New Orleans Facts

Locals say that the South ends fifty miles north of New Orleans. In many ways, this 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 is a relatively small city which had little concern for what went on outside of it until Hurricane Katrina devastated the city 2005. Parts of New Orleans are still recovering from this disaster but the city's vibrant culture is back in full swing.

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...

..., or N'awlins, as the locals call it, is a tasty gumbo stew of African, French, Spanish, Italian and German cultures. It's a place of lush tropical courtyards hidden behind unassuming building fronts. It's where you eat sugary beignets at 3am at Café du Monde while watching the passing human parade. It's also where America comes to party. Think Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and street musicians in Jackson Square. It's the birthplace of Louis Armstrong and jazz, and where, above the water line left by Hurricane Katrina, the good times still roll.

Things to Do

New Orleans buzzes day and night. Watch the artists, tarot card readers, street performers and horse-drawn carriages in the French Quarter's Jackson...