Welcome to.................................... The Pasco Real Estate Blog.com....... The Pinellas Real Estate Blog.com.... The Hillsborough Real Estate Blog.com, & The Hernando Real Estate Blog.com, hosted by John & Lisa Durkin, "The Topgun Team", where we discuss issues related to, and affecting Real Estate in Pasco County, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Hernando County, and the greater Tampa Bay, Florida area. Comments and participation encouraged. Please join our discussion!

NEW ORLEANS - HURRICANES, HOUSES AND OYSTERS

I (John) am in New Orleans for a few days of duty with the Marine Corps Reserve. This has been my place of duty since summer of 2003. Previous to that I used to travel here on a regular basis for meetings and business. So, although I am no expert on the city, I have an association with it and a love of its culture going back about sixteen years. Lisa has availed herself of the opportunity to join me here whenever possible to enjoy its pleasures, as well.

The prime one for both of us, of course, is the food. You have always been able to, and can still eat your way into oblivion form one end of the city to the other. Lisa’s favorite restaurants are Bayona on Dauphine St and The Court of Two Sisters sandwiched between Royal and Bourbon, both for their great courtyard ambience. We’ve also enjoyed great seafood meals at J. W. Fins – can’t go wrong there. My personal favorites are actually in Metairie, just west of N’awlins – both for their baked oysters – Drago’s and the Acme Oyster House.

We love the architecture of the French Quarter and the southern charm of the garden district. We’ve enjoyed the revelry of Bourbon Street and partied on Mississippi Steamboats. One of Lisa’s favorite stories is how I almost ran out of gas crossing the causeway bridge over Lake Pontchartrain late at night, twenty five years ago (no - she will NEVER let me forget!) . My point is we go back a long way here.

The devastation of Katrina and then Rita had a personal impact on us. In addition to watching a favorite place get nearly destroyed, we watched helplessly as some business and military associates lost homes and memories.

My military unit’s headquarters evacuated to Atlanta after Katrina, although we were involved in providing forces for and assisting in the rescue and recovery operation. We came back to town in December to show them that the Marines were here to stay -- We’ve had a long and supportive relationship with the city for many years. At that time, I got a chance to see all the devastation first hand. We were staying in the Marriot hotel across the street form the convention center where tens of thousands had sought refuge on the street. To Marriott’s credit, they had already invested millions to get that looted, damaged hotel back up to four star status so soon after the hurricane. The area around it, however, was a stark contrast to what it had been. Dark, dirty, and virtually abandoned save for the FEMA, Red Cross, and hazmat personnel. There were, luckily, a few beer and food establishments that had opened back up.

The area where my Marine Corps duty station is, on the far east side of the French Quarter, was a much worse story. The area around it had been flooded badly, and to drive to work was like driving through a no-man’s land. It was dark, destroyed, dirty and a place of absolute despair. You’ve seen all the images, and they are all real and vast. We’re not talking about a small area made to look like the whole city. It was and IS the whole city.

I’ve watched New Orleans recover now, on a fairly monthly basis since Katrina hit. The downtown area was booming this weekend for the Jazz and Heritage Festival. The neighborhood around my duty station is VERY SLOWLY coming back to life. It will take years and billions of dollars to make it whole again. Much as I love the place I question whether it’s smart to rebuild a city below sea level.

What is amazing is that even though there has supposedly been a very high demand for housing here, the reality seems to say otherwise. I perused the Real Estate sales statistics and looked at individual homes. There are homes here in very nice neighborhoods that have been on the market for a reasonable price for over a year. It’s hard to believe that this almost dead nationwide housing market has even stopped activity here. The demand should be here as residents, opportunists, and new blood return - The supply is certainly severely limited. However, the demand seems to be lacking. What will bring it back here? What will bring it back to the Florida Gulf Coast? Is it the prospect of more hurricane activity this year? I’ll take my chances on the Gulf Coast lifestyle with its occasional tropical storm over the no-notice tornado lifestyle of the Kansas plains any day.

I’ll reaffirm it tonight over Drago’s awesome, baked oysters and an Abita Amber or two.