New Orleans Today

As much as people here would like to move on, there's no getting around Hurricane Katrina—which not only devastated New Orleans, but also reshaped the rest of the world's perception of the city. The good news for visitors is that virtually all of the attractions that make it such a fun place to be, including the famous French Quarter, are intact. Downtown is buzzing during the day, music pours from clubs every night, and the indomitable spirit and easy manner of the city's residents still make even the most jaded visitor feel welcome.

Today's New Orleans

… is still in recovery mode. Five years after Katrina hit the city, the areas where tourists tend to wander—downtown, the riverfront, the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, the Warehouse District, and the Garden District/Uptown—all show little outward sign of the storm's devastating floods. But predominantly residential areas like East New Orleans, Lakeside, and the Ninth Ward are still visibly struggling to recover. Recent statistics indicate that in December 2008, the city's population was roughly two-thirds what it had been pre-storm.is proud of its traditions. Red beans and rice on Monday, St. Joseph's altars, jazz funerals, a Christmas visit to Mr. Bingle in City Park—this is a place steeped in tradition, one that guards its unique customs. Take Mardi Gras, for example: some of the parading organizations, known as krewes, have been around for more than 150 years, building elaborate floats each year and parading through the streets in masks. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition, likewise, is shrouded in secrecy and ritual: "tribes" of mostly African-American revelers spend months constructing fanciful, Native American-influenced costumes, in tribute to actual tribes that once helped escaped slaves find freedom.

… is one giant movie set. Or that's how it seems every spring, with multiple film projects going on at any given moment. The scenic backdrop is one reason for all the activity; generous tax credits and a growing local film industry are the other drivers behind what civic boosters have dubbed "Hollywood South." In 2008 there was a lot of buzz surrounding The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and its star (and part-time resident) Brad Pitt; in 2009, films made at least in part in New Orleans included action thriller The Expendables, comic-western Jonah Hex, comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, and the supernatural thriller Dead of Night.

… is like no other place in America. It sounds like a tourist brochure cliché, but it's true: New Orleans feels like a place out of step with the rest of the country. Some of that is due to geography: this port city has seen an influx of many cultures over the course of its history. It welcomes diversity and tolerates lifestyles that deviate from the norm—a big reason artists and other creative types have long put down roots here. The fact that the city lies mostly below sea level lends it a certain degree of fatalism and probably, if unconsciously, informs the New Orleans's live-for-today attitude.

… is shaping up? Much of the city rejoiced on May 3, 2010, when Ray Nagin's stint as mayor officially ended after two terms. Nagin is suspected of running, or at least overseeing, a corrupt administration. (Antics included an all-expenses-paid—by a City Hall vendor—vacation to Hawaii for the Nagin family, and the destruction of thousands of e-mails by his staff, information that Nagin's office is required by law to preserve.) Residents elected Mitch Landrieu, son of legendary Moon Landrieu, to get city government back on track. On the other hand, success of grassroots recovery programs is a huge contrast to the skepticism locals feel about any project with government involvement. Locally led projects abound, including the Ninth Ward's George Washington Carver High School sports program, Brad Pitt's Make it Right housing-renewal program, the New Orleans Hope and Heritage Project which aims to preserve the past and safeguard the future, and Tipitina's Foundation for musicians.

… is on the verge of ____. Fill in the blank; your guess is as good as anybody's. New Orleans has survived an insane amount of fires, floods, epidemics, and scandals since its founding in 1718, and there are many encouraging signs—new buildings, restorations, festivals (more than 250 events celebrating everything from catfish to hot sauce, swamp stomps to folk art, are listed in The Times-Picayune current guide)—that even the hellhound Katrina couldn't keep this amazing city down for long. But questions remain: will the repaired levees hold up against another (God forbid) big storm? Will New Orleans manage to move past its propensity to political scandals, crime, and all the ills of urban poverty? Will the oil spill affect the city? Despite the many fortune-tellers plying their trade in the Quarter, no one knows for sure what the future holds for New Orleans.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

After an April 20, 2010, explosion, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig leaked huge quantities of oil into the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana, affecting the state's shoreline around the mouth of the Mississippi River in the southeast region. New Orleans is approximately 100 miles inland from affected areas, and at the time of this writing there are no negative impacts for visitors. Air and water quality is unaffected, but being continuously tested for safety.

A word about seafood: At the time of this writing, 30 percent of Louisiana's costal fishing has been shut down; the remaining 70 percent of the shoreline is still fishable. Louisiana crawfish are a freshwater shellfish species, and all commercial crawfish ponds and natural habitat are inland and not affected. Health, environmental, and fisheries agencies continue to monitor coastal and nearby inland areas daily, testing seafood, soils, and drinking water for safety. At the time of this writing, seafood prices in restaurants have not increased, but it is uncertain how fishing closures will affect the restaurant industry, in New Orleans and elsewhere.

At press time, oil was still leaking. Experts are uncertain of the lasting effects or how quickly the spill will be cleaned up. For updates, visit the Louisiana Tourism Office (www.louisianatravel.com/oil-spill-response), the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (www.wlf.louisiana.gov), or the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (www.deq.louisiana.gov).