And while there is a greater part of the city that still is suffering horribly, the historic and tourism core of the city is thriving, and in many ways enjoying the spirit like no other time in history.

NPR: New Orleans Businesses Ready for Tourists' Return

"At its core, this historic, bipartisan agreement to modernize FISA is about providing an essential tool in the fight against terrorism, " Rockefeller said his statement.

CNN: Deal clears way for wiretap-law overhaul

The only human activities in the core area are sightseeing and visits to the Woljong Temple, an old historic relic.

UNESCO: Natural Sciences

Just northwest of the downtown core, the affluent Tarrytown neighbourhood attracts government workers and families, drawn to the historic housing stock and parkland on the shores of Lake Austin.

BBC: Living in: Austin, Texas