About New Orleans

Locals say that the South ends fifty miles north of New Orleans. In many ways, that is true. This city is home to a diverse music culture, world-renowned cuisine, voodoo, and Mardi Gras, one of the world’s largest parties. New Orleans’ colorful constitution incorporates French, Spanish, Caribbean, Italian, Irish, and West African influences into one big jambalaya. The result is a red-hot town that can be everything from difficult to magical.

New Orleans is a relatively small city with little concern for what goes on outside of it. In the summertime, heat rouses the scent of everything from magnolia blossoms to fresh-boiled crawfish, and contributes a comfortable laziness to the New Orleans’ attitude. Part of the city’s charm lies in its laid-back, anti-serious manner toward almost everything.

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History

Rene Cavelier Sieur de la Salle, a French explorer, was the first European to explore the lower Mississippi River, and subsequently, he claimed the entire river and its basin, a substantially larger plot than the modern state of Louisiana, for France. The immense area was named in honor of King Louis XIV and his wife Anne. Phillipe, Duc d’Orleans, then Regent of France, gave his name to New Orleans, but it was Sieur d’Iberville who founded the actual city some 20 years later. A port city that united the Mississippi with the Gulf of Mexico had been a strategic dream, but the site’s physical landscape, an improbable 15 feet below sea level, was a nightmare. Most of the lands surrounding the river were swamps, wetlands intermittently covered by water and dense woody vegetation, so the French had their work cut out for them. In addition, malaria, spread by Louisiana’s most prolific resident, the mosquito, presented a lethal risk to any worker.

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Fast Facts

Population:  223,388

Metro: 1,030,363

Area:  350 sq mi

Time Zone: Central Standard (UTC-6)

Website: www.cityofno.com

Economy

Tourism is king in post-Katrina New Orleans, and accounts for 40 cents of every tax dollar the city gets. Oil is also a revenue source, it’s the 5th in oil production among US states due to it’s location on the Gulf of Mexico. There are 17 refineries and multiple ports capable of receiving giant oil tankers.

The Port of New Orleans is the 5th largest in the country and handles 84 million tons of cargo each year. Nearby Port of South Louisiana handles more than double that, and combined they are the largest port complex in the world by volume.

Neighborhoods

French Quarter

The French Quarter, or Vieux Carre in French, is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans. It lies in the crescent of the Mississippi River and consists of fairly narrow streets, reminiscent of European city planning, that reveal hidden courtyards and look up to wrought iron balconies. The architecture in the Quarter typically dates to the late 18th- and early 19th-centuries, and draws on French and Spanish influences. In daytime, the French Quarter, especially the area around Jackson Square, is filled with tourists, street performers, and the occasional conman. At night, the French Quarter transforms into the stereotypical party scene. Barhopping college students, adventurous suburbanites, tourists, and practitioners of the world’s oldest profession all populate the area until the wee hours.

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Where To Stay

New Orleans makes few bones about it, its raison d’etre is to play host. New Orleans has luxury hotels, funky guest residences, quaint bed and breakfasts, and even a few youth hostels. Naturally, your accommodations should probably be determined by your expectations of the city.

Although New Orleans is not a large city, getting around can take time. Things move at their own pace and it is best to accept that the city’s residents, especially the bus drivers, move to their own unhurried rhythm. If you are in town for business or area-specific sightseeing, it makes sense to stay somewhere close to the attractions on your list or the arenas for your business meetings.

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Climate

If you’re looking for mild, warm, and sunny weather, New Orleans is just the right place. Year-round, the average temperature is 70.5 degrees, with an average low of 61.4 degrees and a high of 79.4 degrees.

In January, the average daily temperature is 52.4 degrees. (Only 13 days of the year have a temperature below freezing) In July, the average temperature is 77 degrees.

They say that the weather affects ones mood, so luckily there are 229 days a year with mostly sun!

Public Transportation

Regional Transit Authority
Route and Schedule Info: (504) 248-3900
www.norta.com

Public transportation in New Orleans consists of the streetcar line and the bus system. Though Public transportation is not the most reliable form of travel, in many cases it can take you where you want to go for only a $1.25.  Exact change is required.   If, of course, you need to get somewhere quickly, or if you’re traveling late at night, it is best to take a cab.

A good way to sightsee is to take the streetcar line, which is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. Three streetcar routes operate in the city. The #12 St. Charles line begins at Canal Street, travels the length of St. Charles Avenue, and terminates at the intersection of South Carrolton and South Claiborne Avenues. The #2 Riverfront Streetcar Line travels the entire length of the French Quarter, along the riverfront, from Esplanade Avenue to Tchoupitoulas Street where the Morial Convention Center is located. Finally, the #48 Esplanade line departs from intersection of North Rampart and Canal Streets, travels the length of Esplanade Avenue, and terminates at City Park and the St Louis Cemetery. Bus and streetcar fares are $1.25 and exact change is required. Visitor passes offer unlimited rides for a flat fee: a one-day pass is $4, a three-day pass is $8. Passes are available at most major hotels and at New Orleans Tours and Gray Line Tours locations.

Air Transportation

Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY)
www.flymsy.com

Louis Armstrong Airport is in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, and is virtually back to it’s pre-Katrina flight volume.

You can take a cab to almost anywhere in the city for a flat rate of about $30. If you are heading to one of the major hotels, you can take the airport shuttle, which costs about $15. Renting a car is also an option, but if you are planning to stay in the city center for most of your visit, it is best to leave the car behind and avoid the costly parking and potentially perilous New Orleans streets. If you do opt to mosey about town in a vehicle, keep in mind that these city drivers exhibit a tendency toward risky driving methods.

Area Code(s)

Dining & Nightlife

The people of New Orleans are passionate about eating. Any visitor to the city should experience the regional flavor, but there are important differences between the countrified Cajun, refined Creole, and classic Southern styles of cooking that make up New Orleans cuisine. There also exists a unifying principle: “Fat is flavor.” Cream, butter, and oil abound. With this in mind, pace yourself! Hot weather and heavy food can limit your visit to the confines of your hotel room. Stay on the safe side and try to limit yourself to one big meal a day.

The Emeril Thing

Television impresario Emeril Lagasse, featured on the “Food Network,” has three restaurants in New Orleans. Try NOLA in the Quarter for a casual night, Delmonico Restaurant & Bar in the Garden District for classic cuisine and service, and the eponymous Emeril’s in the Warehouse District for an evening of sophistication.

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Entertainment

New Orleanians love to throw a good party–keep in mind this is a city that dances in the street after a funeral. So don’t fret if you miss the big money draws Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There are still plenty of festivals to go around, including Southern Decadence with the ultimate drag parade down Royal Street; the French Quarter Festival in April that attracts local and international bands as well as some of Jazz Fest’s favorite food vendors; and the Creole Tomato Festival, a smaller affair, but just as delicious.

Music

A ton of musical history and a citywide penchant for “shakin’ it” make New Orleans ground zero for catching great music all year long. Even more good news: if you go local and hit clubs outside the French Quarter you’ll find yourself rarely paying more than a $5 cover charge with standard bar prices.

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Museums

Museums range from the nationally significant D-Day Museum and Confederate Museum to the more obscure Pharmacy Museum, a celebration of the 19th century apothecary.

Most political, sociological and architectural exhibitions of interest can be found in the French Quarter, home of the Louisiana State Museum and its various branches, as well as the Historic New Orleans Collection and important historical residences.

Art lovers will enjoy the huge collection of international art work and archaeological finds at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). A small showcase of African American art is viewable at the Villa Meilleur on Gov. Nicholls Street in the Faubourg Treme District.

The Arts

On the line between museum and art gallery lies the Contemporary Art Center (CAC), a spectacularly renovated warehouse on Camp Street that offers two floors of touring art work. The upper level gallery is usually a national show and the lower level gallery is a showcase for local artists working in the medium represented on the second floor. The CAC also stages a variety of art appreciation events, concerts and cutting-edge theater productions.

For more mainstream performing arts events the place to be is downtown. Theater lovers have a variety of options: contemporary drama at The Southern Repertory Theater on the third floor of Canal Place; The Saengar Theater on Rampart Street at Canal, host to national touring companies and A-list comedians; and the cozy Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre in the Quarter, where old-school chestnuts are performed by local acting vets. Ballet and opera lovers can view local and touring ensembles at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in Louis Armstrong Park. While the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performs at The Orpheum Theater on University Place just off of Canal Street.

Shopping

All manifestations of material goods are yours for purchasing. Try Magazine Street, lower Garden District to Uptown, for funky, used and questionably French items; Royal Street, for classic antiques; and the Central Business District’s New Orleans Shopping Center, Canal Place and sprawling Riverwalk for all your mall needs. Music buffs take note of the Louisiana Music Factory across from the House of Blues, as well as the GHB Jazz Foundation at the French Market, stocked with Dixieland, traditional and classic jazz recordings.

Music

New Orleans is not a big city, but it does have an extensive and dynamic history that can overwhelm the first time tourist, but there are many venues for visitors to successfully experience one of the most captivating places in the world.

Gray Line Tours has a long list of commercial tour packages that cover every conceivable angle of the city’s historical highlights. Smaller tour groups focus on the city’s literary, gay and lesbian, and jazz heritage. Remember that unless you prefer self-exploration, you do not need a car to check out the wonderful highlights outside the city, like splendid plantation homes and hot n’ sweaty swamps, because most tour operators make hotel pick-ups. Non-profit organizations, including Friends of the Cabildo in the French Quarter and Save Our Cemeteries in the Garden District, also lead comprehensive tours, where your reasonable ticket “donations” help to preserve and restore the locations that you visit.

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Family Attractions

The Audubon Zoo, at the rear of Audubon Park , and its sister site, the Aquarium of the Americas, at the Riverfront, are excellent family diversions. Both facilities are impressive showcases of creatures found regionally and across the world, including such rarities as white tigers and 450-pound sharks. The Aquarium of the Americas is also home to New Orleans’ IMAX theater.

Outdoor enthusiasts can choose between two gorgeous oak-filled parks: Audubon Uptown or City Park in Mid-City, the nation’s fifth largest urban park. Both public greens offer golf courses, play areas and horseback riding.