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By Benay Bernstein
Photography courtesy of Benay Bernstein
New Orleans, southern star of the United States, enfolds you in its lovin' arms and makes you feel that you belong. Ask Faulkner, Williams, Hemmingway, Audubon, and Renoir. They will all tell you - in fact, they have, in their words and art - New Orleans is the place to be. You can eat glorious food, attend fancy dress balls, see parades, listen to sweet jazz, experience the debauchery of Bourbon Street, and receive five star service at world class restaurants and hotels within the radius of a few blocks. Or, take a riverboat ride or swamp tour, visit an antebellum plantation, or the grand opera. Beautiful New Orleans, miraculously unscathed by the War Between the States retains its French, Spanish, Caribbean, and African roots through its distinctive architecture, creole cooking, and jazzy blues. It is  seductive and tenacious. That is why post-Katrina New Orleans continues to entertain visitors with unquenchable joie de vivre.
When it is warm but not hot, when the sun bounces its sweet southern rays against the majestic facade of St. Louis Cathedral, and you are surrounded by the historic Cabildo, the Presbetyre and Jackson Square, you feel the spirit of New Orleans. Hear the calliope playing a lilting tune powered by riverboat steam from the Natchez paddlewheeler, which churns just over the levee across Decatur Street. The smell of Cafe du Monde's beignets and coffee with chicory, the original New Orleans' “cafe au lait”, lures you for a brief repast before you mount the steps to the Moonw alk and the mighty Mississippi. Stroll along the river in Woldenberg Linear Park and you see statues, memorials, musicians, walkers, bikers and families headed to the New Orleans Aquarium, at the foot of famous Canal Street. Catch the streetcar for a short ride to Audubon Zoo or combine the trip with a steamboat one way and a trolley the other. If you resist the call of the river and choose to wander through the narrow French Quarter streets, take Pirate's Alley past Pere Antoine's garden to Royal Street with its elegant antique shops, galleries, and street musicians. Or jog on to Bourbon Street, turn right and you wander through quiet residential quarters in all their 18th century glory. Don't miss the Ursuline Convent for a sense of New Orleans’ religious heritage and a unique mosaic exhibit sent from the Vatican. Turn left and brash Bourbon Street spills its music on the open sidewalk; barkers coax you to enter jazz clubs and bars; revelers roam the wide-open streets.
Stop for a true New Orleans dining experience at one of the fine dining establishments in a town known for its elegant and innovative cuisine. Has one truly lived without tasting Eggs Sardou, Duck and Andouie Sausage gumbo, Oyster's Rockefeller, Turtle Soup, Crawfish Etoufee, Trout Meunier, perfectly fried soft shell crab, Godchaux Salad made with pungent Creole mustard dressing, and Soufflé potatoes (puffed chips, thin, hot and crispy with just a hint of salt)?
Dining is an art and a pastime in our city. Studying a menu is a heady experience. How can one decide among so many fine offerings? Excitement is in the air as the wait staff presents your wine. Enticing aromas heighten your anticipation. Finally, your food arrives, its colors and textures reward your wait and the unique local seasoning is pure delight. I recently ordered a whimsical dish for lunch and was blown away. The smoked duck sandwich on browned seeded bread with cashew butter, sautéed red onions, and pepper jelly was elegant. The gastronomic world  is richer for New Orleans’ contributions.
Full from dinner, it is now time to hear some blues or jazz or listen to a chanteuse or perhaps some Irish tunes. Every night a multitude of venues offer genuine New Orleans sounds. Of course Preservation Hall, Tipitinas, Snug Harbor and The House of Blues present nightly shows but you will find at least twenty or thirty more performances taking place each night around town. Name entertainment is always available, but with local music being of such a high caliber, the entire playing field is skewed towards excellence. Our youth is raised with live music. Starting with high school marching bands that perform in parades all year long, NOCCA, the high school for the performing arts, develops local talent that spills onto our many stages. A few weeks ago, I was strolling on a Saturday afternoon in The Marigny, an artsy neighborhood just past the French Quarter. Enticing music floated into the street. I heard a throaty voice backed by a bass and cello. It was impossible for me and my companion to leave the sound. We sat on an old sofa on the street, drank a cold beer and listened to a great set played by three young people. Music is in our blood. It is our passion, our pastime, our profession and our offering to the world.
Walking tours and horse and buggy rides offer the best overall views of the French Quarter, but don't miss a city tour or trolley ride to see mansions on St.  Charles Avenue and the Upper and Lower Garden Districts. Just across Canal Street is the American District, now the Central Business District, where upstart newcomers in the second half of the eighteenth century made their homes. Each small city within the city tells the story of settlers, builders, philanthropists, all contributing to the richness - the gumbo - of our fascinating city. Visiting history through boutique museums and home tours is another wonderful way to experience New Orleans. Two home tours jump right out as readily accessible in the French Quarter. First and foremost, is the Gallier House located in the 1100 block of Royal Street. Whether dressed for Christmas, in summer apparel, or ready for the social season, the Gallier House is fascinating. Architect James Gallier incorporated many modern conveniences in his family town house, a cistern and indoor range and plumbing among them. The Kemper and Leila Williams House is another typical city dwelling to tour and is part of The Historic New Orleans Collection, which houses one of our finest small museums. It is located in the 400 block of Royal Street. At these houses you will see family living quarters, slave quarters, and the garconniere (separate quarters for the young gentleman about town). The history of Mardi Gras is permanently on display at the Presbetyre on Jackson Square and the history of the city of New Orleans is beautifully told in the newly remodeled Cabildo. The Jazz Museum is just past the Farmer's Market (currently being remodeled) and Flea Market (never in need of remodeling) at the corner of Esplanade Avenue and the River. A straight shot up Esplanade Avenue, by taxi (or up Canal Street by streetcar), lies City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Talk about jewels, these are special places not to be missed, small but world class treasures lie within.
If cooking is your passion check out the two great cooking schools, The Sassy Gourmet on Magazine Street is known for its fun get-togethers, open kitchen, and easy approach to great food. Poppy Tooker, doyenne of New Orleans, captures you with her red-lipped smile and intimate knowledge of New Orleans living. Don't try calling her during Mardi Gras season! Any other time you are her welcome guest. The Culinary Institute of New Orleans is up and running, post-Katrina. If you fancy tennis, the Rivercenter at the Hilton has eight indoor courts. And for golfers, two world class courses are twenty minutes from downtown. Also check out the elegant shops at Canal Place and the Riverwalk, totally redone since Katirina. Local shopping is tres courant, in New Orleans. Everyone feels good about spending money.
Festivals abound in our city. Dotted throughout the French Quarter and riverfront, bandstands offer non-stop music during French Quarter Fest, the second weekend in April. This follows  Jazzfest, always held on the last weekend in April and first weekend of May. These major events are followed by the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience, Creole Tomato Fest, Essence, Voodoo Fest, Southern Decadence and the Bayou Classic, to name a few. And, of course, Mardi Gras floats between February and early March, depending on the year.
And there’s lots more left to do. Many more sights, sounds and experiences await you. We appreciate visitors more than ever now. You enable us to stay alive. Your continuing love for and appreciation of our city adds to our strong spirit. One more tour and experience must be mentioned as this love song for New Orleans comes to a close. That is the Katrina Tour and the "roll up your sleeves and help us" for an hour, a day or a week experience. Outside the French Quarter, the Central Business District and Uptown New Orleans is a Greater Metropolitan Area full of industrious rebuilding. Seeing the city return from devastation is inspirational but the scope of the damage is great and we are just scratching the surface. Let your eyes see and take our message home to your communities. If you are inclined to assist, we welcome your help. If you choose not to see that part of our lives, no problem. We want you to have a ball and keep returning to the southern city with character, New Orleans.
© April 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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