Inimitable and excessive, romantic and cursed, New Orleans is a city loved by many for its embrace of joie de vivre, no matter the circumstance.
THE SHORTLIST
Things to do in New Orleans to get the real thing in the city.
- Start with a French 75 concocted by Arnaud’s cocktail savant Chris Hannah
- Dive into the Louis Armstrong, Buddy Bolden, et al, trove at Tulane’s Hogan Jazz Library
- Soothe your soul (and fill your belly) at Upperline, and be sure to meet owner JoAnn Clevenger
- Cozy up at the Soniat House, adjoining townhomes of French antiques and an honor bar
- A late-night ramble in the Bywater neighborhood at Mimi’s, Bacchanal and Vaughn’s
"Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? When that's where you left your heart. The moonlight on the bayou a creole tune that fills the air. I dream about magnolias in bloom and I'm wishin' I was there."
- LOUIS ARMSTRONG
