New Orleans Features

New Orleans Features

• New Orleans Today
  

  As much as people here would like to move on, there's no getting around Hurricane Katrina—which not only devastated New Orleans, but also... read more

• Top Things to Do in New Orleans
  

  Crude and crass, New Orleans's most famous entertainment strip isn't to everyone's taste, but you have to see it at least once—preferably... read more

• What the Locals Do in New Orleans
  

  Tired of time-share hawkers and tap dancers? Want to spend some time enjoying New Orleans the way locals do? Step one: get out of the Quarter... read more

• New Orleans with Kids
  

  City Park. There's plenty to do here for the younger set, including two free playgrounds: one with swings near the Peristyle, and a new playground... read more

• Mardi Gras History
  

  No one is absolutely sure how Mardi Gras celebrations started. The history of early Louisiana Carnival celebrations isn't really documented until... read more

• Mardi Gras Parades
  

  Carnival parades begin in earnest two weekends before Mardi Gras, with parades day and night on weekends; there are parades each night starting... read more

• Cheap Things to Do in New Orleans
  

  Unless you're a dues-paying member or a Louisiana resident, you won't get a break at most New Orleans museums—although you can buy a Power... read more

• Practical Matters
  

  Bars tend to open in the early afternoon and stay open well into the morning hours. Live music, while abundant, is a little less predictable... read more

• Offbeat New Orleans
  

  It may sound odd, but the old cemeteries in and around New Orleans, where tombs have to be built above the boggy ground to keep the remains of... read more

• Best Fests and Parades
  

  You'd expect a party town to throw a big New Year's bash, right? Join the crowd on the Mississippi River near Jax Brewery for fireworks, live... read more

• Get Outta Town
  

  The land that gave the world one of its great cuisines—and a refuge for French-Canadian exiles in the 18th century—is worth at least... read more

• Mardi Gras Basics
  

  Carnival balls: Many krewes have black-tie balls to present debutantes. Alas, you can't buy a ticket—you have to be invited.... read more

• What to Eat in New Orleans
  

  Andouille (pronounced ahn-dooey). A mildly spiced Acadian smoked sausage of lean pork, it often flavors gumbos, red beans and rice, and jambalayas... read more

• 10 Places to Eat for Under $10
  

  Angeli on Decatur. The huge windows are perfect for watching the parade of Decatur Street's pierced, tattooed, and woozy nightlife while you... read more

• The Saga of Preservation Hall
  

  Of all the clubs that went dark after Hurricane Katrina, perhaps none was missed as sorely as Preservation Hall, the 45-year-old shrine to traditional... read more

• The Best Music History Sights
  

  The Birthplace of Jazz is a banner New Orleans wears with pride, and it's hard to visit the city without seeing and hearing signs of the rich... read more

• Mardi Gras Shopping Blitz
  

  New Orleans during Mardi Gras may seem chaotic, but it's actually very organized, and those locals who participate are focused on capturing their... read more

• Bright Lights, Big Easy
  

  One legacy of New Orleans's Caribbean cultural climate that comes as a pleasant shock to many visitors is the city's tolerant attitude toward... read more

• Crescent City to Go!
  

  There are lots of treats to sample while you're in the Big Easy—but you don't have to eat them all while you're here, since many of the... read more

• New Orleans Cocktail Culture Primer
  

  Old New Orleans Rum Distillery. Founded in 1995, this craft distillery is the oldest maker of rum in the continental United States. Tours start... read more

• Micaela Pontalba
  

  Every life has its little dramas, but how many of us can claim lives dramatic enough to inspire an opera? The Baroness Micaela Almonester de... read more

• New Orleans Cemeteries
  

  New Orleans's "cities of the dead," with rows of crypts like little houses and streets organized with signs, are some of the city's most enduring... read more