Come back to New Orleans

Well. I tried my best. I really did. I attempted to drink a beer
in every bar that is open on Bourbon Street. I only made it from Canal
to about St. Peter, before I staggered back and put down roots and
stayed in the Green Door lounge. Apparently New Orleans is coming
back to life, because right now I feel like I was shot at and missed, shit at and hit.

There were several really good bands playing, one at the green door, and
one at a new place, formerly a nudie bar that wasn't good enough to remember
the name of. The Green Door had maybe ten people in it, when pre-Katrina it
was hard to get in the door, and they were running 3 for one beer specials,
before they would have sold a cup of beer for 6 dollars. Really great band playing
covers. The former nudie bar had a four man blues group with a fantastic
lead guitarist playing BB King style blues.

So the city is coming back. The suburbs are swinging busy as everyone rebuilds,
all that is needed is some leadership from the City and the State. If you want
a job there are jobs available all over the place. Oh yeah, and some hotels need
to reopen. If I had a million dollars, I'd open a new hotel in New Orleans. The only reason I
stayed down here last night was there was not a single hotel room in Metairie
or Kenner or anywhere else in the 'burbs. Every hotel that is open is packed full.

The city will come back, but it is going to be different. Every third person working
here is latino. I'd bet they are going to stay too. The New New Orleans will
be 50% white, 25% black and 25% latino. Fortunes will be made here, and others
spent. I think leadership is called for, and real changes made to the city organization,
otherwise the city will drift into a giant sprawling ghetto filled with illegal immigrants.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Glad to see it coming back. I bet it will never be the same? My ex-wife lived in Kenner for 15 years, I love Slidell, Cat
12:56 PM
Anonymous said…
My son is in Kansas City, where right now he reports a labor shortage. The "undocumented workers" who moved product thru the distribution centers were all heading down to New Orleans. Having them all concentrated in one city is not going to be a good thing from any side of the issue.
6:57 AM
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