New Orleans & Katrina Revisited: A Photo Gallery

by Adrienne Wilson on

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of one of the costliest not to mention deadliest storms to hit U.S. landfall — Hurricane Katrina. To prepare for the occasion last Friday USA Today featured a photo gallery and fairly detailed report on the state of tourism affairs in the grand ole’ city. This being the first summer since the storm hit last year business owners are said to be down 60% compared to last year. Thing is areas like the French Quarter, Garden District, Warehouse and Arts District which made it through the storm much better than other areas are just waiting for tourists to come. If there’s a way to bring the much needed dollars in to help the city blossom again people are going to have to take a trip to the bayou and start sight-seeing.

They’re ready. And I know I’m long overdue. What are you waiting for?

Blogging New Orleans!

by Adrienne Wilson on

How sooo out of the loop I feel these days trying to get more Americans to walk and exercise! Perhaps I missed a memo that went out, but where and when did our sister site, Blogging New Orleans come around? Seriously? I was scrolling down just to see what has been happening on sister sites across the board when I discovered one I never knew existed!

Anyhow, Blogging New Orleans looks quite up-and-coming and focuses on everything you’d want to know about the city and more. After reading two pages of posts I’ve caught up on some of the latest Katrina updates, the current road conditions, places to dine, places to hang and other Nawlin’s ramblings from Heidi, Kelly, Steve, Henry, Jay and all the rest of the bloggers on deck. If you’re working up a summer time vaca to New Orleans you’ll want to check them out. I’ve already found one place I’d like to visit on my next march through the town – the Audubon Aquarium.

Thanks a mil and welcome!

Brad Pitt's Green New Orleans

by Erik Olsen on

Apparently taking a break
from his rambles across Africa, Brad Pitt is now throwing his substantial celebrity, liberal message muscle behind efforts to improve New Orleans. He has
recently invited the public to submit "green design" ideas as part of a competition aimed at helping rebuild
the hurricane-devastated Big Easy. Yes, Pitt is teaming up with the oxymoronic group Global Green USA on the project,
which says should help turn the catastrophe from calamity into opportunity. Says the steely-jawed Pitt: "Can we
create for these neighborhoods something even better than they had before?"

Pitt will lead a jury of
lesser-peers, including local folk, to select six finalists by July all in the hope of building 10,000 energy efficient
structures in the city. So nice. What would Earth Day be without some celebrity activism?

So, how's N'awlins these days?

by Karen Walrond on

A couple of
days ago, I mentioned that the New Orleans Jazz
Festival fast approaches — and I’m sure a healthy number of you thought I must have been kidding to suggest that a
holiday to New Orleans would be just what the doctor ordered.  After all, it was dessimated by Katrina,
remember?  Surely it’s not ready for company?

Well, apparently, it is. 

Budget Travel
Online is featuring a
first-person article by Adrien Glover of the state of New Orleans these days — and the first descriptive word the
author used was "magic."  According to Glover’s friends, "no other city compared to home. Houston
was too big, Austin too clean, and Atlanta too far away. Rolling up their sleeves was the natural thing to do. NOLA’s
easy living has been replaced by a new, palpable sense of ownership of the city."

Glover continues by
saying that the good news is that New Orleans is pretty much back to normal.  Only half of the residents have
returned; however, there’s a hiring frenzy going on, and new businesses open daily.  So if you think you’d like to
give the tourist industry of the Big Easy a bit of a boost, be sure to check out this article
— it includes tips on where to stay and how to get around.

New Orleans is Back?

by Erik Olsen on

I’ve seen
a bunch of pieces about the return of New Orleans, but this one in the Mercury News was
particularly good. In the wake of  the ravaging hurricane Katrina, the city was devastated, its inhabitants lost a
great deal. Some of them left with nothing. A true tragedy to a place that is a core part of the country’s character.
But can the city bounce back?

Well, if the piece here is to be believed, the answer is yes. And more than
that, as the city struggles to get back on its feet, the hopes and future of the city largely rests on its ability to
bring in tourists. So take a look at the piece and consider holding your next big event there, a bachelor party, a
weekend with the wife and kids. Especailly with Mardi gras no the immedaite horizon, take the time and head there, live
it up and help bring back one of America’s great cities.