New Orleans

Figuring out New Orleans used to be straightforward: Many of its attractions date back to the city's founding nearly 300 years ago; there are even bars and restaurants from the 19th century. In a city enamored of its own idiosyncratic traditions, very little changed. Then, in late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina transformed everything about New Orleans: its footprint, population, and rhythms. Violent winds and devastating floodwaters caused the only full urban evacuation in modern American history and brought changes that were immediate and catastrophic. Now, New Orleans is staging a dramatic comeback that jibes perfectly with the city's defiant, exuberant spirit. Tourism remains the driving economic force, and much of that industry's infrastructure—hotels, restaurants, bars—reopened soon after the city was pumped dry. Fans of the French Quarter will likely find their favorite haunts intact, many operating as if nothing ever happened. Still, as residents continue to return and businesses reopen, progress can seem at once surprisingly rapid and painstakingly slow. If you're willing to witness the city's changes firsthand, you'll see history in the making and make a valuable contribution to New Orleans's steady recovery. Those dollars help.

Lay of the Land: Most weekenders and conventioneers rarely get past the historic French Quarter and the Central Business District (CBD), which contain the lion's share of the larger hotels, as well as the convention center and New Orleans's classic restaurants, bars, and other forms of adult entertainment (we have a sneaking suspicion you know what we mean). These districts' historical appeal to the original French colonists—high ground near the Mississippi River—proved advantageous in Katrina's wake as well: Both zones escaped severe flooding damage and have been quick to rebound. Along with the other river-hugging neighborhoods (Faubourg Marigny, the Warehouse District, the Garden and Lower Garden districts, Uptown, and Riverbend), these mostly elevated areas constitute what's informally known as the "Sliver by the River."

Well over a year after the storm, the Sliver still defines the city's most active neighborhoods, where new businesses, boutiques, and restaurants have flourished as communities returned from evacuation. Outside the Sliver, in such low-lying neighborhoods as Mid-City, the now-familiar Lower Ninth Ward, and New Orleans East, there are more signs of life every day. But for the city as a whole, recovery times will be measured in years, not months.

WHEN TO GO

New Orleans's biggest cultural events—Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest—take place in late winter and spring, avoiding the summer heat waves and storms. The large conventions that traditionally take over whole floors of local hotels have been slow to return—a situation that's frustrating for hoteliers but a boon for independent travelers. Bargain rates that formerly turned up only in the summer off-season are now available nearly year-round. A little-known sweet spot is in March and April, when the city catches its breath between Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. As a local once put it, "Rooms cost a million bucks on Mardi Gras night, but on Ash Wednesday, you can buy the whole town for a dollar."

HOW TO GET THERE

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is located approximately 11 miles from downtown New Orleans (504-464-0831; www.flymsy.com). The post-Katrina transportation situation presents a few challenges when arriving by air, but major airlines are consistently restoring routes and prestorm flights. By January 2007, daily air traffic was running at about two-thirds the pre-Katrina rate.

Taxis from the airport into town charge a flat rate for one or two people ($28), plus a surcharge for each additional passenger. There's also an airport shuttle that leaves every 30 minutes and stops at various hotels; buy your ticket at the booth in the baggage claim area ($13; 504-522-3500; www.airportshuttleneworleans.com).

GETTING AROUND

In terms of basic transportation, the options are leaner than before, with RTA buses and streetcars running on altered routes. Until late 2007, the city's historic green streetcars won't clack past the oak-shaded mansions of St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District but will run instead the length of Canal Street from the French Quarter to City Park. Current route maps and schedules are available at 504-248-3900 or www.norta.com.

For a town known for its ragtag fleet of owner-operated gypsy cabs, taxi service is slow, especially during busy tourist seasons. Even using the usually reliable United Cabs requires considerable patience (504-522-9771; www.unitedcabs.com). Ask your hotel's concierge for average wait times before heading out.

TOURIST INFO

The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau at 2020 St. Charles Avenue provides basic tourism information; their website lists what's open and what's still closed (800-672-6124; www.neworleanscvb.com). There's also a state tourism welcome center at 529 St. Ann Street in the French Quarter (504-568-5661), and you can get great cultural guides to the city from New Orleans's official tourism website (www.neworleansonline.com). OffBeat, a free local monthly magazine, offers in-depth coverage of the music scene (www.offbeat.com). The Times-Picayune newspaper publishes its entertainment section on Fridays. The alternative paper, Gambit Weekly, hits the stands on Sundays.