It is so true, with all of the sporting events, movie filming and tourism, these are certainly good times for the Crescent City. After the dark period following Hurricane Katrina, things have really brightened up. You can feel it when you walk the streets and talk to people. You can see it with all of the new construction and you can read about it regularly in any number of national publications.
For this reason I would like to treat you to a message regarding these trends from the top. I have received permission from the Mayor’s office to reproduce an email that he recently sent. And so, this from the Honorable Mitch Landrieu the Mayor of New Orleans:
Dear Friend,
In case you missed it, New Orleans was featured as the most improved city in the nation on the Wall Street Journal MarketWatch Best Cities for Business in 2011 list, a survey looking at over 100 metro areas in the country using 15 different criteria.
This year, the New Orleans region made the largest gain in the country, rising 44 positions, from 77th in 2010 to 33rd in 2011. As recently as 2009, the region was in the bottom 10 of the list.
MarketWatch notes, six years removed from the near-apocalypse that was Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans thinks it has picked itself up and dusted itself off. And now the city that got a lot of sympathy after most of it was deluged has rebuilt itself and gotten a new, pro-growth attitude.
It’s showing up in the numbers. The Big Easy’s unemployment rate beats the national average, personal income growth is high, growth in economic output is above average and the city is beginning to attract businesses.
Once again, the rest of the nation is taking notice of the positive economic momentum we see in New Orleans. Our work to foster a better business climate in the city, promote entrepreneurship, and grow jobs here at home is paying off.
This new ranking adds to a growing list of recent accolades for New Orleans including:
- Forbes named Greater New Orleans America’s Biggest Brain Magnet
- Forbes named the New Orleans region the #1 Metro for IT Job Growth in the USA and #2 Best Big City for a Job
- Site Selection magazine noted the city’s turnaround, calling it the New Orleans Miracle
- Southern Business & Development included the New Orleans area as its 2011 Co-Major Market of the Year
- Business facilities included the New Orleans metro region as a top 5 Logistics/Distribution\Shipping Hub
I certainly think that the Mayor’s message provides our citizens with a positive and energetic outlook for the future. We are fortunate to have a leader like Mitch holding the torch and lighting the way for New Orleans on it’s path to a bright future as one of the finest cities America has to offer.
If you are not a resident at this time, what’s stopping you from becoming one? Good paying jobs are plentiful in many areas of proficiency, housing is readily available, educational opportunities are on the rise, the art and music scene is jumping and, of course, there is plenty of good food just waiting for you to eat. What more can you ask of the place you call home?