The landscape of many suburban towns are dotted with cookie cutter Ranch or Victorian homes surrounded by white picket fences and calling to mind the perfect little world brought to life by films like Edward Scissorhands or The Truman Show. Families exist within their box and talk to their neighbors within the boundaries of their property. While this aesthetic is a strange embodiment of the American dream, it almost seems as though it could use a 21st century update. GRAFT Architects have seemingly come up with the perfect update on the modern Suburban neighborhood with their Camelback Houses designed as part of the Make It Right Project to pioneer duplex designs and redesign and rebuild the lower 9th ward of New Orleans destroyed by Hurrican Katrina. These wonderfully sleek homes spice up the boring flat face of your average subdivision; lending an equal importance to the maintenance of private family life while also providing space that encourages neighborly interaction.

While Brad Pitt and President Clinton are putting up pink houses (sorry if that sounded sarcastic, it’s sincerely good works), Sean Cummings, co-founder of Startup New Orleans has been setting up shop. In an effort to drive creative-minded people to the economically rebounding city, Cummings has created a site where entrepeneurs can see what a vital center New Orleans can be for their business. From technology (like computer graphics skunkworks Turbo Squid) to ad agencies (like Inc. 5000 firm Trumpet), the project promotes the idea that the new Nola can be to entrepreneurship what Silicon Valley is to tech. Plus, we hear they have this thing called ‘Mardi Gras.’ It’s supposed to be pretty awesome.

Via All-Day Buffet