I made my first Mardi Gras in 1957, since then I have ventured back a couple of times but have no desire to go back now. NO has always been a dangerous city, it is a good place to get ripped off or get killed if you don't watch your step, and the sad part, most often it is from the police. I understand the Chief of Police is making an effort to clean up his department, but he has yet to prove it.
I haven't been back since Kintrina but prior to the storm all one had to do was ride around the city and take a look and you could understand why there were so many problems there. I was once told that better than 60% of the people were on some form of welfare, most didn't want to work and were 2, 3 and even 4th generation welfare bums. One case I personally knew of, the grandmother had seven children, all with different fathers, never married any of them, she had five daughters, each one of them had several children by different fathers, never married, and their children were on thr same path, all living at the government's expense.
It is OK for a visit if you watch your step, but not a place I would want to take my family for a vacation. I spent 23 years in the military, traveled around the world several times and never had the same fear of a city that I do for NO, that includes walking the back streets of Sigon unarmed and after dark.