I'm just back from attending a conference in New Orleans. My father and I began a short vacation there Super Bowl weekend, which also meant we were present for the Saints parade Tuesday. Our hotel was right on the parade route down Canal Street.There's been some recovery since Katrina. There was a lot of energy, and the city was very full. Mardi Gras is more than Fat Tuesday, that's just the finale. They have 50-odd parades in the weeks before. The parades make for lots of traffic jams, but even during ordinary business hours New Orleans seems to strain under the weight of traffic. The cry of "Who dat?" was ubiquitous, and of course everyone was thrilled to win the Super Bowl. That weekend we had trouble getting into the high-end French Quarter restaurants, all the reservervations were long gone.
When we went for beniets for breakfast Monday, we waited half an hour for a table and another half hour for service. So business seemed good.
On the other hand, on Tuesday, when the weather was chillier, there were plenty of empty tables for the same beniets. By Monday and Tuesday, those same high-end restaurants had plenty of tables for walk-ins. We took a bus tour of New Orleans. The Garden District shows no signs of Katrina damage any longer, but we also went to the Ninth Ward. A great many houses there look like they should be promptly knocked down. Some of the houses that have been reclaimed and restored have preserved the building inspectors' marks, spray painted on the front of the house. A new mark of honor, of survival.
At the conference, it happens that we heard from Mary Matalin and James Carville. They were a treat, though not quite as cantankerous as I expected. At the close of his remarks, James dropped his pundit persona to give a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the assembled bankers and brokers, for holding their convention in New Orleans and so making a contribution to its recovery.
I would like to go back soon. But next time I'd prefer to avoid Mardi Gras season.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment