I HAVE a deep affection for New Orleans. It is easily one of the nation's most distinctive cities - a rich and charming cultural polyglot that refuses to succumb to the sterile sameness of the rest of the Sun Belt. The city is older than the nation.

When my sister and her husband moved there in 1998 - and especially after their daughter was born - I had more reasons to visit than the city's ample tourist attractions. And I've gone there often, using every opportunity to explore not just the touristy French Quarter but also its many other distinctive neighborhoods, from the Garden District to Gentilly. I'm glad I visited as often as I did, because Hurricane Katrina may have finished the city off.