Behind the facade, a city left to rot

Until everyone forgets and the cameras move on; then, will the wealthy developers move in and create one more hideous all-American city of ugly concrete, glass and steel.

As we said a year ago, New Orleans is gone forever; our good times in that wonderful city are now just a memory, never to be re-created.

Guardian Unlimited Special reports Behind the facade, a city left to rot:

The late-night bars and jazz clubs are open in the French Quarter, as are the cafes in the elegant Garden District. One year after the worst natural disaster in US history, New Orleans is gamely giving the impression that the good times are rolling again.

But a couple of miles to the north or east, the Cajun bravura falls away like a cheap carnival mask, the streets fall quiet and the Crescent City becomes a dead zone.