The Best Architecture And Design In New Orleans

These days New Orleanians describe their lives using the terms "pre-Katrina" and "post-Katrina."

The devastating hurricane and its aftermath are still felt nearly eight years later. But since post-Katrina New Orleans has shed its storm-sacked facades, a canvas of design opportunity has taken root.

There's a new buzz in the city, and signs of real recovery are showing in repopulated neighborhoods where rebuilt and renovated homes in both traditional and contemporary styles are springing up.

And the energy has certainly spread outside the city's borders. The city had the second-highest number of visitors in its history in 2012. The record before that was in 2004, the year before Katrina hit.

The resilient city has endured many hardships over its past 300 years, but that's what gives it a uniqueness revered around the world.