# Volunteering in New Orleans - what to see? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153 "2006-12-22T00:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/1 "2006-12-22T00:37:46Z")
Hi, all. I’m heading down to New Orleans for ten days of volunteer work, and I’m going to have quite a bit of time to muck about in the city. Any NOLADopers with thoughts on what I should absolutely not skip? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/2 "2006-12-22T05:02:49Z")
• Catch a traditional New Orleans-style jazz performance at [Preservation Hall](http://www.preservationhall.com/2.0/). • [National Park Service](http://www.nps.gov/jela/french-quarter-site.htm) daily walking tours of the French Quarter. Free! • Coffee and fresh beignets (square doughnuts) 24 hours a day at [Cafe du Monde](http://cafedumonde.com/). • [Audubon Aquarium of the Americas](http://www.auduboninstitute.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Facility_Aquarium). • [The National World War II Museum](http://www.ddaymuseum.org/). • [The Cabildo](http://www.frommers.com/destinations/neworleans/A25391.html) museum traces the history of Louisiana from exploration through Reconstruction. • Ride the [St. Charles Avenue streetcar](http://www.inetours.com/New_Orleans/St_Charles_Streetcar.html) through the Garden District, past gracious 19th-century mansions, ending at Tulane University. $1.25 each way. ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/3 "2006-12-22T11:34:29Z")
[Port of Call](http://www.portofcallneworleans.com/) for the best hamburgers found ANYWHERE. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/4 "2006-12-22T11:39:41Z")
How much Katrina damage is left in NOLA? My wife and I were discussing it, and based on the average media presentation, it would appear there are areas still wiped out. How’s the population numbers compare to pre-Katrina, at this point? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/5 "2006-12-22T18:05:27Z")
As of December, there are currently an estimated 200,000 residents within New Orleans city limits. That’s about 41 percent of the pre-Katrina population of the city which was about 484,000. The flood-devastated areas were primarily in low-lying residential neighborhoods. The two areas most often visited by tourists — the French Quarter and the Garden District — were built on highlands above the river level and were among the least affected by flooding. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/6 "2006-12-22T19:13:01Z")
I don’t think the streetcar line is running down St. Charles yet. I’m pretty sure they’ve only got them up working as far as Canal. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/7 "2006-12-22T19:15:49Z")
Ha, I’m wrong, it just started up St. Charles on the 19th. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/12/19/neworleans.streetcar.reut/](http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/12/19/neworleans.streetcar.reut/) That’s a start anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering-in-new-orleans-what-to-see/385153/8 "2006-12-22T19:18:43Z")
The Central Business District loop of the St. Charles streetcar line (from Carondelet and Canal Streets to Lee Circle) resumed operation starting December 19, 7 days a week. But the rest of the route won’t be completed until 2007. Until then, the RTA St. Charles bus operates on the same route.