New Orleans Review
The Big Easy
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Hey everyone! I hope you had a fantastic week if you were anywhere other than New Orleans because I already know that everyone who was in NOLA had an incredibly fun, extravagant, and wild week celebrating a holiday that apparently triples the population of the city and is called the “greatest free show on earth”: Mardi Gras.
This year was again one of those times when the realization hit me that Fat Tuesday is just another normal day for 99.99% of people living on planet Earth and not one of the single best times of my entire year as I had a few work responsibilities to attend to while the Rex parade rode by. I tried watching it from outside my aunt’s apartment for a little while, but the NOLA in me was too tempted to just run down to the parade route and scream at the top of my lungs to catch plastic beads and stuffed animals I would never see again in about an hour. With my move to New York coming this Friday, I couldn’t have asked for a better NOLA send-off than this.
If you’re reading this and have never been to Mardi Gras (which I’m guessing doesn’t apply to most people here since it’s mostly Louisiana & Tulane peeps), please reach out to me so I can help you find a way to make it to next year’s festivities. It is truly one of the most special holidays in the world every year, and although I’ve done it for 24 years straight, the thrill never gets old.
As I mentioned at the end of my previous blog (shameless plug) and to appease many of my NOLA friends and family who have been requesting this, I am going to write one last city review of the place I’ve been living in for the last two months and the one that I call home: New Orleans. While I am clearly going to be biased here, I will try to make it as fair and unbiased as I can (will be hard though). So…without further ado…and let’s get this show started!
Overview
As I typically do, let’s first start with a quick overview presented by Chat GPT:
New Orleans, fondly known as the "Big Easy," is a vibrant city celebrated for its rich cultural tapestry, historical depth, and an unparalleled love for music, cuisine, and festivals. Nestled in the heart of Louisiana, this city is a melting pot of French, African, Spanish, and American cultures, making it a unique destination where each street corner tells a story. Its historic French Quarter, with the lively Bourbon Street, iconic Jackson Square, and the majestic St. Louis Cathedral, offers visitors a glimpse into the city's storied past and vibrant present. New Orleans' musical legacy, particularly jazz, permeates through its lively bars and street performances, creating an atmosphere where the spirit of celebration is always alive.
Beyond its festive allure, New Orleans is also renowned for its culinary scene, which is a testament to its diverse cultural influences. From savory gumbo and jambalaya to sweet beignets, the city's food is as much a part of its identity as its music and festivals. The city also hosts the world-famous Mardi Gras, a dazzling spectacle of costumes, parades, and revelry, drawing visitors from all over the globe. Despite its moments of historical trials and natural adversities, New Orleans remains a resilient and enchanting city, inviting all who visit to partake in its joyous celebration of life and community.
Activities: 9/10
Favorite Activity: Mardi Gras, Saints Games, Festivals (lots of them)
While incredibly well known across the country and world, New Orleans is actually one of the smallest cities in the US, falling outside of the top 50 and having a smaller population than places such as Aurora, Virginia Beach, and even Wichita (who woulda thought). However, even whilst having such a small number of people, one would have an adamant time finding absolutely nothing to do in New Orleans.
Compared to many other cities, New Orleans has an exorbitant number of events, festivals, holidays, etc. that anyone and everyone is welcome to attend. In fact, there are literally more cultural, entertainment, and sporting events in New Orleans than days of the year! Some are incredibly famous and well-known such as Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest (best music festival in the US period! Can’t convince me otherwise) while others are more local like Hogs for the Cause or the amazing Red Dress Run. Furthermore, there are even a bunch of impromptu events that will pop up. One such example was The “Buddy D” Parade which honored the late sportscaster’s promise that he would wear a dress and dance around the city if the Saints ever made the Super Bowl. Over 85,000 people attended the one-time event, but it lives in New Orleans lore forever.
On that note, there are also plenty of sporting events one can attend in the city, most notably the New Orleans Saints games. Whether or not you watch the game in person, you can see and feel how important the Saints mean to the city, with the Green Bay Packers being the only team that might mean more to a city than the Saints do to New Orleans. Like in Detroit this year with the Lions, the crime rate in New Orleans went significantly down during the 2009-10 Super Bowl run, particularly on Sundays. If that doesn’t show what a sports team means to a city known for high crime rates, I don’t know what does (getting off track now talking about Saints…let’s move on).
Landmarks/Neighborhoods/Areas: 8/10
Most Iconic Landmarks: Superdome, St. Louis Cathedral, Bourbon St.
Speaking of the Saints, it’s hard to picture the city of New Orleans without seeing the home of the Saints: The Superdome. While not typical for most cities, the Superdome represents a portion of the city skyline and is famous for its appearance on Sundays, hosting the most Superbowls of any stadium in the US, hosting plenty of other championship games & concerts, as well as being one of the largest places people stayed during Hurricane Katrina. The city’s other well-known landmarks mostly reside in the French Quarter, including the St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde, and Bourbon Street.
While not as much as other cities (particularly those in the Northeast), the many different neighborhoods/areas of New Orleans all have their cool and unique vibe to them. Some of my favorites include my neighborhood of Uptown, the Garden District with its beautiful homes (there are even tours available where people simply walk around & look at the homes), Mid City, the Bywater, and more. While it stretches across neighborhoods, one of the coolest areas one can walk around is down Magazine St. which boasts probably the largest continuous collection of restaurants, shops, and more all the way from uptown to the Central Business District (CBD).
Food: 10/10
Favorite Restaurants: Galatoire’s, Franky & Johnie’s, Bud’s Broiler, Camilia Grill
Local Delicacy: Creole Food (Gumbo, Jambalaya, etc.) Most Seafood (crawfish in particular)
I’ve said it in a few of my previous city review blogs but the way I’ve compared every city’s food on a 1-10 scale of absolutely terrible to food from New Orleans. Thus, it would be hypocritical and outright sinful of me to give this city anything other than a 10/10 in the food category.
Ranked consistently as one of the best food cities in the entire world, New Orleans has tons of incredible options for different types of food you can find anywhere in the country due to the city’s rich diversity of cultures (NOLA even has a surprisingly large Vietnamese population). However, more importantly, it has its own distinct taste that is (unfortunately) hard to find in most other cities in the US. This taste is commonly known as Creole/Cajun food and includes delicious dishes such as po’boys, gumbo, jambalaya, red beans & rice, crawfish étouffée, and many many more.
Furthermore, while many cities would probably say otherwise, New Orleans undoubtedly holds the title for the best seafood in the US, with local favorites including fried shrimp, charbroiled oysters, thin fried catfish, soft shell crab, and more. The seafood down in the bayou is so good, that even states that boast about how good their seafood is get their seafood from Louisiana. As an example (and I will fire shots here), many “Maryland Crabs” actually come from Louisiana. However, the clear seafood favorite in New Orleans, as well as my personal favorite is crawfish (which is actually facing a drought at the moment, causing prices to go up). As any New Orleanian/Louisianian can tell you, there is nothing quite as delicious and as fun as a good crawfish boil where you eat & drink with the friends and family you love.
Look, I am someone who faithfully believes that everyone should be entitled to their own opinion. However, if you are someone who is not from New Orleans or who hasn’t tried the food from there yet, let me tell you that if you believe that another city in the US has better food than down here, your opinion is (respectfully) flat out wrong.
Nightlife/Social Scene: 9.5/10
Favorite Venues: Tchoup Yard, Monkey Hill, Boot Scootin
Similar to food, another aspect that New Orleans is extremely well-known for is its nightlife, more specifically for the famous (or infamous) Bourbon St. As the video below does a good job displaying, you can quite literally see anything & everything on a simple walk down Bourbon, offering some of the best people watching known to man. You can see someone walking out of a 5-star restaurant in a 3-piece suit next to someone with their pants on their head holding a Bud heavy and no one will bat an eye. Even though I’m not a huge fan of going there as a local, I can admit that I’ve seen everything from Boa Constrictors, a guy dressed as a shark playing the Jaws theme song sneaking up behind people, and plenty of people flashing their womanhood or manhood for Mardi Gras beads.
Outside of Bourbon St. though, there is a vibrant nightlife and social scene aided by the plentiful amount of festivals and the large number of bars you can find scattered throughout the city, even in the most residential areas. The overall vibe is much more laid back and chill where people sit and hang out (which I prefer) rather than the hardcore vibe of clubbing, loud music, and lights you will find in other cities like Miami or Vegas, which is very in line with “The Big Easy” moniker NOLA claims.
Lastly, the culture of drinking, particularly at younger ages, is much more common than what you would find in many other places in the US. This partially stems from Louisiana being the last state in the Union to change the drinking age from 18 to 21 due to the government threatening to end federal funding of highways (one of the stories that makes me proud of my state). While I’m biased here, after spending the last year meeting new people and telling them where I’m from, I’ve heard countless stories of their adventurous nights as well as admitting that they don’t remember half of the nightlife/social scene not to rank incredibly high. Fun fact: a family friend of mine tried to change the drinking age back down. Only in Louisiana.
History & Culture: 9.5/10
One of my favorite parts about doing the 12 Cities in 12 Months journey last year was being able to take a look at some of the incredibly interesting history of each of the cities, ranging from early America in Boston to the pirate influence of Tampa Bay. However, it is difficult for any city in the US to go toe-to-toe with New Orleans here (obviously a little biased, but deal with it).
As one of the oldest cities in the US founded in 1718 by Frenchman Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, New Orleans’s complicated history of being a French colony before being a Spanish colony (fun fact: while known as the French Quarter, much of the architecture is actually of Spanish origin), and then being purchased by the US in arguably the best real estate deal in world history in 1803 to eventually become the largest city in the entire Confederacy during the Civil War. Being the cultural hub of the Southern US, there are tons of interesting historical topics ranging from Pirates who helped America in the Battle of New Orleans, to a Voodoo Priestess who had an incredible influence over locals, to the birthing of Jazz, but I’ll let you explore those rabbit holes on your own.
In terms of culture, if you’ve spent enough time with me you’ll know my opinion on this. While the state of Louisiana routinely ranks at the bottom of almost any list you’ll come across, I’ll die on this hill that New Orleans is culturally the best place in the entire US. In NOLA, you get the same sense of Southern hospitality that you’d find in most Southern cities along with the vibrant art and music scenes. Additionally, contrary to what many “anti-racist” people believe (I have a lot of thoughts on this that I won’t share here, but plan on sharing if anyone in NYC provokes me), people in New Orleans see others based on their character and their character only. To truly get a sense of the culture, you just need to come see it yourself and I’m sure it’ll be one of the big reasons you fall in love with the city.
Natural Beauty and Outdoor Spaces: 8/10
In terms of outdoor activities, New Orleans is lacking with many parts of the city being below sea level and the city being so relatively flat that people joke that the highest point in the city is the man-made “Monkey Hill” (not to be confused with the bar) found in the zoo. Additionally, while there is Pontchartrain Beach, there are few places within city limits to enjoy aquatic activities.
However, New Orleans, in my opinion, is a gorgeous city, boasting tons of greenery from Audobon Park in Uptown New Orleans to City Park, which is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the US, being almost double the size of NYC’s Central Park. While not great for the streets and sidewalks (we’ll get to that next), the Oak Trees everywhere in the city make any walk or drive around town beautiful (namely St. Charles Avenue).
Lastly, while not in nature, New Orleans boasts some of the most distinct, unique, and gorgeous architecture in the US. Everything from the different building types (the most popular being the “shotgun” homes) to a wide array of architectural styles, including Creole, Greek Revival, Art Deco, Modern, and more. Since I’m no architecture genius, I’ll just leave it to this doc if you’re curious to learn more.
Transportation: 7/10
Transportationally (not a word, but let’s roll with it), New Orleans is both extremely famous and extremely infamous. Pulling from the last section, many of the streets around the city provide pretty views from the trees/scenery around you, which can always help make your commute times feel a little more enjoyable. As seen in the picture above, Street Cars (not trolleys) are a staple of New Orleans. While mostly touristy and not very practical most times (although they’re surprisingly helpful after Saints games), they’re extremely fun to use and can take you to many areas of the city.
However, the biggest downside to transportation around the city is the quality of the streets. Due to the city being built on soft, wet ground often described as "coffee grounds," the city's foundation is inherently unstable. Furthermore, the issue is exacerbated by an antiquated water pumping system designed to reduce flooding which also destabilizes the ground. Thus, I would highly recommend selling any low-riding sports car you drive and trade it in for a souped-up Suburban (my favorite car: seats 8 but fits 15) as soon as you can if you live in the city. However, the NOLA people always find a way to make lemonade out of lemons with funny Instagram accounts and some committed decorations:
People: 10/10
As the video above shows, the people of New Orleans are truly some of the best people on all of the planet Earth. They are people who look to laugh and not cry during times of trouble. They are resilient people, who struggle against Hurricanes year after year, yet always find a way to come back to the city and rebuild it in response (Katrina is an exception here…still haven’t returned to the pre-Katrina population of almost 500k). They are personable people who are known for being some of the friendliest in the US; strike up a conversation with almost anyone and it will feel like you’ve known them for years.
I could go on, but I’ll leave this section with a quote from a great 4-part Forbes series written by Scott Beyer (check out the series here):
Overall: 8.9/10
I understand this ranking is much higher than any other city I wrote a review on. Look… many things about the city of New Orleans are “subpar” (to put it lightly). The infrastructure is outdated, some areas are riddled with crime, the humidity makes start sweating the second you step outside during the summer, there aren’t many great career opportunities, and more. Also, I know my opinion about the city is inevitably going to be biased since I’ve spent about 23 years living here. Hell…even the categories with which I’ve ranked these cities are probably influenced by New Orleans a little bit. However, this city will forever be my favorite, and there is nothing in the world that will convince me otherwise. To wrap up, I’ll leave you with a quote from Matthew McConaughey’s incredible autobiography Greenlights that I think perfectly encapsulates NOLA better than anything else I’ve seen yet (full quote here):
Dear New Orleans, What a big, beautiful mess you are. A giant flashing yellow light—proceed with caution, but proceed.
Thanks for reading! Arguably my favorite blog I’ve written yet, but as I mentioned probably too many times in the blog, I’m biased. Have a faint idea of what I’ll write about for next week, but this is the first one coming to you live from NYC. Hope you enjoy the three-day weekend with President’s Day (if you get it), and as they say so commonly in New Orleans: laissez les bon temps rouler!
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