This first one is from the lower 9th, one of the worst hit areas from Katrina. It’s a surreal place to walk around. All of the streets, driveways, and poles are there for a regular urban neighborhood. Most of the lots; however, are empty except for the front steps.

On a more positive note, there were cement trucks and construction crews driving past all morning, so there is reconstruction still going on.

This next one is from a little further east in an area know as the Bywater, just off St. Claude. This is one of the living art centers of the city – albeit quite grimy – and many of the street musicians I’ve drawn before call it home. It is at a higher elevation and did not suffer as badly. It’s also pretty much the gutter punk capitol of the city.