It may be a different place and may take years - but it will recover!
I also suggest that from an outsider's POV it might recover sooner than you think...
From a purely touristic POV the French Quarter survived almost intact and the Garden District is also mostly intact, although there is a large risk of fires getting out of control and destroying many buildings so its safety is not as assured...
Either way, as a tourist, chances are the only parts of NoLa you're ever likely to visit are those parts, in fact I was warned against setting foot outside of those areas due to the danger - even wandering too far up Canal St was deemed hazardous to your health when I was there a few years back!
Anyway, those areas could conceivably be up and running within weeks with water and waste services being the biggest potential headache.
I think if those districts could be opened again ASAP, that would be a huge morale boost to its refugees and a sign to the rest of the nation that there is life in NoLa yet...!
Also, seeing as hundreds of thousands of people have suddenly become unemployed overnight perhaps they could be employed in the huge public works effort of cleaning up their city to help them help themselves, earning a badly needed income and the self esteem of repairing their city...
It will be tough, but if the rest of the country rallies around NoLa by visiting the city when it reopens and showing your support, I foresee a positive future for 'The Big Easy'...
I for one intend to support NoLa by visiting it at my earliest opportunity - just like I did with NY, Bali and even the Red Sea after Taba!
laissez les bons temps rouler!(again)
I also suggest that from an outsider's POV it might recover sooner than you think...
From a purely touristic POV the French Quarter survived almost intact and the Garden District is also mostly intact, although there is a large risk of fires getting out of control and destroying many buildings so its safety is not as assured...
Either way, as a tourist, chances are the only parts of NoLa you're ever likely to visit are those parts, in fact I was warned against setting foot outside of those areas due to the danger - even wandering too far up Canal St was deemed hazardous to your health when I was there a few years back!
Anyway, those areas could conceivably be up and running within weeks with water and waste services being the biggest potential headache.
I think if those districts could be opened again ASAP, that would be a huge morale boost to its refugees and a sign to the rest of the nation that there is life in NoLa yet...!
Also, seeing as hundreds of thousands of people have suddenly become unemployed overnight perhaps they could be employed in the huge public works effort of cleaning up their city to help them help themselves, earning a badly needed income and the self esteem of repairing their city...
It will be tough, but if the rest of the country rallies around NoLa by visiting the city when it reopens and showing your support, I foresee a positive future for 'The Big Easy'...
I for one intend to support NoLa by visiting it at my earliest opportunity - just like I did with NY, Bali and even the Red Sea after Taba!
laissez les bons temps rouler!(again)
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