New Orleans – A City for the Senses

What a beautiful, thriving city New Orleans is! I had very little expectations arriving on a sweltering day in early July. Unlike New York, whose image is captured in the public eye daily, I only had a vague preconception of jazz and Mardi Gras inside my head. Little did I know, this would easily become my favorite city in America!

To begin with, the warm welcome I received on my first day rivaled the 90 degree weather and 90% humidity. Nearly every time I rode the street car or bus, people approached me, recognizing I was a tourist. They gave me travel tips and food recommendations. At one point at least five people on the bus had a spirited debate on the best fried chicken joint in town. Living in Seattle, where I rode the bus every day to work and didn’t speak to a single person all year, this was a revelation. New Orleans is a multi-cultural city, with 60% of residents being black, and it is the greatest example of racial harmony that I have experienced. I felt totally welcome in all parts of the city.

The Food

The food in New Orleans is a fantastic blend of soul food, French fine dining, and traditional Haitian and African cuisine. Some of the highlights included:

The Music

My conception of jazz music being integral to New Orleans was right after all! In every hotel, all along Frenchman street, even in the drunkest parts of Bourbon street, you can find live music. Riffs flow out onto the street. Brass bands set up shop alongside the Mississippi. A lone saxophonist toots ditties by a bench in Louis Armstrong park.

Jazz is the perfect mix to the city’s classic but youthful nightlife scene. The fact that New Orleans has open container laws makes it all the more fun, as bulging speakeasies spill music/booze/parties into the streets. And of course I tried the Sazerac, a New Orleans classic stiff cocktail.

Since I still wanted to get to know the jazz culture and history a bit better, I headed to the NOLA Jazz Museum, which featured an exhibition on Professor Long Hair and highlighted other New Orleans legends.

Whether its the heart-warming welcome, mouth-watering food, or foot-tapping music, New Orleans is a full-bodied experience I can’t wait to do again.