New Orleans is a city located along the Mississippi River in the southern region of the U.S state of Louisiana. It is the most populous city in Louisiana with a population of 391,006. As a major port, New Orleans is considered a commercial and economic hub for the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. It is renowned for its distinct music, creole cuisine and unique dialect. It hosts annual celebrations and festivals and the most notable is the Mardi Gras. its historic heart is the French Quarter and the vibrant nightlife Bourbon Street.
New Orleans is portrayed as the most unique city in the united states owing to the large cross-cultural and multilingual culture. It was founded in 1718 by French colonialists and was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana before being traded to the United States in 1803.
New Orleans is named after the Duke of Orleans who reigned as Regent for Louis XV between 1715 to 1723 and has many illustrative nicknames such as the Crescent City, The Big Easy and the City that Care forgot.
New Orleans major tourist events and other forms of revenue have returned including large conventions, college bowl games and others not mentioned. Interestingly, major annual events such as Mardi Gras, Voodoo Experience and the Jazz and Heritage Festival were never displaced or cancelled. There is also a new annual festival which was added to the roaster named 'The Running of the Bulls New Orleans'.
New Orleans Central Business District is located immediately north and west of the Mississippi and was historically called the American Quarter and was developed after the heart of French and Spanish settlement. It includes Lafayette Square and most streets fan out from a central point. The major streets include Canal Street, Poydras Street, Tulane Avenue and Loyola Avenue.
New Orleans, has a diverse religion but the most prominent is the Roman Catholic. This is mainly influenced by the French and Spanish settlement. Other religions in the area include Orthodox Christianity, Oriental Orthodoxy, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Latter-Day Saint and pentecostal. There is also a distinctive variety of Louisiana Voodoo due to syncretism with African and Afro-Caribbean Roman Catholic beliefs.
When wandering through New Orleans, you will not only find its historical architecture but also the love of art. There are creative murals, various forms of public art and sculptures which demonstrates this. This is all done with the help of local organizations such as NOLA Mural Project and Arts Council New Orleans. These art pieces continue to inspire others and have become a recognizable part of the city landscape.
You can have a taste of various New Orleans delicacies in the pop-up restaurants. This will help you explore the unique neighbourhoods. These local bars, breweries, markets and festivals around the Crescent City, offer a wide range of bites that can't be found anywhere else.
If you are a fan of sports, New Orleans has one of the leading NFL football teams named the New Orleans Saints due to the huge catholic population. They have won 8 division championships, 1 conference championships and the 2009 super bowl championship. New Orleans is a fun city to reside in as it will have you occupied through out the year with activities ranging from art to sports and mouth watering cuisines.