NYT: In New Orleans, Recovery Is Not Enough

[Louisiana1976]

NEW ORLEANS — Houses still sit empty, residents are still scattered and streets still echo with the sounds of hammers and power saws. But on the fourth anniversary of the hurricane that redefined its future, New Orleans is no longer talking about mere recovery.

Yes, people are returning: the number of households receiving mail is now more than three-fourths of the pre-Katrina figures, according to the latest estimates, up from fewer than half three years ago. Projects stalled by red tape and the bad credit market, like the Lafitte public housing complex, are finally getting back on track.

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But in spite of all this optimism, there are still fundamental problems that have not been addressed. Many neighborhoods seem barely touched since the flooding four years ago. Empty stores still stare out along commercial strips in Arabi and New Orleans East. Much of the Lower Ninth Ward, with its concrete slabs and grassy lots, still looks like an oversize graveyard.

The Gentilly neighborhood at first seems to have bounced back, but a closer look shows how many houses are vacant. According to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, New Orleans has roughly the same number of abandoned or vacant residences as recession-ravaged Detroit, a city more than twice as large as New Orleans.

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more...http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/us/31orleans.html

[Behind the Aegis]

1. It is still sad here at times.

The poorer neighborhoods still look like a damn hurricane hit them. Many buildings still bear the infamous "X" marks. In my neighborhood, there are still roofs with those damn blue tarps. There are 'high hopes' that many new businesses will come in, but many of the business here continue to tread barely above water (no pun intended) or have gone out of business. Mail service is still spotty and my neighborhood wasn't even one that flooded. Professional services are still a joke in many cases (finding a doctor, dentist, etc.) and is made even more difficult by insurance restrictions. I know that communities outside of NOLA aren't doing much better; it is hit or miss. Still, this is a great city.

[uppityperson]

2. k&r&hug