KATE HUDSON - HUDSON HOUSE HUNTING IN NEW ORLEANS

HUDSON HOUSE HUNTING IN NEW ORLEANS

KATE HUDSON is hoping to help the post-Hurricane Katrina effort in New Orleans, Louisiana by buying property in the devastated city. The actress fell in love with New Orleans while she was filming horror movie SKELETON KEY there, but hasn't mustered the courage to return since Katrina hit last summer (AUG05). But she plans to go back later this year (06) when her husband, BLACK CROWES frontman CHRIS ROBINSON, performs there - and she'll be househunting. She says, "I felt so connected to New Orleans. I had so many friends down there. I actually have a friend who still has a house down there. "But all the people who made New Orleans special to me are gone. All the people who you'd say hi to in the stores are all gone. "Going back will just be really weird. I still would like to have a place down there, even if it's a place I end up rebuilding and trying to preserve. It's going to be really depressing to go back but eventually I will. "I think I'll be going back sometime in the fall because Chris will be playing there."