No time like now to visit Big Easy

ARTHUR FROMMER does New Orleans a terrible disservice by writing off the city as a tourist destination, “at least for 2006” [“Positive Signs From a Tumultuous Year,” On a Budget, Jan. 8]. The French Quarter, the Garden District and other tourist areas were spared serious damage by Hurricane Katrina. The city is not only open for business but also needs a steady influx of visitors to stay afloat.

I was living in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. In the weeks after the attacks, New York businesses (including mine) were suffering. We were immensely grateful to those tourists who visited to show their support for New York.

The misinformation spread by Frommer threatens to harm New Orleans further in its time of greatest need.

JOHN ROSENTHAL

Santa Monica