Along the Golf Coast: All That's Left is the Front Steps.

The Gulf coast of Mississippi is said to be the "Ground Zero" of Katrina. As I was riding through the towns of Gulfport + Biloxi, MS, I could see why. Imagine a beautiful coastline with white sandy beaches (roped off from debris) surrounded by... trashpiles + the remains of houses (which consist of the foundation + maybe the front steps). Yikes. In front of these empty spaces a FEMA trailor may be parked or there may be tents that I guess people are living out of. Yikes, again. I was traveling down the coast because I've never seen it before + my fam + I wanted to go to the beach (Louisiana isn't known for the best beaches). We initially wanted to go to one in MS, but most of them were roped off. I saw Gulfport, which I heard had some beautiful, palatial old southern homes, but all I saw was a town in ruins. No homes, except for a few places caved in/hollowed out. Even the Waffle Houses had disappeared-- all I could see was the sign with many of the letters missing and an empty cement block. Biloxi was also badly hit. It's incredible seeing these fancy homes with all the windows smashed out-- all that's left is a hollow shell full of mold. I saw a hotel that had a whole wall missing, allowing us to see the rooms from the highway. My fam + I drifted through Mobile, AL (also hit) + ended up in Pensacola, FL, which seemed okay.

Man... so much destruction, almost a year after the storm.

New Orleans is cleaning up from the last time I visited in January. Speaking from Uptown, many of the people seem to be back with most of the businesses open on Magazine St. The city is crowded again. The area where you get off I-10 onto Elysian Fields (I think) has tidied up. The water line on the Winn-Dixie isn't as visible + the Red Cross food trucks don't seem to be populating the empty lots as they were before. Most of the houses have been repainted so the Katrina Crosses aren't apparent. I still can't believe that all happened here.

Business seen on Elysian Fields: "Hit-N-Run Liquor."

I have some pics + I'll post 'em as soon as I figure out how to do so.

(504) Upping the Rent in NOLA.

http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2006/06/7861.php

Rent has gone up post-Katrina in the Crescent City. Why? That's what I'm trying to figure out, now that I'm in New Orleans.

Even though this is probably the coolest city in the US, I wouls guess that the city's status would have at least gone down a little after the hurricane. After all, mold abounds (you can smell it before you ever see it) + cockroaches zoom past you in the French Quarter. Katrina only escalated the trash + grit. Besides, this city is pretty much hazardous to yr health in the long run...

Hmm. What really pisses me off about the rent hikes is that I would eventually like to buy a shotgun house in the Uptown district. With the high crime/lower standards of living/the fact of being in hurricane central, I figured there would be somewhat good deals. Erg. All I want is a one bedroom shotgun with tall windows, ceiling fans on the porch, an iron fence, and a few oil lamps, all in the traditional New Orleans style. Heck I'd even take a house spray-painted with ASPCA markings. But even houses that need to be gutted are going for >$190,000. Erg, again.