In what has been dubbed as the city's "brain gain," New Orleans has benefitted from the stream of young professionals moving to the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.  Many are compelled to move by a sense of wanting to help the city, either directly by working in disaster-related industries or simply trying to reverse the trend of net emigration since the 2005 disaster.   

These 20- and 30-somethings work primarily in disaster relief work, but can be found in fields as diverse as business or politics.  They come mostly for opportunity, and for the chance to feel part of something greater.  They can see the impact of their work, be part of rebuilding a broken city, and a share sense of camaraderie and purpose with their fellow city residents.  Personally, I wonder if these new residents seek some of the romanticism and raw energy associated with a rising American city - Gold Rush-era San Francisco, Atlanta during Reconstruction, or even 1950's New Orleans, as portrayed in A Streetcar Named Desire.    

Though anecdotally these new New Orleaners seem to have made an impact on the city's culture, their numbers themselves are humble: only 2,000-3,000 of New Orleans' 273,000 population are part of this new trend.  William Frey of the Brookings Institution said that those in the 25 to 35 year old range were the least likely to be present in the city in July 2007.  But what's notable about this class is that they are young, new, and mobile.  Greg Rigamer, CEO of New Orleans research firm GCR & Associates Inc. says that the city is "attracting...young people that [it hadn't] before." 

But as the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes, attracting young professionals is one thing, but retaining them is another.  Not only is the growth only a fraction of the post-Katrina exodus, but low salaries combined with high cost of living aren’t conducive to keeping the talent that the city has been drawing.   Red tape and a slow-moving government also deter long-term city dwellers.  

Still, the city might have two things going for it: the public service commitment of "millennials," defined as those born after 1982, and its cultural vibrance.  Together these two factors create an allure that could, at the very least, sustain the city's supply of smart, young college grads.  The sheer determination and optimism of these new residents is also bound to make a long-term impact on the city.  And there we certainly have a start. 

Further Reading: New Orleans' new arrivals: Young, educated and infused with hopeThe New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals Initiative