New Orleans:
The Big Easy

There is something extremely compelling about New Orleans. Perhaps it's the city's diversity, apparent in the architecture, the music, the faces and cuisine.

     Ensconced on the banks of the Mississippi River and close to the Gulf of Mexico, the Crescent City is a charming, glamorous, elegant and multicultural hub, with more flavor of an old European capital than an American city.

     While strolling its picturesque streets, it seems music is everywhere. In the French Quarter, the sounds soar from street corners, and in the French Market area, there are brass band concerts, while classical music concerts are held at Christ Church Cathedral on selected Sundays. Additionally, visitors can delight in all sorts of great street musicians in Jackson Square.

     In 1996, New Orleans, the birthplace of some of jazz's greatest musicians, had its celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the birth of jazz, with a variety of special events, competitions and activities.

     In the early part of February, there is yet one more reason to visit: Mardi Gras, a season of revelry and romance, of madness and music, of parades and parties, of cosmic costuming in the streets and grandiose private masquerade balls. Mardi Gras is a time when the gaudy and the gorgeous come together for one gigantic blowout.

     The city that loves a carnival also loves athletic competitions, and New Orleans hosts a bevy of world-class sporting events throughout the year.

     One of the truly amazing aspects of the Big Easy is its architecture. Princely urban residences of the 17th and 18th century line the French Quarter. Visitors particularly remember the decorative cast-iron balconies that cover many of these buildings like ornamental filigree cages.

     From its French Quarter and Bourbon Street, to its hot Cajun and Creole cuisine, to its cool Dixieland jazz, a visit to New Orleans simply means a journey of non-stop activity, revelry and colorful sights.
M.C.