New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina obliterated homes and drove out residents. Ten years later, the city is still struggling with how to handle the blight that remains in some wards — scars of an uneven recovery.

In the decade since Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of New Orleans residents fled the city and never returned. This week New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu went on the road to call his people home.

The city tore down thousands of public housing units and is replacing them with mixed-income developments. The goal is to deconcentrate poverty. But it has been a hard return home for some residents.

After Hurricane Katrina wiped out the city 10 years ago, locals fought hard to preserve their deep-rooted cuisine. But devastation also brought opportunities for more experimental eateries to move in.

Officials hope an ambitious plan to divert the Mississippi River will revitalize the wetlands that are a natural buffer against storms and floods. Opponents say the changes will upset local habitats.

Overall, residents say areas ranging from jobs creation and access to public transportation have improved greatly. But a new poll also reveals a widening racial divide in perceptions of the recovery.

In 2009, then-Veterans Affairs head Eric Shinseki declared that all homeless veterans would have housing by 2015. New Orleans has made big strides, but in Los Angeles, the problem persists.

Barbecue shrimp from Pascal's Manale is one of New Orleans' most beloved and copied dishes. Since it's hard to find head-on shrimp far from the Gulf, chef Mark DeFelice says use more spice.

The city has a reputation for music, food and fun. But it's also a land with an economic history rooted in the domestic slave trade that tore families apart. Now, its legacy sits below the surface.

Rodney Carey has been on the other side of the street in New Orleans. He's trying to get his students to come back.