 2 blocks from the French Quarter, we just parked and did have to use the truck until we left. The first thing we did was take a minibus tour of the French Quarter, the Garden District and the 9th Ward where most of the worst flooding happened after Katrina hit. The first impressions I have is that there are great disparities of wealth and culture in this city. Most of what we saw of the city looked pretty run down, very much like west Oakland. On the other hand, the downtown business district looks new and prosperous, the garden district has some very nice restored homes with million dollar price tags, and then there is the French Quarter which is a Disneyland for adults with questionable tastes.


The 9th Ward is still a ghetto but with one tenth the population it had pre Katrina. There are still vacant buildings waiting to be torn down or reconstructed, many vacant lots where the houses have been bulldozed away, and a smattering of new construction where people are rebuilding. Some of the new building, sponsored by Brad Pitt and Angelina Joliet are quite innovative, using green construction materials, efficient design to reduce heating and cooling costs, and all are elevated at least six to eight feet above ground level. Many are striking in their appearance with interesting roof lines, roof gardens, and sliding shutters to protect the windows. There are probably 30 of these homes. Harry Conick Jr has sponsored a neighborhood for musicians with Habitat for Humanity which is more traditional. Unfortunately they used the Chinese drywall which has high levels of sulfur in it so many of these home have to be rebuilt. After 5 years some progress has been made, but it will take many years for the neighborhood to come back. In addition the public buildings, schools, fire houses and the like are still empty and waiting to be torn down.

Even with all this depressing environmental backdrop, these people like to party. It is a week before Mari Gras, and the party is in full swing. The tourists haven’t arrived in full force yet, but the locals are celebrating. Many houses are decorated in purple, green, and gold.(purple for justice, green is for faith, and gold is for power) Everyday there are parades put on by various social organizations called Krewes. These krewes meet all year to plan for their activities during Marti Gras. They build floats for the parades, make elaborate costumes and provide the funds for the gifts thrown to the crowds watching. (traditionally beads, but we got some condoms thrown to us as well, (still packaged)) Some krewes are very traditional, with long histories, and others are more whimsical. We attended (with Dede) the Celebration of Barkus, a masquerade party and parade for dogs and their owners. All manner of dogs and their owners were dressed in costume. There was a really hot band, food and drink stands, and other vendors selling pet products. Hundreds of people and dogs attended and parade watchers lined the streets waiting for the parade to begin.

The French Quarter is what draws most tourists to New Orleans; its unique architecture, antiquated ambience, jazz, food, and the general festive nature of the place is most compelling. There is a mix of residential, commercial, historic and night club districts within the quarter. The street scene changes from block to block. Some areas can be very crowded with music blaring out the doors and windows, revelers carrying their booze in plastic cups, and one block over it can be very staid lined with high end antique stores or a quiet residential area of 100 year old row houses. While some complain about the excesses of Bourbon St, there are the other neighborhoods that probably look like they did 200 hundred years ago.

One of the draws to the quarter is the food. We feasted on char grilled oysters, beignets, cafe au lait, shrimps, and some of the traditional dishes of gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice. While this fare can be had almost everywhere, it just seems tastier in New Orleans.