DOWNTOWNWORKS

It is very difficult, but not impossible. I have found that the best way to advance is by committing yourself to a place that can challenge you and allow you to learn. You really have to put in the time. You can't really just walk into any place in New Orleans and declare you want the job. You gotta learn the ropes. I've worked at three places in the last fifteen years, and I've been at Herbsaint for the last eleven. I learned the value of commitment from Frank Brightsen. His work ethic is the template of what it takes to become a chef. Working for Donald Link I've learned to harness that.

I hope that answers your questions. Feel free to email me if you need anything else.

Gambino

New Orleans is a great place to be for artists. There is a strong community of good working artists here. I primarily needed to find a studio work space, so this was the first thing I sought out for. I lucked out and found one downtown in the New Orleans Arts District, it was a great move for me personally. I can open my studio if I would like or I can close it up and work. I suggest finding a good place that works for you personally- make it your own. People like seeing a natural working habitat but keep in mind that if you would like people to come in by appointment, it needs to be presentable. I like having a show area that stays clean and a back area I can work freely in that can get messy. There are lots of little spots like this all over New Orleans.

Locals in New Orleans have a renewed “can-do” spirit. We are more positive about the state of our city’s population and economic recovery, and because we have greatly benefited from the tens of thousands of volunteers that have poured into our city to give a helping hand, we are proud whenever our city shows the ability to entice volunteers and visitors to stay longer, get jobs, and settle in. The many diverse people that have worked in New Orleans over the last few years has fueled energy along our downtown spines because those cultural pieces that locals are desensitized by are new and refreshing to newcomers. Any time you are able to see someone else’s first reaction to something, always re-kindles an appreciation within you.

New Orleans welcomes the newcomer to the city; their new perspective, diverse interests, talents, and frame of reference that can continue making our city a place where both the resident and visitors can appreciate the city’s culture and history while creating a work and play environment that is “in the know,” fun, and innovative.

The question is a difficult one to answer because we have always seen New Orleans as more than a place on a map. Its more than a collection of demographic and other "quality of life" statistics. New Orleans is a spirit, a vibe; a community of believers that tap into a cultural soul that makes it so special.

So the question is a bit like asking a mother how having children has given her advantages others do not have, when in fact the question may be better positioned, "how have your children helped shape your life?"

The vibe that makes New Orleans special has defined the essence of the Hornets in every way. By integrating the rich musical and artistic character of the community into our game presentation, we have been ranked the top team in league year over year for the entertainment we provide fans. By creating benefits for our season ticket holders that revolve around the way we socially interact in the city, we have created an atmosphere that most describe as a family- a quality that would be very difficult to replicate in other cities. By focusing on the greater mission of the team that goes beyond basketball, when have been able to attract purpose oriented employees, coaches, and players from around the country- again something that wouldn't translate somewhere else.

New Orleans helps define our team in a manner that couldn't exist anywhere else.

Hugh

New Orleans is the perfect city for me because it allows me work, play, eat and create in one contained, walkable space.

Proud and Exciting! Everyday is a thrill. With millions of visitors and locals, I am constantly meeting people from all over the world with great stories on why they chose to visit or live in New Orleans. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to interact with people on a daily basis. At Rubensteins we are a visitor AND local information stop. I get to tell them about what is happening downtown, how to find their way through the Quarter, or more importantly, find them something good to eat!

I am most proud of the fact that Rubensteins and I are part of New Orleans as it rebuilds and is renewed with new businesses, new ideas, new people and immersed with new cultures. Maybe it is our 'Laissez le bon temps rouler' mentality, our 150 year old buildings or the magnificent French Quarter, but I often hear that New Orleans is unlike any other city in America – We are something special and that is EXCITING!

The newest location differs from Magazine Street because it focuses on the downtown lifestyle. Our retail space is smaller so product lines are carefully curated and promote a utilitarian approach to organizing. We focus more on the needs of professionals whose time is limited and downtown residents living in small, sometimes awkward spaces. In general, our new store highlights a less is more way of living and working in the downtown area.

There's perhaps no better place to be for indie filmmakers right now than New Orleans. Statewide, we rank third in volume of film and TV production behind California and New York, so there's already a large network of industry professionals living and working in the city. The recently formed Independent Filmmakers Network provides an excellent way for local filmmakers to connect, share ideas, and better their craft. And the New Orleans Film Society has, in recent years, increased its programming of locally made films: there's even a category now in the annual New Orleans Film Festival dedicated exclusively to Louisiana films.

I started by first company, Susco Solutions, in 2005, pre-DMI. We focused on developing custom software for hire for other firms. Whenever we would embark on developing software we owned and sold licenses too, we found the process very stressful. As a self-funded business, all the risk of the product failing and losing the first investment were quite daunting. In 2010, when we started development on App Maker, having the DMI available to us made us much more liberal in how much time/money we’d spend on the product b/c we know we’d be getting approximately 35% of it back which we could then investment. Since then we spunoff Touch Studios, which has invested in multiple products, including a more advanced version of App Maker, and iPad and iPhone games, which has been a lot easier because of the presence of DMI.

Thanks,
Neel

A number of factors ultimately led to the current state of Canal Street, however the primary causes were the following:


The 1980s were a pivotal time in the history of New Orleans for a number of reasons. Prior to 1970, retail was mostly a locally developed commodity. By the end of the decade and throughout the 1980s, retail was becoming more “nationally oriented” as opposed to those familiar “home grown institutions”. New Orleans’ retail establishments that were 80 to 150 years old we beginning to feel the pressure to rapidly expand or run the risk that they would be purchased by a national retail organization. In addition, many of these business were single or few store operations. Competition from national companies was fierce and many sold out or were acquired through control of the publically traded shares (as was the case with D.H. Holmes). In other cases, third and fourth generations were operating retail stores that were founded by their grandparents and the appeal of selling off for a cash settlement was often too good to pass up.

In addition to the retail component, the oil bust further complicated the situation. Many jobs were being lost in New Orleans as this employment sector was transitioning many jobs to Texas. The office worker population in Downtown New Orleans declined (which provided a large shopper base). Real estate prices dropped and many Downtown properties were sold to mitigate any further loss. New owners came in and bought these properties with the idea of using them to serve a new and growing audience – tourists, visitors and urban dwellers. In the early 1990s tourism was taking off at new heights in New Orleans and the convention business saw records never before seen in the history of the city. Many Canal Street properties were now being used to serve this market. Department stores were becoming hotels and single user properties were becoming (among other uses) “T-shirt shops.”

As we fast forward to the present, the DDD has a retail attraction effort that is unparalleled to any other. Since the development of the 2004 Canal Street Development Strategy, the organization was been involved in this effort. Along with myself, we have brought on board Shelly Wills, a 40 year veteran of the retail industry. The job is two -fold – develop relationships with property owners and engage great national/regional/local retail to establish a presence on Canal Street. As of mid year 2011, the DDD has conducted 12 retail site visits and plans on 12-15 more by year end. With a daily focus working towards this goal, residents should start to see a transformation of Canal Street in the coming months and years.

The financial services industry in New Orleans has been very static for years. New Orleans is a city with a traditional financial services landscape consisting of mostly commercial banks with a few national and boutique investment firms sprinkled around. In general, the financial landscape of a city is reflective of the type and level of business activity it sees. The New Orleans economy is comprised of mostly traditional industries with a number of family owned businesses. As a result, commercial banks tend to be the dominate players in the market. The key to breaking into the New Orleans finance scene is relationships. Being everywhere all the time is a great way to build relationships. Join finance related trade groups and find out who the key players are in the city. Moreover, it would not hurt to attend events unrelated to finance because you never know where a relationship could lead you. Building relationships takes time but is well worth the effort.

Despite our more traditional industries, the entrepreneurial community is starting to grow and become younger. Younger entrepreneurs tend to focus on technology and media related businesses that are usually unattractive to commercial banks in the early stages of their lifecycle. Eventually, our financial services industry will become more diverse and provide increased opportunities for young financiers. Also, don’t overlook the opportunity to fill a void in our financial services offerings as an entrepreneur.

In the meantime, network as if you want to meet all 350,000 people living in New Orleans and good things will happen.

The easy is answer is there's no place like home. Most people who've lived in their hometown for most of their lives cherish it, if they're lucky. But there's more to our decision to return than home sickness: we knew the city would be a dynamic and invigorating place to live. This is one of the few cities in the world where the most of the residents had to think long and hard about whether they would live return or move here. Most likely, you lost your home and had to rebuild, which is an incredibly difficult process to endure. Or maybe, you'd never been to the city and decided to jump in blind because you wanted to make a difference, test yourself or find a unique experience. Whatever the reason for being in New Orleans now, there's an amazing level of energy in a city chosen by its people. It's a very unusual and rewarding situation."

Thanks,
Maurice

There are a huge number of valuable organizations that are worth participating in, so when someone asks me this, I often ask them what their interests are. Whatever your interest, there is a great group here that will be interested. Broadly, I suggest 504ward, Young Leadership Council, Urban League Young Professionals, or one of a host of other YPOs in the city. If you’re a techie (or even interested in Tech things), Net2NO is great. For sports-networking-fun check out PlayNOLA or any of the kickball leagues. The greatest way to meet people in New Orleans, though, is just to talk to them. Pull up a barstool or a chair in a coffeeshop and ask folks some questions – you’ll be amazed how easy it is to make new friends in this town.

Stephens Garage, or what we call “The Garage” is being transformed into a mixed-use development that will be quite unique in downtown New Orleans. The ground floor will encompass 15,000 square feet of retail / commercial space and 30 covered parking spaces. Now, what happens above this will distinguish The Garage. We will take out the existing car ramps and replace them with two automobile elevators. This will allow our tenants to park on the same floor that they live on, as a typical residential floor will have 17 apartments and 20 parking spaces. The building is currently 4 stories tall, but we will be adding an additional floor, and the combination of the four residential floors will house 65 apartments and 80 parking spaces.

But that is not all. We plan on including a large solar array on the rooftop, which will supply 65% of the utility needs of each apartment. Each residential parking space will have access to a charging station, which will also be fed by our solar panels. So, one can literally charge up their electric car by the sun.



The interior of the apartments will continue to provide the flexible lifestyle features that Wisznia’s other downtown developments have become known for. Construction should begin in early 2012. It is the next step in our commitment to New Orleans, and more specifically downtown New Orleans.

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center is a state-of-the-art wet lab technology incubator that rents lab, office and conference space, as well as provides technical assistance to biotechnology startup companies. In a nutshell, we are a non-profit company providing tech startups with the infrastructure and assistance they need to get their company off the ground successfully. Our larger goal is to contribute to the knowledge-based economy in New Orleans.

I work on Julia half of the week and benefit from having many choices for lunch that are outstanding. My top picks right now are the following:

Rio Mar
Sit down lunches with clients or collaborators. Fresh food that is not heavy and kills the enthusiasm for work the rest of the day.
http://www.riomarseafood.com

The Butcher
Right behind Cochon and has great sandwiches and side dishes. Be wary of a sleepy afternoon.
http://downtownnola.com/places/detail/374/Cochon-Restaurant

Poeyfarre Market
A new addition and has some healthy things to eat.
http://www.poeyfarremarket.com

Between the Bread
Good healthy options and large portions.
http://downtownnola.com/places/detail/866/Between-the-Bread

Capdeville
They have some great dishes and a killer hamburger.
http://downtownnola.com/places/detail/550/Capdeville

I would have to say Chaz Fest and Mirliton Festival. Both happen in the ByWater.

Chaz Fest is worth noting because it is very intimate and local. It was created as a response to the national acts slowly taking over Jazz Fest. This festival happens during JazzFest over one of the weekends and is a wild mix of bands of all styles and neighborhood food and families.

Mirliton Fest happens in November and is put on by the Bywater Neighborhood Association. it is always held at Markey Park on the corner of
Piety and Royal Streets in Bywater. It has 1 stage, lasts 1 day, happens in a small square park and is surrounded by food and crafts.

If you want local NOLA those 2 you can't beat.