How many people have lived or been to New Orleans in the past year?|114391

I_m moving down there in august and I just wanted to know what it_s like living there and what the schools are like.

NOLA is one of the world_s special places with an ambience unique in North America, and remains so even after Katrina devastated it in 2005.

Katrina flooded about 80% of New Orleans with salt water, and the water stayed for almost a month. Much of the city is still struggling to recover and all you have to do to see devastation is drive around. It will take years for NOLA to fully recover from Katrina.

However, the parts of the city that tourists usually visit were not flooded. It_s not a coincidence - the French Quarter and other old parts of the city were built on relatively high ground and only suffered wind damage from Katrina. Almost all of the damage has been repaired and you have to look closely in the FQ and city center to see that Katrina happened at all. You should visit and see for yourself.

You can drink the water, the electricity _ phones work, and services like the post office, hospitals, schools, police/fire/EMS, and stores _ shopping centers are operating.

Municipal services like street cleaning _ trash collection collapsed after Katrina and that is why you may see answers warning about the ��smelly�� or _dirty_ French Quarter. However, those services were fully restored in late 2006 and it is no longer an issue.

Acccording to the info on your profile you will only be in New Orleans for a few months. If you don_t already have a place to stay, I recommend staying in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre_) if you can. There is a very wide range of selections available, from moderate guest houses to very exclusive _boutique_ hotels. Search Yahoo Travel and Travelocity for ideas + check the hotel websites. there are also fully furnished apartments available through New Orleans Bed and Breakfast (nobba@cox.net)

New Orleans has a mild climate from October to May. We pay for that with hot and humid summers, particularly during July _ August.

You don_t need a car to get around in the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Warehouse District. Also, the parking regulations are Byzantine and there are lots of Parking Control Agents. If you drive or rent a car, put your car in a lot or garage and leave it there unless you are traveling away from downtown.

The regional transit authority (www.norta.com) sells 1 and 3 day passes that offer unlimited use of buses and streetcars for the day(s) you select. There are also lots of taxicabs.

Regarding crime, use the same common sense you need in every major city in the world and there is little chance you will be a victim of anything except a need to visit the gym: Pay attention to your surroundings. Stay away from anywhere dark _ deserted. Pay attention to your feelings - if anyone or anywhere gives you a bad feeling, leave the area. Don_t leave something like a camera-bag or backpack unattended on a park bench while you wander off to take photos. Etc.


Things to do:

There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.

Wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, watch the street entertainers (do tip), and visit some of the historic buildings that have been turned into museums. Most of them charge admission but some are free (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions).

Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and eat in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or in Jackson Square (a very nice park).

The Riverwalk shopping center has an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com).

The lobby for the Wyndham Canal Place is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack:
http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/MSYCP/main��


Cafe du Monde is in the French Quarter and you shouldn_t miss having cafe au lait _ beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d_Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is open from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food other than pastry.

The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, has moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel 504-525-0200 (reservations are important and they are not open every day).

All of the famous restaurants (Antoine_s, Arnaud_s, Commander_s Palace, etc.) have reopened. Reservations are a good idea, and probably essential on weekends.

Cafe Degas is a very French restaurant near City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays _ Tuesdays (504-945-5635).

There is a free ferry across the Mississippi at the _foot_ of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Stree��


The Aquarium and Audubon Zoo are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. There is a shuttle boat (not free) between the Aquarium (which is next to the French Quarter) and the Zoo (which is several miles away). You can also drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or take public transit from the French Quarter.

New Orleans is home to a number of other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is in the central business district but a long walk from the French Quarter and NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but has free parking if you choose to drive there.

New Orleans City Park has an amusement park with rides and attractions for children:
http://www.neworleanscitypark.com/
- free parking.

Hope you have a good visit!

Don_t bother with Orleans Parish Public Schools...they just turned them over to Charter Schools. They_re not how they used to be.

I will go with Catholic Schools and/or Private.

It_s fun as HELL. There_s always something to do and places to go and different stuff to eat. Yes, crime is high...but don_t be no fool, use common sense, that_s all.

are you going to be in high school or college, i guessing high school and i went to Mcdonogh #35 and its by far one of the best schools in new orleans. its a public school but its also the first black high school in the city and is full of school pride and alot of schools in new orleans ever before katrina couldn_t say that. its all about the marching bands in new orleans and 35 has the best. go and check it out it may seem ghetto but its not. there is also st. mary academy and xavier prep with is all girl schools i wouldn_t too much bother with any ther public schools execpt maybe Warren Easton and Ben Franklin which is sort of a privatly funded public school. its were some people wouild say the _smarter of the smart_ people go i guess. i went to public and private schools in new orleans and i loved public the best. check out 35 i know you will love it. the tecahers actually care watch out for Chap through, lol you_ll see what i mean. as for the city its self its most ack to normal its still has a ways to go but its fine. you won_t get sick or shot or anything like that. if u want more into on schools email me. oh and btw most of the charter schools are elem. schools not the high schools, some are charter schools but not all. 35 is not.

Lived in N.O. during Katrina. Evacuated to Texas. Then moved to ATL, when it was determined that we were not able tojust go back home. Then in Jan 2006, my job in N.O. was ready for us to come back, I moved back to N.O., and got a trailer until I was able to finish repairing my home.

Then when I realized that the Road to Home monies that were promised to try to help us repair the home, would not be fortyhcoming for a very long time (still have not recievd a dime from it); I knew it was going to take me a while to get back in my home. My daughter was i the third grade, I put her in a top private education program; and she came home on several occasions complaining that she was not learning a thing. She had surpassed them while in ATL; keep in mind ATL education is not the tops, but it is much higher than LA. Over that, I was now paying for what I was getting free in ATL.

There were very minuim organized programs and activties for children. More than that, my job kept messing up my check.

That was it, I moved back to ATL. Now I am happy and my child is happy. I could no longer take living in a trailer when I was so used to living in a large home.

From New Orleans moved to Atlanta. I_ve been back and it_s growing, but it_s hard with everything that needs to be worked on. It will take time. The people have been taken care of, for the most part, but it_s gonna be hard for the city itself because of the money that it_s gonna take to clean and fix everything that was ruined and demolished. The coast (Waveland, MS Bay St. Louis, MS) was hit hard, as well. We used to have an old house on the beach, but it ain_t there anymore and all of its contents? GONE Started from scratch here in Atlanta and making it, but I want to get back as soon as I can.

School wise: I grew up in New Orleans and lived there my whole life, minus college years; I was in private schools my whole life. I was always safe, taught very well and enjoyed those years, so unless things have changed stick with private schools. Good education and safe. Public schools are scary, depending on where in NO you live and if you didn_t know already the education in most of them was very low before the hurricane. There was a lot of talk about what they were going to do to make them better, but nothing ever happened, as far as I know.

nawlins is great. i love it there, but i don_t think i would live there. not because of hurricane katrina but because i only like visiting. the weather is unbelievably hot and its one big party place. however it_s rich in culture and diversity. not sure on the schools.