A different quarter

I traveled to the French Quarter the other night for dinner with my visiting mother. We ended up arriving at the Quarter around 8:45. Though familiar with the pre-Katrina Quarter, I was shocked to see so many restaurants with lights off and chairs on the table. The New Orleans I remember was one full of life at all hours and not just the bars on Bourbon Street. A community member explained to us that many factors keep even the New Orleans tourist sections from fully returning. They explained that the restaurants cannot stay open on certain nights and days because without buses running at late hours the staff cannot work late into the evening. Despite what the reports say about New Orleans returning and the tourist areas flourishing, I witnessed something completely different. If the city cannot even completely resurrect their golden tourist areas, how can we ever expect them to pay notice and make the necessary changes in the areas they clearly care less about?