New Orleans: Really easy

Went to New Orleans again the first weekend in June, my 3rd post-Katrina trip. These trips started as a way for me to support the New Orleans economy as the city rebuilt after the storm, but now they’re a yearly pilgrimage that I’ve come to treasure.

Flew in Saturday morning, had breakfast at Clover Grill, and did a ton of shopping in both the French Quarter and the Garden District. Was really happy to see the streetcars on St Charles Ave. back in operation.


Had dinner Saturday night at the temporary yacht club on Lake Pontchartrain. (The former one was destroyed during Katrina and they're just beginning construction on a replacement.) On the way to dinner we drove through Lakeview, one of the neighborhoods hardest hit during Katrina, and I can see much progress this time compared to 2 years ago. The road to recovery in New Orleans is definitely a marathon, and not a sprint. However on each trip, I can see the differences: more restaurants and shops open for business, more homes rebuilt/repaired.

I stayed in Fabourg Marigny, the neighborhood adjacent to the French Quarter. My hotel was off Esplanade Avenue, a street with some stunning historical homes. I discovered this area on my first trip down after Katrina. It’s only a few blocks from the Bourbon Street scene, but seems a world away. So chilled out and residential. I like it a lot. My hotel room was actually in a Creole cottage behind the main hotel, which made it seem like I was staying in a little house vs. a formal hotel.


One of Eric’s close friends passed away suddenly last fall, and there was a benefit for his family on Sunday afternoon at “Rock-N-Bowl.” This is actually New Orleans’ oldest bowling alley (it’s been around since the 1940s), and it has a band stand. The Chee Wheez played, and some of the lanes were open for bowling. Had a cheeseburger for dinner at Snug Harbor and got a monsoon in a go-cup. Forget about the hurricane – the monsoon is New Orleans’ most dangerous cocktail. I walked around the corner to my cottage, sat in a gliding chair on the porch, and did some writing as the sun set.

Good times on the porch.

Not sure what else to say about New Orleans except that for me, it's an easy place to be. It really is. Who knows, maybe you will find me living down there one day.