Continuing through the first half of Why New Orleans Matters, Piazza talks a lot about the unique experiences one can enjoy in New Orleans. He talks about great clubs to go to, the excellent local restaurants, and many uniquely New Orleans things to do while you're there. In Chapter 5, Piazza lays out the dichotomy when he says, "New Orleans is a city of elegance, beauty, refinement, and grace. It is also a city of violence, poor education, and extreme poverty of a type that you can't imagine if you haven't actually seen it." Like in many parts of America, there is an obscene difference between the wealthiest citizens and the poorest citizens of New Orleans. "In New Orleans, you can walk out the front door, if it has a door, of a house that is falling down, in a neighborhood full of such houses, and walk five blocks and stand in front of mansions that people from around the world save their money and spend their leisure time to travel and see."
In regards to the role of government, Piazza simply says, "New Orleans suffers from a level of official corruption and ineptitude and mismanagement that is as astonishing as the poverty." It is obvious with the many problems the city has that it is a "tangled web" of other problems that cause the problems.
The first part of Why New Orleans Matters gives readers who have never been there a close-up view of the city. A lot of the truly unique aspects of New Orleans, such as the importance of Mardi Gras to the citizens, as well as the not-so-pleasant aspects of the culture. It has been a very enjoyable book to read, and I'm looking forward to get to Part II.
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