My 1500th Yelp review (!) takes me out of my San Francisco Bay Area comfort zone and smack dab in the middle of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. When I planned a trip for me and Jamie W. to come down here, it was pure coincidence and rather serendipitous that we should find ourselves here on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In fact, we decided to take a bus tour to see for ourselves the devastation and the speed of recovery from that mega-disaster. The tour was poignant and somewhat depressing for the little change we saw throughout the affected areas except for the one glimmer of hope that shone as a beacon at the end of our journey. Gray Line gave us a special addendum to the tour which allowed us to visit the neighborhood being rebuilt by the Make It Right Foundation. For those who have been sitting under a magnolia tree when the levees broke, this is the effort initiated by Brad Pitt in 2006 to build new homes for the previous residents in a manner that focuses on green-friendliness. You can tell from my photos that the results since the plans were first drawn up have been impressive. These are beautiful, architecturally stylish homes. The foundation's mission is clear - to be a catalyst for the complete redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward by building these homes with an emphasis on safety, sustainability, and high quality design, while preserving the spirit of the community's culture. The goal of 150 houses completed is to accomplish this quickly in order for residents to be able to return to their homes as soon as possible. Forty-two have been completed according to our local guide Caesar, so progress is being made. We were fortunate to be allowed to see the interior of one of the nearly completed homes to see all the sustainable touches built into the house. It's a significant achievement and one that should make Angelina Jolie feel like she married more than just a pretty boy. read more

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I realize that this review will most likely draw some heat, but Yelp is about varying opinions, right? While I really appreciate what the Make it Right Foundation is doing, these houses are downright ugly. Maybe I am not a forward thinking conservationist. Maybe I liked the way the old houses in this neighborhood looked. Maybe I am just a fool. Regardless of what I am, I think these houses look funky. While ugly, these houses are supposed to be incredibly energy efficient. They have also drawn the focus of the national media onto an area so devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I am slightly disappointed that so many people focus on this one area when other areas were affected as significantly, but that is the way it works. If you want to see them for yourself, head over the Claiborne bridge, you can't miss them. read more

I think that the Make it Right Foundation, as a whole, has well intentions, but somehow it falls short. I realize it has the backing of star power Brad Pitt, but the stars just don't insist on holding the foundation accountable to make things to the standard of how things are done here in New Orleans. The Make it Right organization http://makeitright.org/ has a great concept and has done this outside of New Orleans. But, the homes just don't match the neighborhood here (the drapes don't match the curtains), and they stand out like a sore thumb. Right down the street is the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum (http://l9livingmuseum.org/ and https://www.yelp.com/biz/lower-ninth-ward-living-museum-new-orleans) is truly working from within the community to help rebuild. Make it Right seems to have come in like some white knight and just given the community the same thing that has supposedly worked in other communities. These homes are not the typical New Orleans homes, and they seem to have pulled down all other houses typical of the area, leaving wide vacant lots and some homes that are eco-friendly and are more wholesome to the environment, but just lack something. I think something could have been done to design a house that looks to be more of the flavor here, while still making them hurricane proof and environmentally friendly. It could have been pieced together better. Outside of these few blocks are homes that were just left to rot after Hurricane Katrina, and lots that are overgrown tangles of weed and trees. If something isn't done to help the rest of the community, then this little bit of help will have failed. Maybe something like Preservation Resource Center (https://prcno.org/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preservation_Resource_Center) could be of more help. Maybe a collaboration of the two could have more of an impact. Something is missing. It is kind of sad and lonely in this section. There were many more homes in this area prior to Hurricane Katrina, most were condemned, some were torn down, others left to rot. These homes are helpful, but there is just so much potential. But what do I know? I have no education in urban planning, maybe the powers that be have more knowledge than I do, and I am missing some key piece that is obvious to someone smarter than I am. Also, the roads in this neighborhood are just bad. Pot hole ridden, cracks with the pavement shifting, grass growing in the cracks. Maybe it is by design, to slow the traffic, but there are easier methods, like speed bumps and traffic circles. Too bad, it leads to the unkempt look of the area. read more

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Everybody knows the main story behind the Make it Right project: Brad Pitt and a lot of other awesome people put their time and money into making sure the people of the lower 9th ward got the good hurricane proof housing that they deserve for an affordable price. I recently was able to pass through and see for myself the work that has been done here. It's amazing. The houses are beautifully made and the lower 9th ward is more gorgeous than ever. The houses almost look like works of art. The houses are raised up and most of them have an area under the house for parking cars. A lot of the houses have solar panels on the roof in an effort to keep everything as "green" as possible. I think that Make it Right is an amazing foundation and the work that they have done is to be admired. The people who took the time and money to do this for this community should be commended. It is my hope that other flood prone communities follow the lead of Make it Right and work to provide safe housing for their residents. read more

This is 1 of the best places to visit and 1 of the best places to live. Make it Right has really outdone themselves. read more

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Make It Right began as an effort to rebuild safe, sustainable homes in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina. Our work in New Orleans has led to innovations in affordable homebuilding - proof that high-quality, healthy homes can and should be available for everyone. While the project on a whole is great it would be nice to have built houses more fitting of NOLA home styles. Overall it's just great to see the city moving forward. read more

I think it's pretty obvious these were built as experimental, green houses not hurricane-proof houses. They remind me of the type of structures built for a World's Fair: semi-permanent pavilions built for show and meant to last only a few months. The problem will be taken care of during the next hurricane because it's obvious these rotting matchsticks will go flying in the wind. read more

We stopped by the lower 9th ward sans-tour. I truly believe this is something every tourist in New Orleans should check out. To start, it was depressing to see so many lots where houses must have been when Katrina hit some six years ago now overgrown with tall weeds. There was a gate that had rusted through and through; remains of a porch that sat in the middle of an eerily empty lot without a house attached; dilapidated roofs and abandoned houses with gaping windows. All of these contrasted sharply with the bright and airy "Brad Pitt Houses" as they have become known as. We saw a handful of them. They are modern, architecturally interesting, and very colorful. They made our eyes pop in an otherwise bleak landscape. read more

Surreal, beautiful, ,wacky, sustainable, hopeful, and Brad Pitt. You should go.