I first visited during a road trip across the country all the way back in 2006. Throw in the French, African, and Anglo influence of the past and you have a city that is truly unique and unlike anything else in the United States. Mass immigration to the city bloomed as the economy was rapidly expanding (an economy then reliant heavily on slavery).Īs a major port city on the mouth of the Mississippi, New Orleans has always been a melting pot of people and a mecca for interesting and, sometimes rough, people. In 1803, the French sold Louisiana to America. This mix of French and African cultures led to the creation of New Orleans’ Afro-Creole culture - a culture that still survives to this day (this is also when voodoo began to take root here). To help the colony grow, slaves were shipped in from Africa. Life in the Big Easy is lived well.įounded in 1718 by the French, New Orleans struggled to take off due to continual conflicts and war with the indigenous population. New Orleans is filled with Creole and Cajun food, live jazz, street performers, history, beautiful architecture, and a famous appreciation for all the temptations of life. A city by many names, all conjuring up the jovial “ Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (“Let the good times roll!”) attitude the city is famous for.

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