NEW ORLEANS – In another high ranking for culture and quality-of-life, the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have voted New Orleans “#2 Best City for Culture in the United States.”
Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities for Culture are:
1 – Charleston
2 – New Orleans
3 – New York City
4 – Santa Fe
5 – Savannah
6 – San Francisco
7 – Washington, DC
8 – Boston
9 – Honolulu
10 – Taos (NM)
About New Orleans, Travel + Leisure magazine reports:
New Orleans’ reputation looms large for a small city. Its music, food, history, and culture are known all over the world—so most visitors have an idea about the place before they ever arrive. It’s a city that has been marinated in its own traditions for centuries, the French, Spanish, African, and American influences all apparent in the fabric of everyday life here. It feels like an independent Republic that’s overcome decline and tragedy with a decadent resilience that has come to define it.
It’s a liberal, epicurean island in the middle of the Conservative South, but spend any amount of time here and it’s obvious that there’s a cultural depth that extends way beyond the hedonistic frivolity of Bourbon Street. Strictly observed rituals that stem from Catholicism and Voodoo and general superstition still inform everything from Mardi Gras (the world’s largest free party) to funerals, meaning that even daily errands can take on a cinematic flourish..
Hit hard by Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the federal levee system, the city is still finding its way, with new enterprises moving in to revitalize neighborhoods while continuing the diversity that has been a feature of this port city’s population since its inception. The climate is tropical, meaning that spaces from City Park to Jackson Square are always buzzing, though the tempestuous rains mean that when you visit New Orleans, afternoons in the National World War II Museum or New Orleans Museum of Art are just as popular.
Food is a daily celebration, whether it’s po-boys at Parkway Tavern or the tasting menu at Restaurant August, while the jazz clubs of Frenchmen Street keep the city’s most famous export alive. To help you navigate this beguiling city, T+L’s New Orleans travel guide highlights the best places to eat, stay, shop, and visit in Louisiana’s cultural capital and the surrounding area.
