Let’s talk about the days before Katrina.  Lakeview blossomed in the early 50’s.  While it never earned an official name such as the Irish Channel, there were enough multi-voweled last names in the area that some natives called it “Little Italy".               Lakeview was a true neighborhood in every sense of the word, playgrounds, small locally-owned stores, good schools, and a sense of renewal in the housing market.  Some of the original homes were replaced by larger homes, others were renovated and expanded.  Homes would stay on the market for hours instead of days.  My son called it “yuppie heaven.”             Katrina changed all of that.  The 17th street Canal break flooded Lakeview and the water stayed and stayed.              But guess what?  Lakeview is alive again, contractors, families helping each other rebuild, neighbors helping neighbors.  That same spirit which made Lakeview so popular will be the force that drives it back to prosperity.