Uptown and the Garden District are probably the two ritziest neighborhoods in Orleans Parish. When biking around, you can absolutely tell when you’ve crossed from Uptown in to Central City. There aren’t nearly as many trees, whole blocks are blighted, some streets feel empty. And the Garden District? Hell, Sandra Bullock lives here! But the thing is, Uptown and the Garden District are neighborhoods in New Orleans, where decay is just a fact of life. I took this picture of two houses as I rode my bike home after a long day of work. The house on the left is all spruced up and painted a lovely green. The light fixtures are new, but have that olde tyme look that fits well with the neighborhood. The place is thoughtful and matches other houses in the area. The house on the right is nowhere near that condition. You can still make out “Cat Not Found” spray painted on the front. I wonder where the cat went. This neighborhood didn’t flood, so the cat met a fate other than drowning. The two houses don’t match at all. and the run down house doesn’t fit in Sandra Bullock’s neighborhood. But this is New Orleans.