New Orleans, a major United States port is the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. It is situated in south-eastern Louisiana spanning the Mississippi River and the city and Orleans Parch are coterminous.
The city and parish are surrounded by the parishes of St. Tammany towards the north, St. Bernard towards the east, Plaquemine to the south and Jefferson to the south and west. Part of Lake Pontchartrain which is included in the city limits, lies to the north while Lake Borgne is to the east. It is one of the world’s most fascinating historically rich destination and a home to unique culture, food and music.
The city has been named after the Duke of Orleans who had reigned for Louis XV as Regent from 1715 to 1723, since it was establish by the French colonist, strongly influenced by European culture. It is also well known for its diverse French and Spanish Creole architecture together with cross cultural as well as multilingual heritage. New Orleans is very popular for its amazing cuisine and music especially as the birthplace of jazz. Mardi Gras, is its annual celebrations and festival which dates back to French colonial times and the city is frequently referred as the most unique city in the United States.
Famous Parish – Ranks Third in Population
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish in Louisiana was considered as the most famous parish and now ranks third in population, trailing neighbouring East Baton Rouge Parish and Jefferson Parish. It was founded in 1718 and one of the nation’s oldest cities with a rich atmosphere having a mixture of French sophistication, Creole, African-American, Caribbean, Haitian, Irish, German and Vietnamese. Although it was hit hard in 2005, by Hurricane Katrina the city has reverberated and remains to be the largest city in Louisiana and also one of the top tourist attractions in the United States.
Besides the famous Creole food, New Orleans is also known for its abundant alcohol, various styles of music, nearby swamps and plantations, 18th and 19th century architecture, together with antiques, gay pride, streetcars, and museums. It has had a reputation as an adult oriented city and has been nicknamed the Big Easy. Besides these, the city also has several other attractions for families with their children and for people fond of art and culture. Due to the European origins, the population of the city has a majority of Roman Catholics.
Mardi Gras/Jazz Fest
The famous festivals of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest brings about tourist from all over the world which takes place two times in a year and booking for the same needs to be done well in advance for a room there.
Moreover, the city also tends to host various other smaller festivals and gatherings such as the French Quarter Festival, Creole Tomato Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, the Essence Festival which are hosted by the magazine, Saint Patrick’s Day and Saint Joseph’s Day together with Halloween parading and costume balls, Southern Decadence and much more.
Most of the events in New Orleans often have a touch of Mardi Gras and the city uses any occasion to parade, party and live music. It is said that the people in New Orleans are either planning a party, enjoying one or even recovering from one and seems to be a fun filled city.
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