I think you’re confusing bums and rainbow tribe with hippies
I grew up 120 miles north and it was our city from when the Sugar bowl was metal and great
The Warehouse was open
Jax made beer
Cops in the Quarter were all white and Huey Long was two lane and scary
No interstate and the airport was still mostly Lakefront because MSY was brand new
And Commanders Palace had an ice cream parlor next to it and the cemetery was patina but weeded and clean
The big wooden roller coaster was still operating at Ponchatrain
Fat City....boring ... was still some kind of hope to clean up the quarter
I remember exactly when the Dead got busted considering I followed them
Real hippies are today mid 60s and up
Hipsters generally under 35
New Orleans is hipsters no question especially the inked ones and the lesbian ones
We still go at least annually usually twice and in fact are debating Thanksgiving there in a weekly rental
There or Sanibel Naples
New Orleans is now totally black run and it shows
It is much much more dangerous and just less well run.
Pity
It’s our most unique city
My earliest memory is breakfast at Woolworths or Walgreens on Canal in the upstairs fountain area in around 62/63
It’s definitely our most unique city. There was never any one gang that could control the city. It’s something how you can be in a nice neighborhood and the next block over is da hood.