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America's favorite Southern city to party, enjoy good food and drinks and generally have a good time, New Orleans offers all of these things in a lively atmosphere of carefree fun. Noted for its Cajun cuisine and Dixieland jazz, the city lies at the mouth of the Mississippi, which ends its long journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps it is due to the location at the end of this journey that the city welcomes visitors to relax, re-charge and enjoy themselves.
History
Once a swampy delta, New Orleans is now a busy seaport whose very name evokes visions of romance spiced with a little Cajun voodoo. Tropical, lush, sensual, saucy and hedonistic are all words used to describe what has become known as "the Big Easy."
Pierce Lewis, a notable scholar, described New Orleans as the "inevitable city on an impossible site." Strategically situated, New Orleans was envisioned as a city that could control the trade between the vast interior of North America and the rest of the world, potentially determining the political future. Hurricanes, mosquitoes, excessive heat, swampy landscape, pirates and a sailor's barroom atmosphere limited the regions potential strength.
The area where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico is nothing but marshland and watery muck. While the great river demanded a wonderful port city, it provided no place for one. The French, first to settle the area in the late 1600's, chose to locate to the North in Baton Rouge and built forts down the river in hopes of controlling the Gulf entrance. This strategy eventually failed and with the help of the Choctaw Indians, Bienville and Iberville identified a quicker route into the Mississippi located near a relatively well-drained land where a natural levee was created by the river's crescent curve. This area gave the town it's nickname, the "Crescent City." In 1718, Jean Baptiste La Moyne established New Orleans as the capital of Louisiana (named by Cavalier in 1682 to honor King Louis XIV and his bride Queen Anne).
From 1718 until 1810, New Orleans was essentially European. Its design was classic 18th century with a central square, church, walls and towers. During the 18th century growth was slow and difficult, basically due to the French government policy of strict economic regulation. New Orleans was ceded to the Spanish as a result of the Treaty of Paris, but Spain remained ambivalent to development of the area due to problems at home amidst a crumbling Spanish empire. British and American colonization of the Ohio River Valley and nearby regions which drained into the Mississippi led to extensive colonial settlements. Inevitably, neither the Spanish nor the French (who took back control in 1802) could hold the area and it was sold to the new American nation as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Perhaps one of the greatest real estate deals in history thanks to President Thomas Jefferson (who people thought was crazy for making such a foolish purchase), it doubled the size of America.
New Orleans has grown to be a great American city, maintaining its French/Spanish Creole culture while blending with the English conservatism. Unfortunately, the city is located below sea level while the Mississippi flows past at a height ten to fifteen feet above much of the city. Despite the presence of the Army Corps of Engineers' vast canals and pumping stations, the city is prone to flooding, as evidenced by the devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. However, New Orleans and its citizens have overcome enormous obstacles in the past and will continue to party into the future. More history...
Clubs and Music
Long renowned as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans actually shares this distinction with Chicago, where many of the early performers originated. Jelly Roll Morton- the stride pianist who claims to have invented jazz- played in the area in the 1920's. The
Preservation Hall
A stroll down and around Bourbon Street brings you in contact with numerous places to see and hear live music.
Tipitina's
Attractions
The two most famous historical attractions in New Orleans are the
French Quarter
Bourbon Street is aptly named- the street and its neighboring intersections are host to thousands of revelers before, during and after Mardi Gras, the ancient ritual celebration which occurs in February of every year. Every night, beginning around 5:00 P.M., the streets begin to fill with young partiers (mostly under 35, but some well into their 50's and 60's) to carouse, enjoy the live music blaring from the many bars and partake in a ritual dating back many decades. Note that Bourbon street might not be appropriate for children due to the strip bars with plenty of adult themed pictures outside and the general routiness of the street crowd. Jackson Square- and the St. Louis Cathedral which stands nearby- has a beautiful bronze statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse, celebrating his victory over the British. The Square is one of the most widely photographed of the city's landmarks and home to dozens of artists who display their wares on the streets nearby.
The French Market
The Gulf of Mexico is a rich source of the great seafood which graces America's dinner tables and sport fishing enthusiasts can take half-day and full day fishing cruises from New Orleans. Football fans enjoy the Superdome and the New Orleans Saints, who almost made it to the Super Bowl in January 2007. The devastating effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still being felt in many neighborhoods- but the spirit of the people of New Orleans lives on. Louisiana is known as a "Sportsmen's Paradise" and those who like to hunt and fish can find a variety of places to visit in nearby bayou country. Movie buffs can search around town for locations highlighted in the film "The Big Easy"; many well known movies have been shot here. Tourists love New Orleans and that is why so many conventions are held here every year...in the city which loves to have fun. More attractions...
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