Gay New Orleans Bounces Back
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The
perception seems to be that New Orleans' poorest neighborhoods received
the heaviest damage, and the upscale ones were mostly spared, but this is
a vast oversimplification. In reality, the parts of the city that have
been decimated are largely residential, but they include lower-income,
middle-class, and upscale areas, and they encompass all races.
What this means for visitors is that, indeed, the parts of New Orleans
you're probably most familiar with are the parts now in the best shape. I
still noticed plenty of moderate to mild hurricane damage in the French
Quarter, Uptown, and other prominent tourist-oriented areas, but most of
the worst messes had been cleaned up. Indeed, the city has even planned a
scaled-down but still ambitious Mardi Gras celebration for the last week
of February (Mardi Gras Tuesday falls on the 28th). For details on this
event, log on to www.mardigrasneworleans.com, an excellent resource.
Understandably, plenty of visitors to the city are curious to learn about
Katrina's wrath, and in December, Gray Line New Orleans began offering a
"Hurricane Katrina - America's Worst Catastrophe" bus tour. This is not
some ghoulish romp exploiting the misery of others. Many Gray Line
employees lost their homes to the hurricane, and the company is taking a
sensitive approach to these tours, which aim to educate visitors about the
storm, and the region's vanishing coastline, controversial levee system,
and oil and gas pipelines.
As for the city's fabled gay scene, most bars are up and running, drawing
plenty of big crowds. Famed bars like Bourbon Pub, Cafe Lafitte in Exile,
Oz, and Good Friends are packed with revelers these days, and the lovably
raffish Clover Grill diner, long a fixture in the gay community, had
resumed 8 a.m.-to-midnight hours as of this writing. Other great
gay-popular restaurants, such as Marigny Brasserie, Peristyle, Bayona, and
Elizabeth's are serving up the same tantalizing New Orleans fare they were
before Katrina. And Rue de la Course coffeehouse is still a favorite spot
for a cup of java.
Finding a place to stay in town is becoming increasingly easier, as more
hotels reopen, and fewer properties are booked solid with relief workers.
Gay-popular mainstream hotels such as Hotel Monteleone, International
House, the Royal Sonesta, and the Renaissance Arts Hotel (to name a few)
have resumed operations and have widespread room availability.
Another excellent option is to book a room at one of the city's many
gay-friendly B&Bs and inns. During my two nights, I stayed at the
delightful Elysian Fields Inn. Owners Leigh and Jim Crawford bought the
inn in summer 2005, and despite missing revenue during a nearly
three-month closure and losing their beautiful sundeck to a fallen tree,
these folks have done a commendable job reopening the inn and welcoming
guests. Leigh and Jim are gradually filling this handsome inn with music
memorabilia and local artwork. Other great gay-friendly lodging choices
include the historic Rathbone Inn, the cozy Arts B&B, and the funky
Fourteen Fifteen Creole Gardens.
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