Recently, we’ve seen the biggest names in Hollywood and politics visit the notorious city of New Orleans. New Orleans has once again put its name on the map after hosting the Super Bowl. The streets were flooded with tourists, and I had never seen the city more decorated for an event outside of Mardi Gras.

With all this exciting attention New Orleans has gotten through the decades, I have to admit I am a bit apprehensive about what’s to come. I love the tourists’ enthusiasm. It’s always so fun to see how excited people get over certain attractions around the city. Of course, there are always going to be positives and negatives when the city experiences a high rise in popularity.

I just want to remind the readers and tourists out there that the city is a home to many families and businesses. For many people in the south, we grow up, go to college and often build a life here. For example, this is true for a lot of my friends and family members. Most of the time, it was by choice but also because the cost of living here is very inexpensive.

Naturally, I worry about the threats of gentrification, especially with what we’ve seen happening in Hawaii. When I first became aware of this gentrified culture, it was mostly because of elderly people deciding to retire in places they usually vacation. But it’s safe to say that’s an ignorant call to uproot their lives to enjoy the best out of someone else’s home. When in reality, people who are born and raised in New Orleans can barely afford an everyday activity-filled trip.

There are two sides to every person. It’s unfortunate, however, because the people in New Orleans can’t dictate who comes in and out of their city. Yes, tourists roam all throughout the year-long; in fact, Mardi Gras is world-renowned, and now the Super Bowl has drawn in more outsiders than ever. But when it’s time to go home, it’s time to go home.

I’ve seen a couple of TikToks that exclaim their love for New Orleans and how life’s been since moving. The only thing that bothers me is they only share a fraction of what is to come. Like natural disasters, potential risks to safety and, if you’re a woman, your freedom to do a lot of things on your own, like being susceptible to harsh realities like robbery and gun violence. It’s not safe to just assume you’d adapt to the lifestyle there. You can’t expect to just live in the French Quarter and end up having a sweet southern accent when you haven’t even lived there your whole life.

Not to mention, the only coverage New Orleans ever gets surrounds Bourbon and the French Quarter, which I get because that’s how they lure in an audience. It can be extremely dangerous, though, to put the city through so much trial and error. Perhaps many people are looking to rent or buy but realize later that New Orleans may not be the best fit for them. The property goes back up, and the cycle continues.

There is so much rich culture within the city as well, including. African American culture, creole and people of color in general. You have to do your part by researching and educating yourself before deciding to ultimately invade someone’s solace and benefit from the work of marginalized groups.

I recently saw that in order to clean the streets up in time for the Super Bowl, Gov. Landry spent millions to relocate the homeless people around the Superdome. This would be sincere if. Landry had a reputable history with the people of Louisiana. But it seems like when you invite someone to your house, you shove anything you don’t want them to see under your bed.

Tourists can come and visit the places Alix Earle goes to eat or any place Leonardo Dicaprio parties. However, you can’t replicate what it’s like to grow up in Louisiana. We have culture in our own homes. I don’t want to sound hypocritical because we all visit different places and people’s homes as vacation destinations. What we see is what we get. However, that’s just not true for New Orleans.

This captivating city means so much more than a few blocks. I feel really protective over it, in a way. The recent attention New Orleans got over the past week because of the Super Bowl was needed, especially after the terrorist attack in early January. It deserved to be celebrated and appreciated but not treated as a mid-life temporary vacation home.

Blair Bernard is a 21-year-old theater performance major from Lafayette, La.