We went to New Orleans twice during our trip (going and coming back) and, well, let’s just say there’s work to be done.

I had not visited in about four years, and what I saw was basically a shell of it’s former self. Lots of buildings that were still boarded up, some that were demolished, some that had work going on (it seemed, hard to tell if they were working on it or just left their materials sitting there)

The streetcars run up Canal Street and along the riverfront. The drivers are surly, just like I remembered. They have some new palm trees planted.

More below:

Driving in on I-10, try and count the FEMA trailers. Try and count the blue tarps on the rooftops. Try and remember what the town used to look like. East of NOLA, see mile after mile of empty apartments and retail centers, the closed down amusement park, the exits that have not re-opened on the interstate. Like a ghost town, but with some movement. It has been two years, and some of the properties look like they haven’t been touched; trees and fences still laying all over the place. I did not see huge mounds of trash that I had read about.

Our hotel gave us a break on parking (“Since it’s slow right now, it’s only $12 a night, instead of $17”). The garage was almost empty. Sections of it were boarded up. The office buildings on either side of our hotel were still closed, you could see through the windows piles of construction materials.

There were plenty of street people. Jimmy Buffett still gets $8 for about three ounces of a drink. The same price will buy you a small trash can full of booze a few blocks away on Bourbon Street. Bourbon street looks mostly like I remembered it. Most of the retail shops (gift shops, etc.) downtown closed at dark, I remembered them staying open later, but I remember more people being around before – perhaps there just aren’t enough customers yet. Many of the store fronts on Canal Street were still closed. Foot Locker and such were open. The 24 Hour Walgreens (according to their sign) closed at 10 PM.

We rode the ferry, and watched some stuff from the Essence festival; perhaps that deserves it’s own post.

Beyond New Orleans – Gulfport (the bit we saw) looks like nothing happened. I found one of the dirtiest Shell Stations I’ve visited this year, but that has nothing to do with hurricanes.

The casinos are doing very well, judging from the billboards. Did you know Chicago is still touring? Or touring again? Whatever, they’ll be at a casino this summer, along with LL Cool J. Not the same night, just the same casino.

Gulf Shores had tons of visitors, plenty of traffic, (more than enough), and talking to shopkeepers there they said things were OK. The realtors and rental companies still seem to be hurting, and the resort we stayed at had open parking spots all week long. That could be just general economic crap and not hurricane related, again, because it gets hard to justify the prices some of these places charge, especially when you have to pay so much for gas to get there.

Favorite t-shirt in New Orleans (there were many to choose from):

FEMA evacuation plan: run, bitch, run!