In its colorful history, many flags have flown over the City of New Orleans, such as the French, the Spanish, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America.
New Orleans nestles between Lake Pontchartrain, a huge but shallow body of saltwater that forms the northern edge of town, and a meniscus-shaped bend of the Mississippi River, about 90 river miles (145km) above where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The original and most visited portions of the city parallel the northern riverbank. Directions upriver or downriver are relative to the water flow, which bends maddeningly to all points of the compass. The Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain also provide 'riverside' or 'lakeside' orientation. In fact, locals never use the words "north", "south", "east", or "west". The corresponding local terms are:
- North - "Lakeside" (Lake Ponchartrain is the northern boundary of the city)
- South - "Riverside" (the Mississippi River is the southern boundary)
- East - "towards Downtown" (Downtown is down-river -- with the flow)
- West - "towards Uptown" (Uptown is up-river - against the flow)
New Orleans comprises a checkerboard of neighborhoods of different wealth and ethnicity - it's often only a few steps from ghetto to endowed estates. At the easternmost point of the city's crescent-shaped core is the heart of the original city, the French Quarter. To the southwest, the Uptown area encompasses the Garden District, universities and palatial mansions along the St Charles Ave Streetcar Line, which leads to the Riverbend area at the other end of the crescent.
When to go
New Orleans' climate is influenced by its subtropical latitude and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. It's hot, wet and sticky for most of the year - other times it's just wet. February through April is the best time to visit, when an easygoing climate coincides with the city's two most spectacular events, Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest.
Mardi Gras
French for 'Fat Tuesday,' Mardi Gras is a Roman Catholic celebration ushering in the 40-day Lenten season before Easter. It takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, which can be any Tuesday from 3 February to 9 March, depending on the date of Easter. Mardi Gras has always represented a last chance to indulge.
French Quarter
The French Quarter (or Vieux Carré, as it's sometimes called) was the city's original focal point and remains its chief tourist draw. It houses nearly all of New Orleans' signature tourist icons including Bourbon Street, which defines the city's bawdy character with its nightlife and sex shows.
What surprises visitors is that despite the name, the French Quarter is noted for its Spanish, not French, architecture. With the exception of the Old Ursuline Convent, the oldest building in New Orleans dating from 1745, the district's French-designed buildings were destroyed by the tremendous fires of 1788 and 1794. The distinctly Spanish character that emerged in the rebuilt city is seen today in its broad window openings, crowned by graceful arches, and fan-shaped transoms. Lacy ironwork railings on galleries overhanging the street are particularly emblematic.
New Orleans has a well-earned reputation for excess and debauchery. With an unofficial state motto, "laissez les bons temps rouler" (let the good times roll) a vacation in New Orleans may leave you needing another holiday.
