Nearly three years ago Katrina laid waste to the vibrant, family community in Lakeview leading some to wonder if the neighborhood would be able to recover from the ten feet or more of water than inundated most homes.

Now though, there are signs that Lakeview, albeit a different one than people remember, is well on the road to recovery.

The Lakeview Civic Improvement Association says there are now 144 businesses open in the 400-block community. They claim that 52 percent of the homes that were there before the storm are either rebuilt or being worked upon. They estimate 5,000 worshippers at eight churches and 2,700 occupied homes with another 900 under construction.

"I don't think any of us realized that we were going to have to carry the majority of this burden on our shoulders,” said Freddy Yoder of the civic association. “Once we realized that, we did what was necessary to get the job done."

Lakeview leaders believe the recovery has reached a point where it is self-sustaining. They believe that the success enjoyed by businesses that have returned has encouraged more to locate there, and that signs of homes being repaired or finished spurs more residents to buy in.

They also have found an odd ally in the price of gas with some former Lakeview residents who now live on the Northshore, reconsidering that decision.

“Just in the last two or three weeks, I’ve been contacted by people who used to live in Lakeview that said they would eventually come back when they feel Lakeview is coming back,” said Al Petrie of the Civic Association. “High gas prices will help Lakeview.”

But they note that for Lakeview's recovery to be as successful as it could be, they'll need help from the city.

"We need the money that Dr. Blakely has been talking about for his recovery areas to start hitting the streets,” said Yoder. “We need to see those cranes in the air."