New Orleans, round two

First, thanks to Bruce and don q for the suggested routes. That has to be one of the fastest responses I've ever had on my blog! I'll definitely head down St. Charles tomorrow. I'm going to post some pictures from my run today, but before that I wanted to post this video from the New Orlean Ladder blog.



Much of my academic life has involved studying the relationship among poverty, space, and food. The damaging economic stratification of society and the myth of the American Dream is readily apparent in cities like New Orleans. The same patterns are evident in Detroit, where low-income populations are trapped in houses filled with lead pipes. Unfortunately, New Orleans stands out as a particularly poignant example because the devastation of poverty typically creeps while Katrina highlighted social inequity with rapid destruction (although the government's response to either manifestation of poverty appears much the same). It's been strange to jog by college students getting drunk at bars and then to, so clearly, cross a line into neighborhoods where the devastation of Katrina has not been repaired because, well, only poor people live there. Okay, that's my rant.

As you can see, around the French Quarter there is some significant redevelopment going on and some high end condos just down the road from abandon buildings. But how much quality housing is available that people can afford?

Whoops, I got so caught up ranting about the state of society I forgot to give you a mileage update. I did 8.5 miles today and found the very nice Riverwalk (more pictures later). I stopped and picked up some crawfish etouffee on the way home. If I move somewhere just for the food, this place is high on my list.