jakorte's blog

On my third round touring the lower 9th ward, it seems too exactly as I remember. Disserted homes still haunt the streets displaying their quadrant markings from 2005. There has been some progress; a few more fast food chains, corner markets and gas stations have returned.

I walk the levee this time, following the slow slope up to the highest point. Looking down confirms my fears; the new levee doesn’t seem sufficient. I doubt it will fare any better than the old one should another storm like Katrina pass this way.

We drive through neighborhoods we've worked in before. Our timing is such that uniformed children spill out into previously abandoned courtyards and onto new sidewalks. Their laughter and smiles are contagious. I have a happier memory to take home with me now.

We drive through small side streets to find my first assignment home from 2007. Another volunteer and I – members of the home wreckers demolition team – stand sadly at the gates of the home we gutted a year ago. The yard is a little greener, the debris is all gone. There are, however, no signs of life at this address. We brave the gate, peer into the windows, and then hug each other in joy. Drywall is up, flooring is down – someone has been working here. If the drywall is up, the electrical is complete, the water heater and the plumbing are working. 3 years after Katrina hit, this home is not complete, but also not completely hopeless. We have to take what good we find and build it into solid reasons to encourage others to keep coming.

We drive through the levee neighborhood and Brad Pitt’s venture. The houses are interesting, and say nothing about New Orleans. Maybe that’s the point; to take the clean slate provided by mother nature and move the city forward into progress. As we walk the streets and wonder, our team members stop to talk to Make It Right workers on these sites. We respectfully keep off the properties; we understand the liabilities.

We drive through Musician’s Row, and I feel better knowing that at least one neighborhood has been restored to its New Orleans’ heritage. The close-knit, colorful houses speak of community revival. I laugh when we find ourselves at the intersections of South Bunnyfriend and Desire Streets; an odd and playful combination reflecting both the innocence and the essence of New Orleans.