New Orleans

Experiencing New Orleans’ Neighboring Parishes

New Orleans is the most well-known and most-visited destination in Louisiana, and understandably so! From the restaurants in New Orleans to the festivals to the shops in the French Quarter - there's a lot to do and to experience in the city of New Orleans. But just in case you're running out of things to do or see...consider the outskirts of New Orleans and the parishes outside of Jefferson and… Read More »

Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans

by ERROL LABORDE Were it not for Tad Jones, jazz history would be off by 13 months. Jones was the local jazz researcher who made the discovery that Louis Armstrong was wrong about the date he gave for his birth. Armstrong had claimed he was born on July 4, 1900 - certainly a festive date with a nice round number. Jones, however, located Armstrong's baptismal records at Sacred Heart church… Read More »

Good Time Had by All at

By Marica Mackenroth One of the greatest things about living in New Orleans is the abundance of celebration and events. Residents see each and every event as a chance to celebrate their heritage and come together as people. This year, the city celebrated Independence Day with true New Orleans grace and style. Each year, the Riverfront Marketing Group throws its annual "Go 4th on the River" Fourth of July Event.… Read More »

July 4, 1776: The history

by Errol Laborde * July 4th was on a Thursday in 1776 so it would have been a busy day for fishermen who were preparing to bring their catches to the markets in Catholic New Orleans for the next day's meatless Friday. *Louisiana's Spanish governor, Luis de Unzaga, was secretly helping the American cause by arranging for five tons of gun powder to be shipped up the Mississippi, under the… Read More »

ERROL LABORDE’S COMMENTARY: Snowball Men

by Errol Laborde When George Ortolano would leave for work each day he could rightfully say that he was off to see the wizard. He could even go one step further and say that he was off to make the wizard. Ortolano, who died at 86 in 2002, was a craftsman who never got the publicity he deserved. He created a machine that triggered a native industry. At the risk… Read More »

Louisiana should officially adopt the Sazerac

by ERROL LABORDE Granted, this is not the most pressing issue facing the legislature, but still alive (though barely) is the proposal to name the Sazerac as the state's official cocktail. Early in the session the idea ran into flak from mostly upstate lawmakers who saw evil in giving sanction to an alcoholic drink. (Curiously, wine is mentioned in the bible far more often than milk, the state's official drink.)… Read More »

Top 5 Vantage Points

by Errol Laborde Since we're celebrating local quirkiness with our cover story, I hereby designate picturesque vantage points as being a form of quirkiness. Not counting the view from the top of local skyscrapers with their panorama of the river's curves, here, in ascending order, are my picks of the city's top five vantage points, as seen from ground level. 5. "The Point" at Lake Pontchartrain. Once known as a… Read More »

Aiden Gill for Men: A Barbershop Classic

by Shawn Plep Every man should experience a real barber shop at least once in his life. I'm not talking about a hair stylist, and I'm not referring to a salon - or even a "men's salon" (whatever that is). I am talking about a genuine barber shop. That's right: a barber shop. The sort of place that's becoming harder to find these days. I'm talking about a place with… Read More »

New Orleans Web Design – Compucast

For all your web design needs, remember the webhost of ExperienceNewOrleans.com is Compucast Web Inc. Compucast is owned by local resident Judy Weitz, who has been providing solid service and innovative websites to New Orleans businesses, hotels, and restaurants since 1999. Compucast is the best company for NOLA graphics, websites, and web hosting. So call or email Compucast today! Read More »

Movies at the Prytania Theatre

by Shawn PlepLast Friday, my wife and I went to the Prytania Theatre to see Iron Man. It was an exceptional movie: if you haven't seen this film yet, you simply must. There's hardly anything more satisfying than seeing Iron Man greet a group of terrorists by shooting thirty feet of fire at them. (The only thing that would've come close would have been replacing the terrorists with oil-company executives.)… Read More »