NEW ORLEANS
Area: Cities
Country: United States of America


Location:
In the S United States, in the SE corner of the state of Louisiana. 77 mls SE of the state capital, Baton Rouge. New Orleans international airport is in Kenner, 15 mls W.

Telephone code from UK:
1 504

Website:
http://www.neworleanscvb.com

Position:
On flat land between the mighty Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 110 mls inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Only major US city below sea level. Sub-tropical swamps teeming with wildlife within easy reach.

Description:
A major convention and port city, New Orleans is also a party-loving town, living up to its nickname "The Big Easy" with a work-to-live mentality _ not the other way around, as in many US cities. The city extends over an area roughly 30 mls by 15 (at its widest), but the primary attraction is the French Quarter, a square-mile area that was the original colony founded by French Creoles in 1718. Colourful French-colonial architecture combines with the many jazz joints, bars, restaurants, hotels and guest houses to create an atmosphere all its own. Add to this a range of street entertainers and all kinds of shops offering chic to sleaze. Bawdy Bourbon Street struts down the middle _ it becomes chaotic in the evenings, with bars side-by-side competing for first prize in the "who can play the loudest music" competition. However, walk a bit further off the main tourist streets to get a real flavour of the original community. There is a pleasant riverfront walk along the Mississippi from the French Market, past the aquarium and riverboat landings to a shopping mall. The Central Business District, bordering the French Quarter, has experienced much redevelopment and is generally smartening up, with international hotel chains moving into the office buildings vacated in the 1990s. Faubourg Marigny, bordering the opposite edge of the French Quarter, is a small up-and-coming district with some trendy eateries and bars, popular with the gay community. The posh residential Garden District, settled in the 1800s by Americans shunned by the Creoles, is awash with private mansions. Crime has lessened in the past few years, but you should still be vigilant anywhere you go; the cemeteries just off the French Quarter are unsafe and should only be visited with a guided tour.

Suitability:
Everyone from jazz buffs, convention-goers and gourmets to families and antique-seekers. Party animals will have a field day (or night).

Accommodation:
The Quarter boasts an abundance of accommodation, ranging from European-style guest houses to luxury hotels. If sleep is important to you, avoid accommodation on Bourbon Street. Many modern international chains in the Central Business District. Motels dot outlying areas (fringes of city and airport). Generally quite pricey. Hotel rates skyrocket during Mardi Gras and other special events.

Shopping:
Ranges from small malls in town to large Lakeside Center outside town. The French Market houses a host of speciality shops, food stalls and souvenirs; neighbouring touristy flea market. Royal, Julia and Magazine streets have antique shops and art galleries. Popular souvenirs are carnival masks, jazz records and pralines. Tax-free for foreigners.

Entertainments:
Daytime: apart from the French Quarter, various riverboat rides, carriage rides, walking tours around the Garden District, cemeteries and French Quarter history. Various museums, including the New Orleans Museum of Art and Confederate Museum. Cookery demonstrations; excellent children's attractions, including Audubon Zoo (one of top 5 in US), aquarium and IMAX theatre. Nightlife: birthplace of jazz, this is a 24-hr town bursting with music. Many clubs are in the French Quarter. Not to be missed is Preservation Hall for traditional jazz; wildly popular Pat O'Brien's. Evening theatrical ghost/voodoo guided walks. Riverboats have evening dinner/jazz cruises. Casino on Canal Street, as well as riverboat casinos floating on Lake Pontchartrain and Harvey Canal on the West Bank. Biggest bash in N America is Mardi Gras (February or March), followed closely by Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest in April_May). Scores of other festivals.

Eating:
One of the few spots in the US that has distinctive regional cuisines _ French Creole and Cajun. Specialities include gumbo, beignets (square doughnuts with powdered sugar) and po'boys (large stuffed sandwiches). Restaurants range from holes-in-the-wall to sleek eateries, although not particularly cheap.

Public-transport:
The best way to see the French Quarter is on foot, as the only public transport there is a trolley bus running around the perimeter of the Quarter. Outside the French Quarter, there is an efficient transit system. Modern buses serve the entire city supplemented by old-fashioned streetcars along St Charles Avenue, Magazine Street and the Riverfront; 1- or 3-day passes are good bargains. Cabs readily available. Well served by interstate highways, rail and bus systems.

Local-excursions:
Popular day trips to Plantation Country for restored mansions (including Nottoway, Laura, Destrehan). Swamp tours. Chalmette National Historical Park _ site of the Battle of New Orleans. Cajun Country. Nature trails and canoes in Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve. Baton Rouge (state capital).