It’s easy to point the finger to Katrina for the many changes taking place in New Orleans.  It is so easy that I find it often overshadows the other factors that are key elements to the changing city.  Have the years following hurricane Katrina impacted the city for the positive?  Absolutely.  Is it the only reason that New Orleans is considered the #1 brain magnet in the US?  Absolutely not.

Why now?  In the years following hurricane Katrina the government has made a concerted efforts to create jobs.  They have provided incentives for the film industry and for technology start-ups and this has brought creative talent to Southeastern Louisiana.  No doubt about it.  Combine new jobs, company incentives and a low-cost of living, New Orleans becomes a favorable environment for those with a vision.  But even with all the financial incentives in the mix, people still have to want to be here.

Why New Orleans?  In the broader culture of the US, we have seen the rise of something called the “creative class.” The description of the creative class sounds a lot like the younger generations (except it encompasses people of all age groups): a class of people who are educated and innovative, people who value culture, the arts, education and expect for their hometown to offer them a diverse buffet of ways to experience and learn.  These people see value in life outside of the office as much as they value their careers, they crave balance and actively seek it.

In a recent study of the cultural economy, Mayor Landrieu says, “This report…vividly illustrates that culture is inseparable from our way of life in New Orleans.  We enjoy a diversity of cultural riches that most cities can only dream about.  This report, for the first time in our City’s history, puts numbers to what we instinctively know—New Orleans is one of the leading centers in the world for the intersection of creativity and commerce.” If you look at the lifestyle of New Orleanians before the hurricane in relation to the creative class one can argue that New Orleans would have begun to move in this direction even if the hurricane hadn’t happened, the hurricane simply put the city on a national and global stage and lit a fire under the local governments initiatives.

Just as people are drawn to New York for its fast pace, energy and beauty, people are drawn to New Orleans for its slower pace, unique people and commitment to the soul.  People marvel at New Yorker’s lifestyles for the stuff that they have and the careers they devote themselves to, where they marvel at New Orleanians for the culture they create and the relationships can’t live without.  It comes down to passion.  New Yorkers are passionate about success: wealth, fame, knowledge, career skills.  New Orleanians are passionate about life: friends, family, conversations, experiences, feelings.

As gen-x and gen-y move to the forefront of national discussions, their perspectives on life will also evolve the US perspectives.  New Orleans appeals to the soul of the creative class and we are witnessing a shift.  A shift in the passions of United States citizens, and in the energy, business world and soul of New Orleans.