Essential Travel Experience #39 – Immerse Yourself in the French Quarter

New Orleans is one of the most exciting and fun cities in the world. It is the birthplace of jazz, and music can be heard everywhere, at all times of the day and night. Of course, everyone is familiar with the gigantic party which the city becomes at Mardi Gras time, but the city has parties going on all the time.

Each evening, at least during the tourist season, Bourbon Street, the heart of the French Quarter, is closed to traffic and becomes a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. Street vendors selling alcohol and other items join the hawkers who advertise girly shows to cater to the hordes of people who stroll up and down the avenue. The street is transformed into a block party.

Imagine how things are during Mardi Gras!

But, to me, the best part of New Orleans is the cool jazz and great food that can be found inside establishments and even outside them, throughout the French Quarter. Below are a few of the must-sees in the city:

Jackson Square, dedicated to Andrew Jackson, who won the Battle of New Orleans, sits in front of the St Louis Cathedral, the area’s most beautiful church.

St Louis Cathedral & Jackson Square

Nearby is the French Market

French Market

Jazz is said to have originated in Preservation Hall, which still operates and attracts some of the best musicians in the city. The French Quarter is noted for wrought iron railings on the buildings’ upper floors and hidden gardens at some of the more elegant homes in the district.