---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People don't live in New Orleans because…"
description: "\"“People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living anywhere else in the just same way.”\" — Ian M..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg"
---

#  People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They…

![“People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living anywhere else in the just same way.” quote by Ian McNulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg)

> ““People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living anywhere else in the just same way.””

Ian McNulty

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People stay in New Orleans not for ease, but because they feel they cannot live elsewhere in the same way.

**In simple terms:** Attachment to place despite hardships.

Key Takeaway

Value roots and personal connection to place

Themes

place identity resilience culture belonging

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

cultural personal

When to use this quote

- migration
- city life
- cultural heritage
- personal narrative

Key Concepts

urban studies psychology community sense of home

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a place irreplaceable?
- Can one truly live elsewhere?

A Different Perspective

May overlook economic factors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Hurricane katrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricane-katrina/) [New orleans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-orleans/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [ “\[New Orleans.\] Katrina changed everything. Life here is different, every face altered. Yet we feel and sense the landscape not only in its hurricane-leveled,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-fisher/new-orleans-katrina-changed-everything-life-here-is-different-every/)

T.J. Fisher

> [I think the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/i-think-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-the-education-system-in-new/)

[Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/)

> [“I might actually have faced crucifixion if it had been suddenly necessary; and yet I am incapable of living in the same room with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-might-actually-have-faced-crucifixion-if-it-had-been-suddenly/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [Those who devote their lives to earning a living are incapable of living a human existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/those-who-devote-their-lives-to-earning-a-living-are-incapable-of/)

[Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/)

> [“When you are incapable of speaking, Then words are searching for you. When you are incapable of smiling, Then happiness is searching for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-incapable-of-speaking-then-words-are-searching-for-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Am I incapable of living with the one sole guarantee, that I'm still here? Am I afraid of living because I fear death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hildegard-knef/am-i-incapable-of-living-with-the-one-sole-guarantee-that-i-m-still/)

[Hildegard Knef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hildegard-knef/)

> [The moment the organic unity of belief and behaviour is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-moment-the-organic-unity-of-belief-and-behaviour-is-damaged-in/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [April 27. Incapable of living with people, of speaking. Complete immersion in myself, thinking of myself. Apathetic, witless, fearful. I have nothing to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/april-27-incapable-of-living-with-people-of-speaking-complete/)

[Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/)

> [“A man who forgets his past and allows the flame of the things he loves to be extinguished has no future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-fisher/a-man-who-forgets-his-past-and-allows-the-flame-of-the-things-he/)

T.J. Fisher

> [We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We couldn't do it, butGod did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baker/we-finally-cleaned-up-public-housing-in-new-orleans-after-hurricane/)

[Richard Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baker/)

> [“Damn. I never should have agreed to this. What is he thinking? Here we are in a piece of crap pickup truck on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-lynne-duncan/damn-i-never-should-have-agreed-to-this-what-is-he-thinking-here-we/)

Jenna-Lynne Duncan

> [I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, that there was to be a homosexual parade on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/i-believe-that-new-orleans-had-a-level-of-sin-that-was-offensive-to/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [I started this charity, Fashion for Relief, in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina happened. New Orleans was actually the first place I visited in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-campbell/i-started-this-charity-fashion-for-relief-in-2005-after-hurricane/)

[Naomi Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-campbell/)

> [You saw on your TV what happened in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The Reserves or National Guard are usually the people we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/you-saw-on-your-tv-what-happened-in-new-orleans-after-hurricane/)

[Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/)

> [“..I began speaking.. First, I took issue with the media's characterization of the post-Katrina New Orleans as resembling the third world as its poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sothern/i-began-speaking-first-i-took-issue-with-the-media-s-characterization/)

[Billy Sothern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sothern/)

## More by Ian McNulty

> [“Perspective was my secret weapon, and books gave me plenty of ammunition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcnulty/perspective-was-my-secret-weapon-and-books-gave-me-plenty-of/)

Ian McNulty

Explore all 2 Ian McNulty quotes

## More Cities quotes

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/)

[Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/)

> [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/)

[Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [All Germany was in turmoil. Revolutionaries seized power in the cities of Munich, Hanover and Cologne. One regional German government after another was toppled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cross-giblin/all-germany-was-in-turmoil-revolutionaries-seized-power-in-the-cities/)

James Cross Giblin

> [Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-modiano/nice-is-a-city-of-ghosts-and-specters-but-i-hope-not-to-become-one-of/)

[Patrick Modiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-modiano/)

> [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/)

[Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/)

> [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/)

[Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/)

> [We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-will-neglect-our-cities-to-our-peril-for-in-neglecting-them-we/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/)

[Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/)

> [Outside of Paris, there is no hope for the cultured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/outside-of-paris-there-is-no-hope-for-the-cultured/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/)

[Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/)

> [“We have grace of strength to work, to clear our cities of any dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-have-grace-of-strength-to-work-to-clear-our-cities-of-any-dirt/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [I was too tired to think. I merely felt the town as a unique unreality. What was it? I knew -- the moon's picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-too-tired-to-think-i-merely-felt-the-town-as-a-unique-unreality/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 7,153 Cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living anywhere else in the just same way.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ian McNulty"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcnulty/people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because-it-is-easy-they-live-here/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cities"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcnulty/people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because-it-is-easy-they-live-here/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/ian-mcnulty-90649_cities_people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because_521547.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People don't live in New Orleans because it is easy. They live here because they are incapable of living…” — Ian McNulty",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ian McNulty",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcnulty/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“People don't live in New Orleans...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcnulty/people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because-it-is-easy-they-live-here/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcnulty/people-don-t-live-in-new-orleans-because-it-is-easy-they-live-here/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
