New Orleans

[KCPowercat]

Went to New Orleans to see the Chiefs play and just for a fun weekend. Some highlights.

- Don't take the airport shuttle to/from if you are staying downtown. There is a public bus that goes right by Canal street for $1.60 each way...much better than $13 each way. Takes a little longer though.

- NOLA is just one dirty city. Seems very poor as well. Very southern "divided" between rich and poor. I can understand the how dirty it is just because it's such a "party" city and visitors come and trash it up pretty well. Made me really notice how clean downtown KC is becoming since the CID has went into effect. You are hard pressed to find trash on the streets downtown now in KC.

- Bourbon Street is just something that can't be duplicated anywhere. This is my 3rd trip to NOLA and bourbon is just amazing. Normal weekend nights draw people from everywhere and it's a huge party. The cops do an amazing job down there considering the drunk visitors they have to deal with non-stop.

- NOLA's street car lines are very cool and some that could really benefit downtown KC. Also a line running from the Plaza down ward parkway would be very cool allow very touristy, not sure it would be used much by locals...but would be neat seeing a trolley line running by ward parkway mansions and the plaza and it's beauty

- Food in NO is awesome and beer is cheap...bad combo. I could never live there but it's a fun place for a long weekend.

[Karin]

That's a good idea about trolley lines running from the Plaza down Ward Parkway.

[QueSi2Opie]

New Orleans is my second favorite city behind Chicago.

[dangerboy]

It's surprising how poor the city is considering how much tourist money pours in. They still have serious trouble providing basic services like schools or reasonable library hours. It's somewhat like St. Louis or Detroit - a small geographic area landlocked by water and suburbs. However, the Garden District remains very nice.

[GRID]

Is that town growing at all?

I really enjoy NO, but as they always say, "wouldn't want to live there".

[ComandanteCero]

it's not growing, it's sinking.

[NOLA]

I moved to KC this summer after living in NOLA for four years. You know, everyone always said to me "I like New Orleans, but I never would want to live there." So that was the mindset when I moved there. But you would be surprised. The city you live in and the city you visit are two entirely different places, and you only notice the difference once you have lived down there. And quite frankly, the real New Orleans is about a 1000 times better than the tourist New Orleans, but you can't have one without the other.

As for the poverty....you are right. It is a city with no middle class. There is small, very weathly ruling elite and the rest of the city is very, very poor. In many ways, New Orleans still is operating under a very colonial set-up.

Finally, as for the tourism and its relation to poverty. After the oil bust, the city basically sold its soul tourism. Which means you have an endless supply of wonderful hotels and nothing but low-end service industry jobs. The city runs on an economy that is the equivalent of living paycheck to paycheck. When the Super Bowl is in town great. When something like 9/11 or Hurricanes happen....not so great.

Still, I would move back in a second if I had the chance.

Just thought I would give my two cents.

[QueSi2Opie]

I moved to KC this summer after living in NOLA for four years. You know, everyone always said to me "I like New Orleans, but I never would want to live there." So that was the mindset when I moved there. But you would be surprised. The city you live in and the city you visit are two entirely different places, and you only notice the difference once you have lived down there. And quite frankly, the real New Orleans is about a 1000 times better than the tourist New Orleans, but you can't have one without the other.

As for the poverty....you are right. It is a city with no middle class. There is small, very weathly ruling elite and the rest of the city is very, very poor. In many ways, New Orleans still is operating under a very colonial set-up.

Finally, as for the tourism and its relation to poverty. After the oil bust, the city basically sold its soul tourism. Which means you have an endless supply of wonderful hotels and nothing but low-end service industry jobs. The city runs on an economy that is the equivalent of living paycheck to paycheck. When the Super Bowl is in town great. When something like 9/11 or Hurricanes happen....not so great.

Still, I would move back in a second if I had the chance.

Just thought I would give my two cents.

The history, architecture, and vibe is why I'd move to New Orleans. I'd go on vacation to the Rocky Mountains during Mardi Gras though.

[omenapt]

you can make friends there that arent all corporate geeks! I would live there for the fact that it is not quintessential American city....much more richness of life, like European cities.. Ilived in Memphis , which has some distinct similiarities to NOLA and i loved it there.

[Maitre D]

I've been there twice, and was disgusted by the filth of the city. One time I went in August, and I had to change shirts 3 times in one say (I was in H.S. at the time, and was 5-9 140 pounds so I can only imagine how the fat people feel)

One kid took a wrong turn from Bourbon street, and was pulverized. Ended in the hospital. nice.

Other time I went in college for Mardi Gras. No kidding: after 3 days, I actually got tired of seeing so many breasts. It becomes tiresome, and I'm not kidding.

It needs to be a surprise for effect!

[rxlexi]

I drove down to NOLA last summer with the (now ex) girlfriend, and loved the city. The food was amazing, the architecture and culture awesome, and St. Charles Avenue and the streetcar lines were simply beautiful. I think my favorite part of the city that I saw was the east side of the quarter, arond Esplanade and over to Frenchman St. Really great neighborhood...away from all of the cheesiness present around other parts of the quarter. The tourism industry in NOLA was one of the things that drove me away, however. The city really is slowly becoming a caricature of itself. It's still funky, sexy and incredibly unique, but they gots to be careful down there selling themselves like they're doing, or the ambience will be ruined forever. The dirtiness didn't bother me at all, in fact I thought the general feel of the city was quite charming, but the close proximty of truly dangerous areas to highly populated parts of town is disconcerting, and one gets the feeling that the French Quarter is all many people see of NOLA, unfortunately.
I'd like to see New Orleans rise to prominence in the South again (without completely selling out), but with Houston continuing to chip away it's port business, that's not too likely.

[tat2kc]

The french quarter, aside from the touristy areas is primarily a residential neighborhood. Very friendly natives, extremely welcoming. But yea, there are definately two different cities: the tourist area and the real city. Its also one of the largest ports in North America, so its not all boobs and beer. The city is kind of like Mardi Gras. In the tourist areas, mardi gras is sleazy and trashy (and fun!). But, away from Bourbon St, Mardi Gras is primarily a family festival. They don't show the neighborhood parites or parades, or the charity works the Krewes do, because that doesn't make for a good story. Most NOLA residents don't spend a lot of time partying in the quarter. They do laugh a lot at the tourists. Their attitude is: Hey, if you want to get drunk and buy cheap plastic trinkets for outrageous amounts of money, go for it, and thanks for the cash!

[KCPowercat]

Mardi Gras was absolutely nuts. Monday night I was out until 6am and the streets were still very busy. We left yesterday so couldn't see them close down the streets at midnight but we had plenty of fun.

Saturday night before MG was so busy on the streets you were literally smashed together and walked where the crowd went...like being in a really popular bar but it was outside for at least 8 blocks that busy. Way too crowded for me. Fun to experience but not much fun to be in. Sun and Mon nights were much more fun.

That is something that everybody should experience once. Crowd was very well behaved from what I saw. That shocked me. Saw one pretty big fight but I expected many more.

I'll post some more thoughts later, hopefully get my pictures development soon as well to show the crowds.

The parades were also pretty cool although they get to be a little much...best one was Sat. night, I believe it was the Ediymon (sp?).

[Highlander]

Speaking of New Orleans, check out the strike possibilities for Hurricane Katrina.  Looks like it may make landfall further west than expected putting New Orleans directly in its path. 

http://www.stormtracker.noaa.gov/stormt ... atrina.htm

How long has it been since NO has had a direct hit from a major hurricane?  I would hope that the southern approach would shield the city a bit more than if the hurricane came in more from the SE. 

[KC0KEK]

Hurricanes and cities below sea level just don't mix. But apparently that's not dissuading The Donald, who just signed onto a 70-story project there.

[Gladstoner]

Hurricanes and cities below sea level just don't mix. But apparently that's not dissuading The Donald, who just signed onto a 70-story project there.

There may be quite a market for high-rises once this monster passes through.