New Orleans: Slowly Recovering, As Interesting As Ever

It’s almost time for Jazz Fest in New Orleans—the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May, to be precise. It’s a time of renewal, when musicians and fans of the city return and, in some parts of town (for at least a week), it feels like Katrina never happened. To be sure Jazz Fest is a wonderful event, and also a reassurance that the Big Easy can still put on a show and a party all at once. New Orleans kicks it up for a number of other festivals as well, including Mardi Gras, and the French Quarter Festival (this month). But what about the rest of the year?

I have been dropping in on New Orleans since 1988 and, like many, I have come to regard the city as an old, eccentric friend. Since Hurricane Katrina struck in the late summer of 2005, my visits have acquired a tinge of melancholy. Or perhaps it’s merely the diminished levity you would expect to experience while checking in on a once vigorous old man as he recovers from a stroke. The house is still exquisitely disheveled and endlessly interesting, but along with your usual curiosity, you bring genuine concern for the old man’s wellbeing. Deep down, you know the old man will never be the same.

In this case, my concern is mixed with a vague and uncertain hopefulness. The floods and political dithering that followed Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 had the effect of a rising and receding tide. Part of the city was washed away forever. But perhaps something new and no less alive was left in its place. Perhaps, too, new seeds will blow in and take root.

New Orleans: Cool Car No, Beef Po’boy Yes
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, I arrived at Louis Armstrong International and found my way to the Avis counter. I asked about the company’s “Cool Car” collection, thinking it might be a kick to test drive a Ford Mustang. The woman at the counter shook her head sympathetically. “Not at this location, sir.” When I asked why, she simply said, “High theft.”

That would be a reference to New Orleans’ crime problem. The city’s population is at about 60 percent of its pre-Katrina figures, but crime is as bad as ever. New Orleans has always had its bad-news side, but when a city is in a state of recovery, the bad news hits harder. The real victims, of course, are the residents trying to rebuild their lives and their communities here. I, on the other hand, would make out alright with a Chevy Impala.

Rather than head directly to my hotel, I detoured to an old haunt, Liuzza’s by the Track, for a roast beef Po’boy—New Orleans’ version of a hero sandwich. The lunch hour was over and the place was only half full. A favorite time of day for me. A heavy-set cop at one table, a pregnant woman one over, an old-timer telling stories to some younger guys at the bar, and black and white photos of jockeys and horses watching over the scene. I ordered a bowl of gumbo and a sandwich and settled down. This little corner of the city felt right as ever.