Few cities have shaped pop culture as subtly, yet decidedly as New Orleans, the capital of Louisiana, that port city of myth and legend cozying up against the elbow of the Mighty Mississippi River. It has, for a long time, topped my personal bucket list of travel destinations due to its relevance, beauty, mystery and culture. In my late teens, Capote, Faulkner, and Williams were pretty much all I would read, and whose childhood hasn’t been impacted by the adventures of Mark Twain’s heroes along the Mississippi? More recently, Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” and vampire-tween drama series “The Originals” have put the spotlight back on New Orleans. And have you heard of Beyoncé?
New Orleans’ countless nicknames immediately conjure up unfulfilled desires and a sense of adventure in many people. Some may come looking for a good time in the Big Easy, for the idea of sipping a mint julep on a hot summer night while listening to world-class jazz in a tucked away courtyard in the French Quarter. Others strive to travel in the footsteps of fictional and real-life creatures of the night in the Crescent City, ranging from Anne Rice’s bloodthirsty vampire counts to the likes of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau and politically savvy French pirate brothers Pierre and Jean Lafitte. And many flock into the City that Care Forgot to celebrate its world famous Mardi Gras while rubbing shoulders with its warm, cheerful and incredibly welcoming inhabitants. Whatever lures you to the city, you are sure to find it and much more.
As you explore NOLA’s many faces to the constant backdrop of brilliant street music, you are bound to feel an itching in your feet that will surely lead you to want to dance the night away at one of Frenchmen Street‘s renowned music houses, or experience the essence of New Orleans in in its vibrant Tremé neighbourhood. Just south from there, you will find the French Quarter, known of course as the geographical, cultural and culinary heart of the city. The Quarter not only boasts beautiful architecture stemming from the late period of Spanish rule and the early days of U.S. annexation (late 18th-early 19th century), but its inhabitants also seem able to draw upon an incredible backlog of ghost tales at any moment to send shivers down visitors’ backs. Few places in the world are considered as haunted as, for example, the Lalaurie Mansion: its mistress’ cruel experiments, torture and murder of slaves were revealed to a horrified public after a 1834 fire. More recently, Nicolas Cage bought and renovated the house and went bankrupt soon after. Make of that what you want.
And then, there are those tourist traps that are actually equally beloved by visitors and residents alike: among them, Café du Monde’s legendary beignets, fresh and chargrilled Oysters at Acme or Felix’s, and Cajun specialities at the French Market’s plentiful food stalls. While Bourbon Street indeed turns into a hotbed of sin and extravaganza at night, there is many a sleek and cozy bar at every corner to enjoy a couple of drinks after a certainly filling dinner. For the more laid-back and local experience, artsy Warehouse Art District can be reached within a few minutes on foot. Once there, you will find excellent restaurants and galleries aplenty, inviting you to get lost in the area’s colourful streets.
While the French Quarter remains dominated by the traces of its Creole residents’ influence and lifestyle, the Garden District, in contrast, is packed to burst with beautiful late Victorian-style villas, many of which were once large plantation homes. Venturing off the area’s main artery, busy and 6-mile-long Magazine Street, visitors will find themselves amidst massive oak trees that extend far over the uneven pavement and shield the intricately pillared houses from all-too-curious glances. The subtle melancholy of New Orleans becomes most manifest in the countless cemeteries that dot the city, and the Garden District houses the most famous one, Lafayette Cemetery. New Orleans dips below sea level, and due to the resulting risk of flooding, its deceased are buried in ornate overground tombs. At St. Louis Cemetery No.1, the grave of Marie Laveau stands out pockmarked by scribbled X’s, which are said to aid amateur occultists (or the morbidly curious) in getting their wishes granted. Laveau may have passed away in 1881, yet she and her daughter of the same name have left a permanent mark on NOLA as its favourite voodoo priestesses.
Of course, no visit to the area would be complete without a quick detour to one of the many plantations winding up the River Road along the rich Mississippi soil. Due to timing issues we chose to visit Oak Alley Plantation during this trip, although Whitney Plantation is supposed to be more educative and sensitive in terms of the history of slavery. Oak Alley, a former Creole plantation, was re-modeled in Antebellum style and boasts not only a gorgeous canopied path of large oak trees, but also the white-pillared beauty Southern plantations are famous for. Yet, the most interesting and disturbing part of this sugarcane plantation’s history lies in the shadows of its stark white beauty: like most of their contemporaries, Oak Alley’s owners grounded their economic prowess on the backs of slaves. The plantation’s official database currently lists 224 names of men, women and children who lived under dismal conditions of forced labour at Oak Alley. In meticulous historical and archeological work, six slave cabins have been reconstructed in the back yard of the luxurious main house, offering a small glimpse of what life must have been like for their inhabitants. Certainly, we forget all too often the grim face of oppression and discrimination, and a visit to those grounds should be considered indispensable for any American.
One of the aspects about New Orleans that I find most remarkable is its resilience in the face of disaster. It takes a very special city to arise from the ashes and rebuild itself – to do what neither Babylon could, nor Sodom and Gomorrah. Berlin is one of the cities that emerged glorious after the devastation of the Second World War which practically reduced it to rubble; so did Tokyo following a 1923 earthquake that flattened the entire port area, alongside Beirut which once again transformed itself into an illustrious and liberal cultural hub after its Civil War. Paradoxically, destruction and horror seem to be a cleansing experience to those who prevail, leading in many cases to the birth of new (sub-)cultures, and a tangible lust for life. New Orleans, of course, experienced disaster only quite recently in the shape of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding. In the 12 years that have passed since the levees were breached, the city where Puccini’s Manon Lescaut drew her last breath was slapped with economic downturn following the banking crisis, and crime has been on a steady rise, solidifying New Orleans’ reputation as the murder capital of the United States. Yet, NOLA stubbornly prevails and continues to attract those looking for something a little bit different.
Selection of recommended places:
Fleur de Lis Mansion Boutique B&B
1216 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar
739 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Acme Oyster House
724 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Café Sbisa Creole Restaurant
1011 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop & Bar
941 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
J’s Seafood Dock on French Market
1100 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Blue Nile
532 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
The Art Garden & Floating Gallery
613 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club
1931 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
How to get out of it alive 