Jump to content

New Orleans

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 24.11.191.208 (talk) at 12:57, 5 February 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

'NOLA' redirects here. For the album by Down, see NOLA (album)

Template:Redirect4

City of New Orleans
Ville de La Nouvelle-Orléans
Flag of City of New Orleans
Flag
Official seal of City of New Orleans
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"The Crescent City", "The Big Easy", "The City That Care Forgot", "504", and "NOLA" (acronym for New Orleans, LA).
Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States
Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States
CountryUnited StatesUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishFile:New Orleans, Louisiana flag.svgOrleans
Founded1718
Government
 • MayorC. Ray Nagin (D)
Area
 • City907 km2 (350.2 sq mi)
 • Land467.6 km2 (180.6 sq mi)
 • Water439.4 km2 (169.7 sq mi)
Elevation
−2 to 6 m (−6.5 to 20 ft)
Population
 (2000)
 • City484,674
 • Density973/km2 (2,518/sq mi)
 • Metro
1,319,367
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Websitehttp://www.cityofno.com

New Orleans (Template:PronEng, locally /ˌnuːˈɔːlɛnz/; French: La Nouvelle-Orléans [lanuvɛlɔʀleɑ̃]ⓘ) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana.

New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River some 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The city is bordered by Lake Pontchartrain to the north. It is coextensive with Orleans Parish. It is named after Philippe II, Duc d'Orléans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage as well as its music and cuisine and is considered the birthplace of jazz.[1][2]

Its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture, music, cuisine, its annual Mardi Gras, and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as "The most unique city in America".[3][4][5][6][7]

History

Main article: History of New Orleans

Beginnings through the 19th century

German map of New Orleans, (1888).

La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of France at the time; his title came from the French city of Orléans. See Founding Families of New Orleans. In 1763, the French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire and remained under Spanish control for 40 years. Most of the surviving architecture of the Vieux Carré (French Quarter) dates from this Spanish period. Louisiana reverted to French control in 1801, but Napoleon sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase two years later. The city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, and Creole French.

During the War of 1812 the British sent a force to conquer the city. The Americans decisively defeated the British troops led by Sir Edward Pakenham in the Battle of New Orleans on January 8 1815.

As a principal port, New Orleans had a leading role in the slave trade, while at the same time having the most prosperous community of free persons of colour in the South.[1][8] The population of the city doubled in the 1830s, and by 1840 New Orleans had become the wealthiest and third-most populous city in the nation.

The Union captured New Orleans early in the American Civil War. This action spared the city the destruction suffered by many other cities of the American South.

See also: New Orleans in the Civil War

Twentieth century

A view across Uptown New Orleans, with the Central Business District in the background (1991).

In the early 20th century, New Orleans was a progressive major city whose most portentous development was a drainage plan devised by engineer and inventor A. Baldwin Wood. Urban development until then was largely limited to higher ground along natural river levees and bayous. Wood's pump system allowed the city to expand into low-lying areas. Over the 20th century, rapid subsidence, both natural and human-induced, left these newly populated areas several feet below sea level.[9][10]

New Orleans was vulnerable to flooding even before the age of negative elevation. In the late 20th century, however, scientists and New Orleans residents gradually became aware of the city's increased vulnerability. Hurricane Betsy in 1965 had killed dozens of residents even though the majority of the city remained dry. The rain-induced 1995 flood demonstrated the weakness of the pumping system; however, since that time measures have been taken to repair New Orleans's hurricane defenses and restore pumping capacity.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

An aerial view from a United States Navy helicopter showing floodwaters around the entire downtown New Orleans area (2005).

By the time Hurricane Katrina approached the city at the end of August 2005, most residents had evacuated. Although the hurricane's eye passed east of the city, the city's federal flood protection system failed, resulting in the worst civil engineering disaster in American history.[11] Floodwalls and levees constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed below design specifications and 80% of the city flooded. Tens of thousands of remaining residents were rescued by boat, helicopter or otherwise made their way to shelters of last resort at the Louisiana Superdome or the Morial Convention Center. Over 1,500 people died in Greater New Orleans.

The city was declared off-limits to residents while clean-up efforts began. The approach of Hurricane Rita caused repopulation efforts to be postponed,[12] and the Lower Ninth Ward was reflooded by Rita's storm surge. By October 1, 2005, parts of the city accounting for about one-third of the population of New Orleans had been reopened.[citation needed]

See also: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and Drainage in New Orleans

Post-disaster recovery

Main article: Reconstruction of New Orleans

Template:Future event An estimate by the Census Bureau in July 2006 estimated the population of New Orleans to be 223,000; a subsequent study estimated that 32,000 additional residents had moved to the city as of March 2007, bringing the estimated population to 255,000, approximately 56% of the pre-Katrina population level. Another estimate, based on data on utility usage from July 2007, estimated the population to be approximately 274,000, or 60% of the pre-Katrina population; this is somewhat less than an estimate from the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center in June 2007, which indicated that approximately two-thirds of the pre-Katrina population had returned to the city, based on mail delivery records.[13]

Population demographers, the mayor's office, and others believe, after discussions with still-displaced residents, that residents will gradually return to the region throughout the next couple of years.[14][citation needed]

Efforts continue to rebuild infrastructure, pick up hurricane-related debris, and restore a level of normality to the residents of New Orleans. Most of the residents that are still displaced continue to wait for state and federal assistance in the form of Kathleen Blanco's Louisiana Recovery Authority program, Small Business Administration loans and other forms of financial assistance to return to their home regions.

The New Orleans cityscape as of 2007.

Several major tourist events as well as other forms of revenue for the city of New Orleans have returned. The American Library Association held its annual convention in New Orleans in June 2006; the estimated 18,000 attendees represented the first city-wide convention in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. The HIMSS healthcare information technology convention and the American College of Cardiology convention, both held in the spring of 2007, also each had more than 24,000 attendees [15]. The Bayou Classic, the traditional football game between Southern University and Grambling State University, returned in November 2006 after being displaced to Houston, Texas for its November 2005 game. The Essence Music Festival returned to the Crescent City for its July 2007 date after being displaced to Houston in July 2006.

Other major events such as Mardi Gras and the Jazz and Heritage Festival were never displaced and have continued as planned. The National Football League made a commitment to the city with the return of the New Orleans Saints, following speculation of a move to San Antonio, Texas, or Los Angeles, California after Hurricane Katrina, and there is the possibility of a 2012 or 2013 Super Bowl. The National Basketball Association has made a commitment with the return of the New Orleans Hornets, which played part time in the 2006-2007 season (one game per month) and will play full time for the 2007-2008 season. New Orleans has been granted the 2008 NBA All Star Game, which usually generates millions of dollars in revenue for its host city. Tulane University hosted the first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.

Additionally, in the first week of January 2008, the Superdome will host the New Orleans Bowl, Sugar Bowl and BCS Championships. In mid-March 2007 a local group of investors began conducting a study to see if the city could support a Major League Soccer team.[16] Several national travel guides have once again listed New Orleans as one of the top five places to visit in the country. Many New Orleans phone book companies have stated the need to issue new phone books just seven months after the release of their previous ones due to the return of many residents and businesses.

Geography

A true-color satellite image of New Orleans taken on NASA's Landsat 7

New Orleans is located at 29°57′53″N 90°4′14″W / 29.96472°N 90.07056°W / 29.96472; -90.07056 (29.964722, −90.070556)Template:GR on the banks of the Mississippi River, approximately 105 miles (170 km) upriver from the Gulf of Mexico. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 350.2 square miles (907 km²), of which 180.6 square miles (467.6 km²) of it is land and 169.7 square miles (439.4 km²) of it is water. The total area is 48.45% water.

The city is located in the Mississippi River Delta on the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and south of Lake Pontchartrain. The area along the river is characterized by ridges and hollows.

File:Msyelevst.jpg
Elevation of New Orleans

New Orleans was originally settled on the natural levees or high ground along the Mississippi River. In fact, when the capital of French Louisiana was moved from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, the French colonial government cited New Orleans' inland location as one of the reasons for the move as it would be less vulnerable to hurricanes.[17] After 1965, the US Army Corps built floodwalls and man made levees around a much larger geographic footprint that included previous marshland and swamp. But this human interference has caused considerable subsidence (sinking). There is much debate on the severity of the sinking. A study by the Geological Society of America reported

While erosion and wetland loss are huge problems along Louisiana's coast, the basement 30 to 50 feet (15 m) beneath much of the Mississippi Delta has been highly stable for the past 8,000 years with negligible subsidence rates.[18]

But a report by the American Society of Civil Engineers claims that "New Orleans is subsiding (sinking)":[19]

Large portions of Orleans, St. Bernard, and Jefferson parishes are currently below sea level — and continue to sink. New Orleans is built on thousands of feet of soft sand, silt, and clay. Subsidence, or settling of the ground surface, occurs naturally due to the consolidation and oxidation of organic soils (called “marsh” in New Orleans) and local groundwater pumping. In the past, flooding and deposition of sediments from the Mississippi River counterbalanced the natural subsidence, leaving southeast Louisiana at or above sea level. However, due to major flood control structures being built upstream on the Mississippi River and levees being built around New Orleans, fresh layers of sediment are not replenishing the ground lost by subsidence.[19]

Vertical cross-section of New Orleans, showing maximum levee height of 23 feet (7 m).

A recent study by Tulane and Xavier University notes that 51% of New Orleans is at or above sea level, with the more densely populated areas generally on higher ground. The mean (average) elevation of the city is currently between one and two feet (0.5 m) below sea level, with some portions of the city as high as 16 feet (5 m) and others as low as 10 feet (3 m) below sea level. [20]

In 2005, storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic failure of the federally designed and built levees thereby flooding 80% of the city.[21][22] A report by the American Society of Civil Engineers says that "had the levees and floodwalls not failed and had the pump stations operated, nearly two-thirds of the deaths would not have occurred".[19]

New Orleans has always had to consider the risk of hurricanes, but the risks are dramatically greater today due to coastal erosion from human interference.[17] Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been estimated that Louisiana has lost 2,000 square miles (5,000 km2) of coast (including many of its barrier islands) which once protected New Orleans against storm surge. Following Hurricane Katrina the Army Corps of Engineers have instituted massive levee repair and hurricane protection measures to protect the city. By 2011 the city of New Orleans is planned to have 100-year flood protection. This means protection against the worst storm that would occur in an average 100-year period. This can also be stated as any given year having a 1% chance of having a storm that would cause some degree of flooding.

In 2006, Louisiana voters overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the state's constitution to dedicate all revenues from off shore drilling to restore Louisiana's eroding coast line.[23] Two consecutive hurricane seasons have passed without any tropical activity near the city. That has given the Corps of Engineers more time to implement their projects. Congress has allocated $7 billion to bolster New Orleans' flood protection.[24]

Climate

Hurricanes of Category 3 or greater passing within 100 miles (160 km) of New Orleans

The climate of New Orleans is humid subtropical, with short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. In January, morning lows average around 43 °F (6 °C), and daily highs around 62 °F (17 °C). In July, lows average 74 °F (23 °C), and highs average 91 °F (33 °C). The lowest recorded temperature was 7 °F (−14 °C) on February 13, 1899. The highest recorded temperature was 102 °F (39 °C) on August 22, 1980. The average precipitation is 64.2 inches (1,630 mm) annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month.[25] Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front. Hurricanes pose a severe threat to the area, and the city is particularly vulnerable because of its low elevation. According the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city is the most vulnerable in the country when it comes to hurricanes.[26] Since 1965, portions of New Orleans have been flooded by four different storms, Hurricane Betsy, Hurricane Georges, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.[27][28] It is likely that we will see increases in hurricane intensity during the 21st century according to the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report[29]

Army Corps of Engineers interactive map showing flood risk

New Orleans experiences snowfall only on rare occasions. Most recently, a small amount of snow fell during the 2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm. On December 25, a combination of rain, sleet, and snow fell on the city, leaving some bridges icy. Before that, the last white Christmas was in 1954 and brought 4.5 inches (11 cm). The last significant snowfall in New Orleans fell on December 22, 1989, when most of the city received 1–2 inches (2–5 cm) of snow.

Cityscape

See also: Wards of New Orleans and New Orleans neighborhoods

The Central Business District of New Orleans is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi River, and was historically called the "American Quarter" or "American Sector". Most streets in this area fan out from a central point in the city. Major streets of the area include Canal Street, Poydras Street, Tulane Avenue and Loyola Avenue. Canal Street functions as the street which divides the traditional "downtown" area from the "uptown" area.

An aerial view of New Orleans (1999).

Every street crossing Canal Street between the Mississippi River and Rampart Street, which is the northern edge of the French Quarter, has a different name for the "uptown" and "downtown" portions. For example, St. Charles Avenue, known for its world-famous street car line, is called Royal Street below Canal Street. Elsewhere in the city, Canal Street serves as the dividing point between the "South" and "North" portions of various streets (e.g., South Broad becomes North Broad upon crossing Canal Street into downtown). In the local parlance downtown means "downriver from Canal Street" while uptown means "upriver from Canal Street". Downtown neighborhoods include the The Vieux Carré or French Quarter, Treme, the 7th Ward, Faubourg-Marigny, Bywater (the Upper Ninth Ward), and the Lower Ninth Ward. Uptown neighborhoods include the Warehouse District (the American Sector), the Lower Garden District, Garden District, the Irish Channel, the University District, Carrollton, Gert Town, Fontainebleau, and Broadmoor. In common language, however, the Warehouse and Central Business Districts, despite being above Canal Street, are frequently called "Downtown" as a specific region, as in the Downtown Development District.

New Orleans, Chartres Street looking towards Canal Street, (2004).

Other major districts within the city include Bayou St. John, Mid-City, Gentilly, Lakeview, Lakefront, New Orleans East, and Algiers.

The state of Louisiana is divided into parishes, rather than counties like most other U.S. states. Parishes located adjacent to the city include St. Tammany Parish to the north, St. Bernard Parish to the south and east, Plaquemines Parish to the south and southeast, and Jefferson Parish to the south and west.

Architecture

Main article: Buildings and architecture of New Orleans
File:Img3502noborder.jpg
One Shell Square, at 51 floors, stands as the tallest building in New Orleans.

New Orleans is world-famous for its plethora of unique architectural styles, as it reflects the city's historical roots and multicultural heritage. The city has seventeen historic landmark districts, administered by the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC). Many styles of housing exist in the city, including the shotgun house (which developed in the city) and the California bungalow style. Creole townhouses, notable for their large courtyards and intricate iron balconies, line the streets of the French Quarter. Throughout the city, there are many other historic housing styles: Creole cottages, American townhouses, double-gallery houses, and Raised Center-Hall Cottages. St. Charles Avenue is famed for its largeAntebellum homes and its mansions in various styles such as Greek Revival, Colonial, and Victorian styles such as Queen Anne and Italianate. New Orleans is also noted for its large, European-style Catholic cemeteries, which can be found throughout the city.

For much of its history, New Orleans' skyline consisted of only low- and mid-rise structures. The soft soils of New Orleans are susceptible to subsidence, and there was doubt about the feasibility of constructing large high rises in such an environment. The 1960s brought the trailblazing World Trade Center New Orleans and Plaza Tower, which demonstrated that high rises could stand firm on New Orleans' soil. One Shell Square took its place as the city's tallest building in 1972, a title it will hold until the completion of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, scheduled in 2009.[citation needed] The oil boom of the early 1980s redefined New Orleans' skyline again with the development of the Poydras Street corridor. Today, New Orleans' high rises are clustered along Canal Street and Poydras Street in the Central Business District.

As of May 29, 2007, The $400 Million Trump Tower is going ahead.

"Lured by congressionally authorized tax credits and other financial incentives after Hurricane Katrina, a procession of developers announced plans to build high-rises.

See also: List of tallest buildings in New Orleans
The City of New Orleans & The Mississippi River

Demographics

The 2000 U.S. Census count for New Orleans was 484,674, and the population was estimated to be 454,865 just prior to Hurricane Katrina, according to the U.S. Census bureau.[citation needed] The Census Bureau estimated that 223,000 people were living in New Orleans in July 2006. A population study from July 2006 to March 2007 found that the city gained 32,000 people during that seven month time frame, bringing its population to 255,000, or 56% of its pre-Katrina population.[30] A population analysis released in August 2007 estimated the population to be 273,000, 60% of the pre-Katrina population and an increase of about 50,000 since July 2006.[31] A September 2007 report by The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, which tracks population based on U.S. Postal Service figures found that in August 2007 just over 137,000 households received mail. That compares with about 198,000 households in July 2005 for a figure of about 70% of pre-Katrina population.[32] Estimations by the Census state that of those 37% who left the region entirely 36% moved to the Greater Houston area, 17% moved to Northern Louisiana, 8% relocated to the Southern California area, and the remaining 39% moved elsewhere throughout the country.[citation needed] A 2006 study by researchers at Tulane University and the University of California, Berkeley determined that there are as many as 10,000 to 14,000 undocumented workers, mostly from Mexico, currently residing in New Orleans [1]. This previously unchronicled group, combined with other estimates, could place the city's post-Katrina population closer to 300,000.

Janet Murguia, president and chief executive officer of the National Council of La Raza, stated that there could be up to 120,000 Hispanic workers in New Orleans which, according to the Census Bureau's population count would push the city's current population to more than 370,000. A more precise population number will not be known until the Census Bureau's official population count in 2010. In June 2007, the hispanic population rose from 15,000 pre-Katrina to over 50,000 post-Katrina. [33]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) has stated that some public housing developments, which were originally going to be torn down, are going to be re-opened temporarily; the public housing developments will be redeveloped in phases. On March 21, 2007, the House of Representatives passed a bill blocking any demolition of housing developments until H.U.D. shows solid plans for redevelopment, informing H.U.D. that they must contact all former developments on August 1, 2007 and that the buildings must be livable by October 2007. The House's measure must be approved by the United States Senate.[34] Developers who take advantage of federal tax credits to build other low income and affordable housing should help residents to return to the region. Also, as residents receive federal grant money, even more people should return to the region.

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
181017,242—
182027,17657.6%
183046,08269.6%
1840102,193121.8%
1850116,37513.9%
1860168,67544.9%
1870191,41813.5%
1880216,09012.9%
1890242,03912.0%
1900287,10418.6%
1910339,07518.1%
1920387,21914.2%
1930458,76218.5%
1940494,5377.8%
1950570,44515.3%
1960627,52510.0%
1970593,471−5.4%
1980557,515−6.1%
1990496,938−10.9%
2000484,674−2.5%
2006 (est.)223,388[35]
Historical Population Figures[36]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The last population estimate before Katrina was 454,865 as of July 1, 2005 (thus, any pre-Katrina/post-Katrina analysis should use this figure, rather than the 2000 figure). The population density was 2,684.3 people per square mile (1,036.4/km²). There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of 1,191.3 per sqare mile (459.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American, 28.05% White, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

A 2006 count done by the Census Bureau reveals the population of New Orleans stood at 223,338. The racial make-up of the city was 36.8% White, 58.8% Black, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, and 0.8% from other races. 4.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

New Orleans contains many distinctive neighborhoods.

The population of Greater New Orleans stood at 1,337,726 in 2000, making it the 35th largest metropolitan area in the United States. These population statistics are based on legal residents of the city. Due to the enormous annual tourist flow, the number of people inside the city at a given time, such as Mardi Gras season, tends to exceed these numbers sometimes by the hundreds of thousands.

There were 188,251 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 40% were non-families, 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.23.

The age distribution of the city's population is 26.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,133, and the median income for a family was $32,338. Males had a median income of $30,862 versus $23,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,258. 27.9% of the population and 23.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 40.3% of those under the age of 18 and 19.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Religion

Saint Louis Cathedral is a symbol of New Orleans.

New Orleans is notably absent from the Protestant Bible Belt that dominates religion in the Southern United States. In New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast area, the predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Within the Archdiocese of New Orleans (which includes not only the city but the surrounding Parishes as well), 35.9% percent of the population is Roman Catholic.[37] Catholicism has been present in New Orleans since its initial founding and continues to have an extremely strong presence in the surrounding area. This is reflected in many of the city's French and Spanish cultural traditions, including its many parochial schools, street names, architecture, and festivals, including Mardi Gras.

Unlike much of the Deep South, the greater New Orleans area has long had a significant Jewish population, estimated at around 10,000 pre-Katrina.

New Orleans also famously has a presence of its distinctive variety of Voodoo, due in part to syncretism with Roman Catholic beliefs, the fame of voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, and New Orleans' distinctly Caribbean cultural influences.[38][39][40] However, the exotic image of Voodoo within the city has been highly exploited by the tourism industry out of proportion to the small number of serious adherents to the religion.

Crime

New Orleans has a high violent crime rate. Its homicide rate has consistently ranked in the top five of large cities in the country since the 1980s along with Detroit, Washington D.C., and Atlanta[citation needed]. Homicides peaked at 425 in 1994, a homicide rate of 86 per 100,000, which has not been matched by any major U.S. city to date.[41]

The homicide rate rose and fell year to year throughout the late 1990s, but the overall trend from 1994 to 1999 was a steady reduction in homicides.

From 1999 to 2004, the homicide rate again increased. New Orleans had the highest homicide rate of any major American city in 2002 (53.3 per 100,000 people), and again retained the highest homicide rate in 2003, with 275 homicides.[42] It should be stated that the actual number of homicides in New Orleans has decreased since 1994 when 425 people were slain and New Orleans had the distinction of being the "per capita murder capital of the U.S." The number of homicides in 2004 was about 275, cutting the 1994 number by one-third.

Violent crime is a serious problem for New Orleans residents, yet far less of a problem for tourists. As in other U.S. cities of comparable size, the incidence of homicide and other violent crimes is highly concentrated in certain low-income city neighborhoods, such as housing projects, that are sites of open air drug trade.[42] The homicide rate for the New Orleans metropolitan statistical area, which includes its suburbs, was 24.4 per 100,000 in 2002.[43]

After Hurricane Katrina, media attention focused on the reduced violent crime rate following the exodus of many New Orleanians. Conversely, a number of cities that took in Katrina evacuees had a significant increase in their murder rate.[44] Houston, for example, has had a 25%[45] increase in murders from the previous year. Captain Dwayne Ready has stated, "We also recognize that Katrina evacuees continue to have an impact on the murder rate." Police have not kept records of how evacuees have affected crime rates other than homicide.[45] As more residents return to New Orleans the trend is starting to reverse itself, although calculating the homicide rate remains difficult given that no authoritative source can cite a total population figure.[46] Regardless, statistics show that violent crime has returned to the city.

Indeed, there were 22 homicides in July 2006, the same as the monthly average for the city from 2002 until Hurricane Katrina.[47] There were 161 homicides in 2006.[48]

On Thursday, January 11, 2007, several thousand New Orleans residents marched through city streets and gathered at City Hall for a rally demanding police and city leaders tackle the crime problem. Mayor Ray Nagin said he was "totally and solely focused" on addressing the problem. The city of New Orleans implemented checkpoints starting in early January 2007 from the hours of 2 a.m and 6 a.m. in high-crime areas, and, as of January 20, 2007, they had made over 60 arrests and issued more than 100 citations. It is believed that the checkpoints are baby steps to the overall redesign of the criminal justice system to get a better handle on crime.

Although the city has lost more than 40% of its pre-Katrina population, the city has recaptured an infamous unwanted title as the nation's "murder capital", according to the FBI.[49] By November 2007, local media reports claim homicides had already eclipsed the previous year's numbers.[50] The city recorded a total of 209 homicides in 2007.

Government

New Orleans has a mayor-council government. The city council consists of five council members who are elected by district and two at-large councilmembers. Mayor Ray Nagin was elected in May 2002 and was reelected in the mayoral election of May 20, 2006.

The New Orleans Police Department provides professional police services to the public in order to maintain order and protect life and property. The Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff's Office serves papers involving lawsuits and provides security for the Civil District Court and Juvenile Courts. The Criminal Sheriff's Office maintains the parish prison system, provides security for the Criminal District Court, and provides backup for the New Orleans Police Department on an as-needed basis.

The city of New Orleans and the parish of Orleans operate as a merged city-parish government.Template:GR Before the city of New Orleans became co-extensive with Orleans Parish, Orleans Parish was home to numerous smaller communities. Some of these communities have historically had separate identities from the city of New Orleans, such as Irish Bayou and Carrollton . The original city of New Orleans was composed of what are now the 1st through 9th wards. The city of Lafayette (including the Garden District) was added in 1852 as the 10th and 11th wards. In 1870, Jefferson City, including Faubourg Bouligny and much of the Audubon and University areas, was annexed as the 12th, 13th, and 14th wards. Algiers, on the west bank of the Mississippi, was also annexed in 1870, becoming the 15th ward. Four years later, Orleans Parish became coextensive with the city of New Orleans when the city of Carrollton was annexed as the 16th and 17th wards.

New Orleans' government is now largely centralized in the city council and mayor's office, but it maintains a number of relics from earlier systems when various sections of the city ran much of their affairs separately. For example, New Orleans has seven elected tax assessors, each with their own staff, representing various districts of the city, rather than one centralized office. On November 7, 2006, a constitutional amendment passed both statewide and in Orleans Parish, consolidating the seven assessors into one by 2010.

See also: Mayors of New Orleans

Economy

A tanker on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
Intracoastal Waterway near New Orleans

New Orleans is the home to one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, and accounts for a major portion of the nation's refinery and production of petroleum, has a top 50 research university (in Tulane University) as well as a half a dozen other institutions of higher education, and is renowned for its cultural tourism.

According to current travel guides, the city of New Orleans is in the top ten of the most visited cities in the United States, and tourism is a major staple in the area's economy.[51] 10.1 million visitors came to New Orleans in 2004, and the city was on pace to break that level of visitation in 2005. Annually, tourism in New Orleans is a $5.5 billion industry and accounts for 40 percent of New Orleans' tax revenues. Tourism employed 85,000 people, making it New Orleans' top industry.[citation needed]

The city's colorful Carnival celebrations leading up to Mardi Gras during the pre-Lenten season draw particularly large crowds. Other major tourist events and attractions in the city include the Sugar Bowl, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (popularly known by locals as "Jazz Fest"), the Voodoo Music Experience, Southern Decadence, and the Essence Music Festival, as well as sporting events like Super Bowls and NCAA final fours.

Prior to Katrina, in the Greater New Orleans Area, there were 265 hotels with an inventory of 38,338 rooms.[52]. As of May, 2007 there are over 140 metro area hotels and motels in operation with over 31,000 rooms in inventory.[52].

According to a CNN poll, released in October 2007, New Orleans is the best city in the United States for live music, cocktail hours and "cheap eats", according to the results of a Travel + Leisure/CNN Headline News poll. New Orleans ranked No. 1 in eight categories, behind only New York City, which took the top spot in 15 categories. But, among the top 25 U.S. travel destinations as established by the poll, the city was voted last in terms of safety and cleanliness and near the bottom as a family vacation destination. According to the results, New Orleans is the best city for both flea market and antique shopping and cheap food. The Big Easy is also the top spot for cocktail hour, live music, going out at night, "wild weekends" and "girlfriend getaways". Residents of the Big Easy are also the most fun, according to the poll results. New Orleans ranked second for gay friendliness, overall food and dining, friendliness of residents and people-watching, behind San Francisco, California, Chicago, Illinois Charleston and New York City, respectively. "We weren't surprised to see New Orleans' great performance," said Amy Farley, a senior editor at Travel + Leisure, which will print the complete results in its November issue. "New Orleans is legendary for its great after dark scene." [53]

New Orleans is also an industrial and distribution center and the busiest port system in the world by gross tonnage. The Port of New Orleans is the 5th-largest port in the United States based on volume of cargo handled, second-largest in the state after the Port of South Louisiana, and 12th-largest in the U.S. based on value of cargo. The Port of South Louisiana, also based in the New Orleans area, is the world's busiest in terms of bulk tonnage, and, when combined with the Port of N.O., it forms the 4th-largest port system in volume handled.

Like Houston, Texas, New Orleans is located in proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, and the many oil rigs lie just offshore. Louisiana ranks fifth in oil production and eighth in reserves in the United States. It is also home to two of the four Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) storage facilities: West Hackberry in Cameron Parish and Bayou Choctaw in Iberville Parish. Other infrastructure includes 17 petroleum refineries with a combined crude oil distillation capacity of nearly 2.8 million barrels per day, the second highest in the nation after Texas. Louisiana has numerous ports including the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), which is capable of receiving ultra large oil tankers. Natural gas and electricity dominate the home heating market with similar market shares totaling about 47 percent each. With all of the product to distribute, Louisiana is home to many major pipelines supplying the nation: Crude Oil - Exxon,Chevron, BP, Texaco, Shell, Scurloch-Permian, Mid-Valley, Calumet, Conoco, Koch, Unocal, Dept. of Energy, Locap. Product - TEPPCO, Colonial, Plantation, Explorer, Texaco, Collins. Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Dixie, TEPPCO, Black Lake, Koch, Chevron, Dynegy, Kinder, Dow, Bridgeline, FMP, Tejas, Texaco, UTP. [54] There are a few energy companies that have their regional headquarters in the city, including Chevron and Shell Oil Company. The city is the home and worldwide headquarters of a single Fortune 500 company: Entergy Corporation, an energy and infrastructure providing company. Freeport-McMoRan, the city's other Fortune 500 company recently merged its copper and gold exploration unit with an Arizona company and relocated that division to Phoenix, Arizona.

The federal government has a significant presence in the area. The NASA Michoud Assembly Facility is located in the eastern portion of Orleans Parish (New Orleans East) and is operated by Lockheed-Martin. It is a large manufacturing facility where external fuel tanks for space shuttles are produced, and it also houses the National Finance Center operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The VA Mediacal Center is located in downtown New Orleans. Post-Katrina however it only delivers outpatient services. There have been plans for a new Facility in downtown New Orleans and will be completed in the future.

In an effort to diversify its economy, tax incentives for movie production companies began to be offered in 2002. This led to a substantial increase in the number of films shot in the New Orleans area and led to the nickname of "Hollywood South". Many big-budget and critically acclaimed feature films have been made in New Orleans and around the New Orleans Metropolitan area since 2002, such as Ray, Runaway Jury, The Pelican Brief, The Skeleton Key, Glory Road, All the King's Men, Déjà Vu, Last Holiday, Waiting..., Failure to Launch, Stay Alive, 1995's Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and countless other full-length films and documentaries. Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have made New Orleans their home with the purchase of a home in the French Quarter, and a new movie studio complex is to be built in the Treme neighborhood. K-Ville, a cop drama series set in post-Katrina New Orleans, has been picked up for the Fox Network's 2007-08 prime-time schedule, according to sources in Hollywood, a move that could pump millions of dollars of location production money into the local economy. The show stars Anthony Anderson (The Shield, The Departed) and Cole Hauser (The Cave, Paparazzi).

City leaders in New Orleans want a tax incentive similar to the one for movie productions, for Broadway plays. New Orleans is home to many historical theaters such as the Saenger Theater and believe a tax incentive would bring the nation's biggest Broadway plays and musicals to the city and would lead to Louisiana, primarily New Orleans, becoming known as "Broadway South". The tax incentive bill would be included during the 2007 Louisiana Legislative Session and would have to be approved.[citation needed]

Other companies with a significant presence or base in New Orleans include the worldwide headquarters of the Entergy and its subsidiaries, Freeport-McMoRan, AT&T, IBM, Navtech, Harrah's (downtown casino), Popeye's Fried Chicken, Zatarain's, Whitney Bank (corp. HQ), Capital One (banking HQ),Tidewater (Corp. HQ), McMoran Exploration, and Energy Partners (corp.HQ).

Education

Schools

New Orleans Public Schools, the city's school district, one of the area's largest school districts along with the Jefferson Parish School District. It is widely recognized as the lowest performing school district in Louisiana. According to researchers Carl L. Bankston and Stephen J. Caldas, only 12 of the 103 school districts in New Orleans showed reasonably good performance at the beginning of the twenty-first century.[55]

The Greater New Orleans area has approximately 200 parochial schools, with the vast majority being run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. The prevalence of very good parochial schools has been both a cause and a consequence of the troubles in the public schools. Because so many middle class students have been enrolled in non-public schools, middle class support for public education has been relatively weak. At the same time, the apparent low quality of public schools in New Orleans has encouraged middle class families to educate their children in private or parochial schools. This has contributed to major underfunding of the public school system.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the state of Louisiana took over most of the schools within the system (all schools that fell into a nominal "worst-performing" metric); about 20 new charter schools have also been started since the storm, educating about 15,000 students.

Colleges and universities

A large number of institutions of higher education exist within the city, including Tulane University and Loyola University New Orleans which are the major private research universities. University of New Orleans is a large public research university in the city. Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana are among some of the leading historically black colleges and universities in the U.S. (with Xavier being the only predominantly black Catholic university in the U.S.) Louisiana State University Medical School is the state's flagship university medical school which also conducts research. Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Notre Dame Seminary, and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary are several smaller religious affiliated universities. Other notable schools include Delgado Community College,William Carey School of Nursing, Culinary Institute of New Orleans, Herzing College and Commonwealth University.

Libraries

There are numerous academic and public libraries and archives in New Orleans, including Monroe Library at Loyola University, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University,[56] the Law Library of Louisiana,[57] and Earl K. Long Library at the University of New Orleans.[58]

The New Orleans Public Library includes 13 locations, most of which were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. However, only four libraries remained closed as of 2007.[59] The main library includes a Louisiana Division housing city archives and special collections.[60]

Other research archives are located at the Historic New Orleans Collection[61] and the Old U.S. Mint.[62]

There is also an independently operated lending library called Iron Rail Book Collective specializing in radical and hard-to-find books. The library contains over 8,000 titles and is open to the public. This library was the first in the city to re-open after Hurricane Katrina.

Culture

Sites of interest

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, in 2003, looking towards Canal Street.

New Orleans is one of the most visited cities in America[citation needed] and has many major attractions, from the world-renowned Bourbon Street and the French Quarter's notorious nightlife, St. Charles Avenue (home of Tulane and Loyola Universities), and many stately 19th century mansions. Magazine Street, with its many historic antique shops, is also an area visited by many tourists. Also on St. Charles Avenue is the historic Pontchartrain Hotel.

Favorite tourist scenes in New Orleans include the French Quarter (known locally as "the Quarter" or Vieux Carré), which dates from the French and Spanish eras and is bounded by the Mississippi River, Rampart Street, Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue. The French Quarter contains many popular hotels, bars, and nightclubs, most notably around Bourbon Street. Other notable tourist attractions in the Quarter include Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market (including Café du Monde, famous for café au lait and beignets), and jazz at Preservation Hall.

horse carriage entering Royal Street

To tour the port, one can ride the Natchez, an authentic steamboat with a calliope which cruises the Mississippi the length of the city twice daily.

Also located in the French Quarter is the old New Orleans Mint, formerly a branch of the United States Mint, which now operates as a museum. Located on Royal Street is The Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center housing art and artifacts relating to the History of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Near the Quarter in the neighboring Warehouse District sits the National World War II Museum, opened on June 6, 2000, as the National D-Day Museum, dedicated to providing information and materials related to the allied invasion of Normandy, France. Also nearby is Confederate Memorial Hall, containing the second largest collection of Confederate memorabilia in the world in the oldest continually operating museum in Louisiana.

Art museums in the city include the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Audubon Park, the Audubon Zoo, and the Aquarium of the Americas are also located in the city. New Orleans is also noted for its many beautiful cemeteries. Some notable cemeteries in the city include Saint Louis Cemetery and Metairie Cemetery.

Significant gardens include Longue Vue House and Gardens and the New Orleans Botanical Garden. Gardens are also found in places like City Park and Audubon Park. City Park still has one of the largest (if not the largest) stands of oak trees in the world.

Within the surrounding area, there are various points of interest. Many wetlands are in close proximity to the Greater New Orleans area, including Honey Island Swamp. Chalmette Battlefield and National Cemetery, located just south of the city, is the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.

Events

Mounted Krewe Officers in the Thoth Parade during Mardi Gras.

Greater New Orleans is home to numerous celebrations, including Mardi Gras, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. New Orleans' most popular celebration is the Carnival, officially beginning on the Feast of the Epiphany, which locals sometimes refer to as "Twelfth Night". The Carnival season is often known (especially by out-of-towners) by the name of its last day, Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday"), which is held the Tuesday before the beginning of the Catholic liturgical season of Lent, which commences on Ash Wednesday, ending the Carnival season.

The largest of the city's many musical festivals is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Commonly referred to simply as "Jazz Fest", it is one of the largest music festivals in the nation and features crowds coming from all over the world to experience music, food, arts, and crafts. Despite the name, it features not only jazz but a large variety of music, including both native Louisiana music and internationally-known popular music artists.

Along with JazzFest, New Orleans' Voodoo Music Experience and Essence Music Festival are both large music festivals featuring both local and internationally known music artists.

Other major tourist events and attractions in the city include Southern Decadence, as well as sporting events like the Sugar Bowl, Super Bowls, and NCAA final fours.

Balcony in New Orleans

Dialect

See also: Yat (New Orleans)

Like many United States cities, New Orleans has developed a distinctive local dialect over the years. This dialect is neither Cajun nor the stereotypical Southern accent so often misportrayed by film and television actors. It does, like earlier Southern Englishes, feature frequent deletion of post-vocalic "r". One dialect is similar to the New York "Brooklynese" dialect to people unfamiliar with it. There are many theories to how this dialect came to be, but it likely resulted from New Orleans' geographic isolation by water and the fact that New Orleans was a major port of entry into the United States throughout the 19th century. Many of the immigrant groups who reside in Brooklyn also reside in New Orleans, with Irish, Italians, especially Sicilians, and Germans being the largest groups, as well as the largest Jewish community between Florida, Atlanta and Texas[citation needed]. In addition, New Orleans has a sizable Croatian minority as well.

One of the strongest varieties of the New Orleans accent is sometimes identified as Yat, from the greeting "Where y'at?" This distinctive accent is dying out generation by generation in the city itself but remains very strong in the surrounding Parishes.

Throughout the Greater New Orleans area, various ethnic groups have retained their distinctive language traditions to this day. Although rare, Kreyol Lwiziyen is still spoken by Louisiana Creole people. Also rare, an archaic Louisiana-Canarian Spanish dialect is spoken by the Isleños people, but it can usually only be heard by older members of the Isleños population.

Music

Louis Armstrong, famous New Orleans Jazz musician.

New Orleans has always been a significant center for music, with its intertwined European, Latin American, and African-American cultures. New Orleans' unique musical heritage was born in its pre-American and early American days with a unique blending of European instruments with African rhythms. As the only North American city to allow slaves to gather in public and play their native music (largely in Congo Square, now located within Louis Armstrong Park), likely due to the more relaxed attitudes of French and Creole slave owners as compared to their Anglo-American neighbors, New Orleans give birth to an indigenous music: jazz. With New Orleans' large, educated, and influential Creole, Haitian, and free black population, these African beats intertwined with trained musicians and the city's now famous brass bands gained wide popularity and remain popular today.

Decades later, New Orleans was home to a distinctive brand of rhythm and blues that contributed greatly to the growth of rock and roll. A great example of New Orleans' sound in the 1960s is the #1 US hit "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, a song which had the distinction of knocking the Beatles out of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. New Orleans became a hotbed for funk music in the 1960s and 70s. By the late 1980s it had developed its own localized variant of hip hop called bounce music which, while never commercially successful outside of the Deep South, remained immensely popular in the poor African-American neighborhoods of the city through the 1990s. A cousin of Bounce, New Orleans Rap has seen commercial success locally and internationally.[citation needed] Also, a form of southern rock or cowpunk has become popular across college campuses throughout the United States. New Orleans bands which helped originate this wave include The Radiators, Better Than Ezra, Cowboy Mouth, Rising Sun and Dash Rip Rock. Notable members of the New Orleans music scene are Lil Wayne, Master P, Cash Money Records, Rooster and the Chickenhawks, No Limit Records, Djuan Edgerton, and Rickey Spearman. Throughout the 1990s many sludge metal bands started in the New Orleans area. In addition, New Orleans musical traditions borrow heavily from Acadiana to the west, home of Cajun music and Zydeco music, as well as the Delta blues from its hinterlands in the Mississippi Delta. New Orleans is the southern terminus of the fabled Highway 61.

Heavy Metal in New Orleans has avoided the standardisation of the style by MTV and other Media. Bands like Down, Eyehategod, Soilent Green, Crowbar and Acid Bath have incorporated styles such as Country, Dixie Rock, Punk and NWOBHM to create an original and heady brew of swampy and aggravated Metal.

The city also created its own spin on the old tradition of military brass band funerals. Traditional New Orleans funerals feature sad music (mostly dirges and hymns) on the way to the cemetery and happy music (hot jazz) on the way back. Such traditional musical funerals still take place when a local musician, a member of a club, krewe, or benevolent society, or a noted dignitary has passed. Until the 1990s most locals preferred to call these "funerals with music", but out-of-town visitors have long dubbed them "jazz funerals". Younger bands, especially those based in the Treme neighborhood, have embraced the term and now have funerals featuring only jazz music.

Food

Main article: Louisiana Creole cuisine
Main article: Cajun cuisine

New Orleans is world-famous for its food. The indigenous cuisine is distinctive and influential. From centuries of amalgamation of local Creole, haute Creole, and New Orleans French cuisines, New Orleans food has developed. Local ingredients, French, Spanish, Italian, African, Native American, Cajun, and a hint of Cuban traditions combine to produce a truly unique and easily recognizable Louisiana flavor.

Unique specialties include beignets, square-shaped fried pastries that could be called "French doughnuts" (served with coffee and chicory au lait); Po'boy and Italian Muffaletta sandwiches; Gulf oysters on the half-shell, boiled crawfish, and other seafood; étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, and other Creole dishes; and the Monday favorite of red beans and rice (Louis Armstrong often signed his letters, "Red beans and ricely yours"). New Orleans residents enjoy some of the best restaurants in the United States that cater specifically to locals, and visitors are encouraged to try the local establishments recommended by their hosts.

Sports

Main article: Sports in New Orleans

Professional sports teams include the New Orleans Saints (NFL), the New Orleans Hornets (NBA), the New Orleans VooDoo (AFL), and the New Orleans Zephyrs (PCL). There is also an all-female flat track roller derby team, Big Easy Rollergirls, and an all-female football team, New Orleans Blaze. The home stadium of the Saints is the Louisiana Superdome, which hosts the annual Sugar Bowl as well as numerous other prominent events (for a listing of these events, see Louisiana Superdome). The home arena of the Hornets is the New Orleans Arena. New Orleans is also home to the Fair Grounds Race Course, the nation's third-oldest thoroughbred track and the Zurich Classic, a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. For more on sports in New Orleans, see Sports in New Orleans.

Media

The major daily newspaper is the The Times-Picayune, publishing since 1837. Weekly publications include The Louisiana Weekly and Gambit Weekly.[63] Also in wide circulation is the Clarion Herald, the biweekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Greater New Orleans is well served by television and radio. The market is the 54th largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S., serving 566,960 homes and 0.509% of the U.S.[64] Major television network affiliates serving the area include:

WWOZ[2], the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station, broadcasts 24 hours per day of jazz, blues, Zydeco, and New Orleans music at 90.7 FM and at www.wwoz.org. Two radio stations that were influential in promoting New Orleans-based bands and singers were 50,000-watt WNOE-AM (1060) and 10,000-watt WTIX-AM (690). These two stations competed head-to-head from the late 1950s to the late 1970s.

See also: List of radio stations in Louisiana (New Orleans area)

Infrastructure

Transportation

File:IMG 3666border cropped.jpg
A Saint Charles Avenue streetcar headed down Canal Street

Streetcars

Main article: Streetcars in New Orleans

New Orleans has three active streetcar lines. The St. Charles line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in America and each car is a mobile historic landmark. The Riverfront line runs parallel to the river from Esplanade Street through the French Quarter to Canal Street to the Convention Center above Julia Street in the Arts District. The Canal Street line uses the Riverfront line tracks from the intersection of Canal Street and Poydras Street, down Canal Street, then branches off and ends at the cemeteries at City Park Avenue with a spur running from the intersection of Canal and Carrollton Avenue to the entrance of City Park at Esplanade near the entrance to the New Orleans Museum of Art.

The city's streetcars were also featured in the Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire. The streetcar line to Desire Street became a bus line in 1948. There are proposals to revive a Desire streetcar line, running along the neutral grounds of North Rampart and St. Claude, as far downriver as Poland Avenue, near the Industrial Canal.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the power lines supplying the St. Charles Avenue line. The associated levee failures flooded the Mid-City facility storing the red streetcars which normally run on the Riverfront and Canal Street lines. Restoration of service has been gradual, with vintage St. Charles line cars running on the Riverfront and Canal lines until the more modern red cars are back in service; they are being individually restored at the RTA's facility in the Carrollton neighborhood. On December 23, 2007, streetcars were restored to running on the St. Charles line up to Carrolton Avenue, with the remainder of the route expected to be restored in 2008. [65].

Buses

Public transportation in the city is operated by New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ("RTA"). There are many bus routes connecting the city and suburban areas. The Jefferson Parish Department of Transit Administration [66] operates Jefferson Transit which provides service between the city and its suburbs.[67]

Proposed light rail

Recently, many have proposed extending New Orleans's public transit system by adding light rail routes from downtown along Airline Highway through the airport to Baton Rouge and from downtown to Slidell and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Proponents of this idea claim that these new routes would boost the region's economy, which has been badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and serve as an evacuation option for hospital patients out of the city.[68]

Roads

See also: Famous streets of New Orleans

New Orleans proper is served by interstate highways, Interstate 10, Interstate 610 and Interstate 510. I-10 travels east-west through the city as the Pontchartrain Expressway. In the far eastern part of the city, New Orleans East, it is known as the Eastern Expressway. I-610 provides a direct shortcut for traffic passing through New Orleans via I-10, allowing that traffic to bypass I-10's southward curve. In the future, New Orleans will have another interstate highway, Interstate 49, which will be extended from its current terminus in Lafayette to the city.

In addition to Interstate Highways, U.S. 90 travels through the city while U.S. 61 terminates in the city's downtown center.

New Orleans is home to many bridges, The tolled Crescent City Connection is perhaps the most notable. It serves as New Orleans' major bridge across the Mississippi River, providing a connection between the city's downtown on the eastbank and its westbank suburbs. Other bridges that cross the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area are the Huey P. Long Bridge, over which U.S. 90 travels, and the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, which carries Interstate 310.

The Twin Span, a five-mile (8 km) causeway in eastern New Orleans carries I-10 across Lake Pontchartrain. Also in eastern New Orleans, Interstate 510/LA 47 travels across the Intracoastal Waterway/Mississippi River Gulf Outlet via the Paris Road Bridge, connecting New Orleans East and suburban Chalmette.

The tolled Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, consisting of two parallel bridges, are, at 24 miles (39 km) in length, the longest bridges in the world. Built in the 1950s (southbound span) and 1960s (northbound span), the bridges connect New Orleans with its suburbs on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain via Metairie.

Airports

The metropolitan area is served by Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, located in the suburb of Kenner. New Orleans also has several regional airports located throughout the metropolitan area. These include the Lakefront Airport, New Orleans Naval Air Station (locally known as Callendar Field) in the suburb of Belle Chasse and "Southern Seaplane," also located in Belle Chasse. Southern Seaplane has a 3,200-foot (980 m) runway for wheeled planes and a 5,000-foot (1,500 m) water runway for seaplanes. New Orleans' airport suffered some damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina, but as of April 2007 it contained the most traffic and is the busiest airport in the state of Louisiana, and it is the sixth busiest in the Southeast.

Railroad

The city is served by rail via Amtrak. The New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal is the central rail depot, and is served by three trains: the Crescent, operating between New Orleans and New York City; the City of New Orleans, operating between New Orleans and Chicago; and the Sunset Limited, operating through New Orleans between Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles, California. From late August of 2005 to the present, the Sunset Limited has remained officially a Florida-to-Los Angeles train, being considered temporarily truncated due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina. At first (until late October 2005) it was truncated to a San Antonio-to-Los Angeles service; since then (from late October 2005 on) it has been truncated to a New Orleans-to-Los Angeles service. As time has passed, particularly since the January 2006 completion of the rebuilding of damaged tracks east of New Orleans by their owner CSX Transportation Inc., the obstacles to restoration of the Sunset Limited's full route have been more managerial and political than physical.

In addition, the city is also served by six of the seven Class I freight railroads in North America: Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX, Canadian National Railway, and Kansas City Southern Railway. New Orleans Public Belt provides interchange services between the railroads.

Port

Main article: Port of New Orleans

Sister cities

New Orleans has ten sister cities:[69]

Nicknames

The city's several nicknames are illustrative:

  • Crescent City alludes to the course of the Mississippi River around and through the city.
  • The Big Easy was possibly a reference by musicians in the early 20th century to the relative ease of finding work there. It also may have originated in the Prohibition era when the city was considered one big speak-easy due to the inability of the federal government to control alcohol sales in open violation of the 18th Amendment. The term was used by local columnist Betty Gillaud in the 1970s to contrast life in the city to that of New York City.[70] The name also refers to New Orleans' status as a major city, and at one time "one of the cheapest places in America to live" and came into popular usage throughout the United States in the wake of the 1987 film The Big Easy, which was set in New Orleans.[71]
  • The City that Care Forgot was given by American writer Mark Twain, and refers to the outwardly easy-going, carefree nature of many of the residents.
  • America's Most Interesting City appears on welcome signs at the city limits.
  • Hollywood of the South is a reference to the large number of films, big and small, shot in the city since 2002.
  • The Northernmost Caribbean City is a reference from the Boston Globe as well as other travel guides due in part to the similarities of culture with the Caribbean islands.
  • K-Ville a reference to the destruction New Orleans faced after Hurricane Katrina.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "New Orleans: The Birthplace of Jazz" (primarily excerpted from Jazz: A History of America's Music). PBS – JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  2. ^ "America Savors Its Music During Jazz Appreciation Month". U.S. Dept. of State – USINFO. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  3. ^ Institute of New Orleans History and Culture at Gwynedd-Mercy College
  4. ^ Behind the Scenes: Hurricane on the Bayou
  5. ^ New Orleans: A Choice Between Destruction and Reparations, by David Billings, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, November/December 2005
  6. ^ Bring New Orleans Back
  7. ^ Spike Lee offers his take on Hurricane Katrina, by Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press, July 14 2006
  8. ^ "History of Les Gens De Couleur Libres". Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  9. ^ Kusky, Timothy M. (2005-12-29). "Why is New Orleans Sinking?" (PDF). Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences , Saint Louis University. Retrieved 2006-06-17. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help); line feed character in |publisher= at position 45 (help)
  10. ^ O'Hanlon, Larry (2006-03-31). "New Orleans Sits Atop Giant Landslide". Discovery Channel. Retrieved 2006-06-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Marshall, Bob (2005-11-30). "17th Street Canal levee was doomed". Times-Picayune. Retrieved 2006-03-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Mayor: Parts of New Orleans to reopen". CNN.com. September 15 2005. Retrieved 2006-05-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  13. ^ "N.O. head count gains steam", Times-Picayune, August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
  14. ^ John A. Kilpatrick and Sofia Dermisi, Aftermath of Katrina: Recommendations for Real Estate Research, Journal of Real Estate Literature, Spring, 2007
  15. ^ New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Retrieved 07-04-2007
  16. ^ "New Orleans and Major League Soccer?", ABC26 News, March 20, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2007.
  17. ^ a b Barry, J.M. What You Need to Know About Katrina-- and Don't-- Why It Makes Economic Sense to Protect and Rebuild New Orleans. From: johnmbarry.com. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  18. ^ Strecker, M. A New Look at Subsidence Issues. From: tulane.edu, July 24, 2006.
  19. ^ a b c The New Orleans Hurrican Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why. Report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
  20. ^ Williams, L. Higher Ground - A study finds that New Orleans has plenty of real estate above sea level that is being underutilized. The Times Picayune, April 21, 2007.
  21. ^ New Orleans People, Pets Flee Flood (photographs). From: National Geographic, August 30, 2005.
  22. ^ Floodwaters, tensions rise in New Orleans. CNN, August 31, 2005.
  23. ^ President Bush signs OCS revenue sharing bill; Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. From: gov.louisiana.gov, December 20, 2006.
  24. ^ Walsh, B. Blanco, Nagin lobby for Louisiana aid. The Times Picayune, October 17, 2007.
  25. ^ "Monthly Averages for New Orleans, LA". Retrieved 2006-08-06.
  26. ^ Federal Emergency Management Agency
  27. ^ Rita's impact, city by city. Flooding and power outages plague Texas and Louisiana. CNN, September 24, 2005.
  28. ^ "The Weather Channel's Special Report: Vulnerable Cities - New Orleans, LA". Retrieved 2006-10-26.
  29. ^ IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
  30. ^ City's Population up 14 Percent Since July 2006. nola.com, 2007-05-03. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
  31. ^ Expert: N.O. population at 273,000. From: WWLTV, August 7, 2007.
  32. ^ Mail survey shows N.O. population at 69 percent of Pre-Katrina. From: WWLTV, September 27, 2007.
  33. ^ Moreno Gonzales, J. Katrina Brought a Wave of Hispanics. Guardian Unlimited, July 2, 2007.
  34. ^ H.R. 1227
  35. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Avoyelles Parish Quickfacts". Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  36. ^ Gibson, Campbell (June 1998). "Population Of The 100 Largest Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States: 1790 To 1990". Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census. Retrieved 2006-05-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  37. ^ "New Orleans (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". Retrieved 2007-01-04.
  38. ^ New Orleans, "now under the flag of the United States, is still very much a Caribbean city...." "The Pearl of the Antilles and the Crescent City: Historic Maps of the Caribbean in the Latin American Library Map Collections". Latin American Library, Tulane University. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
  39. ^ New Orleans is described as "a Caribbean city, an exuberant, semi-tropical city, perhaps the most hedonistic city in the United States." R.W. Apple, Jr. "Apple's America" (quoted on ePodunk.com). Retrieved 2007-01-04.
  40. ^ New Orleans "is often called the northernmost Caribbean city." Kemp, John R. (1997-11-30). "When the painter met the Creoles". Boston Globe. p. G3. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ "New Orleans murder rate on the rise again". MSNBC. 2005-08-18. Retrieved 2006-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ a b Ritea S. and T. Young. Violence thrives on lack of jobs, wealth of drugs. The Times Picayune, February 8, 2004. .pdf version
  43. ^ FBI: Crime in the United States, 2002
  44. ^ After Katrina, New Orleans Crime Moves to Other Cities. ABC News, November 16, 2005.
  45. ^ a b Houston ties murder increase to Katrina. AP via MSNBC.com, October 21, 2006.
  46. ^ Nossiter, A. As Life Returns to New Orleans, So Does Crime The New York Times, March 30 2006
  47. ^ Drew, C. Drug Problems Escalate After Hurricane Katrina. The New York Times, August 5, 2006.
  48. ^ Nossiter, A. and C. Drew. In New Orleans, Dysfunction Fuels Cycle of Killing. The New York Times, February 5, 2007.
  49. ^ McCarthy, B. N.O. is murder capital for 2006. The Times Picayune, June 5, 2007.
  50. ^ Moore, Katie (November 15, 2007). "Statistics show city more violent than once thought". WWLTV. Retrieved 2007-11-22. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  51. ^ Overseas visitors to select U.S. cities/Hawaiian Islands 2001 - 2000. U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  52. ^ a b New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation
  53. ^ Travel + Leisure says New Orleans is tops for live music, cocktails and cheap eats. NOLA.com money blog, October 10, 2007.
  54. ^ Louisiana Quick Facts. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  55. ^ Bankston III, Carl L. (2002). "A Troubled Dream: The Promise and Failure of School Desegregation in Louisiana". Vanderbilt University.
  56. ^ "Howard-Tilton Memorial Library". Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  57. ^ "Law Library of Louisiana". Louisiana Supreme Court. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  58. ^ "Earl K. Long Library". University of New Orleans. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  59. ^ "NOPL Branches". Hubbell Library. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  60. ^ "Louisiana Division, City Archives and Special Collections". New Orleans Public Library. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  61. ^ "Williams Research Center". Historic New Orleans Collection. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  62. ^ "Old US Mint". Louisiana State Museum. Retrieved 2006-05-17.
  63. ^ Gambit Weekly
  64. ^ Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season. Nielson Media Research, August 23, 2006.
  65. ^ http://www.norta.com
  66. ^ Department of Transit Administration. The Parish of Jefferson. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  67. ^ Jefferson Transit
  68. ^ Nagin: N.O. in position to make bold steps forward
  69. ^ Sister Cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI). Retrieved June 8, 2006.
  70. ^ Origins of New Orleans Words and Traditions. New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Division. Retrieved February 18 2007
  71. ^ The Big Easy. From: The Phrase Finder. Retrieved November 12, 2007.

29°58′N 90°03′W / 29.967°N 90.050°W / 29.967; -90.050

Template:Link FA

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Orleans&oldid=189248170"