NEW ORLEANS REALLY SHOULD BE NAMED PHOENIX FOR THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT HAS RISEN FROM DESTRUCTION. FROM THE WAR OF 1812 TO LOUISIANA’S RAMPANT RACISM TO HURRICANE KATRINA AND THE FAILED WORK OF THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS AND THE “HECKUVA” JOB DONE DURING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, THE BIG EASY HAS SEEN IT ALL. YET, THROUGH THIS MISERY AND THE MIXING OF CULTURES, NEW ORLEANS HAS GIVEN MORE TO THE CULTURE OF AMERICA THAN MOST CITIES. THE MANHOLE COVERS HAVE A CHARM THAT IS RARELY FOUND IN AMERICAN CITIES BEGINNING WITH ITS WATER METER CRESCENT BOX AND ITS SIGNATURE MOON AND STARS. THE SEWERAGE COVER HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY TYPEFACE AND AN ADDED FLEUR-DE-LIS AT THE PICKPOINT. A DIAMOND PATTERN DOMINATES THE GAS COVER WHICH HAS AN ADDED NOD TO THE BEAUTIFUL GAS-LIT LANTERNS PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE FRENCH QUARTER. LASTLY, THE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC SERVICE INCORPORATED COVER HAS A HONEYCOMB GEOMETRY WITH SOME MARDI GRAS BEADS FILLING IN A COUPLE OF CELLS. WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CRESCENT CITY? SEE THIS BOOK-UNFATHOMABLE CITY: A NEW ORLEANS ATLAS.