New Orleans is one of the most unusual and most livable cities in the United
States. Its rich history colors its present with a unique flavor-architecture,
cuisine and tradition are reminders of French and Spanish colonial influences.
At the same, time, New Orleans is a growing, cosmopolitan city, a key element
in the "New South." It is one of the largest ports in the United States
and plays an important role in international commerce, regional finance and
the energy industry.
New Orleans is a cultural center in every sense - it is a crossroads for a broad
range of colorful local cultures, from bayou Cajun to Creole to New Orleans
Jazz itself. At the same time, it offers a fine art museum, the NOMA
, the Louisiana Philharmonic
Orchestra , the New
Orleans Opera Company , a number of excellent art galleries and a broad
variety of visiting artists. Music of all sorts abounds, played by street musicians,
traditional jazz artists at Preservation Hall, or modern musicians at one of
the large number of clubs located here. Much more can be learned at the Best
of New Orleans , NOLA
LIVE websites or the Tulane
School of Medicine page on New Orleans.
For the studious, six universities, Tulane, Loyola, Xavier, Dillard, the University of New Orleans and Southern University of New Orleans, offer a wide range of courses. In New Orleans, an afternoon can turn into an adventure with a walk into the French Quarter to see the sidewalk artists around Jackson Square, a streetcar ride up lovely St. Charles Avenue to the Audubon Zoo, a lakefront picnic, or a visit to the new Aquarium of the Americas. New Orleans has recently been honored nationally as one of ten "All American Cities" by a national organization of Chambers of Commerce. Louisiana is called a sportsman's paradise with reason. Equestrians will find numerous public and private stables in the city and surrounding area. Many residents and faculty take advantage of the warm climate and immediate proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Panchartrain. Residents are also free to join any athletic facilities at the Tulane University Reily Recreation Center, which includes a 50 meter pool, indoor track and basketball courts, tennis courts, dance and aerobics rooms and weights.
One of New Orleans' finest traits is its residential quality. Within minutes of downtown are streets lined by stately moss-hung oaks in a variety of quiet, residential neighborhoods. Suburban living is readily accessible by bridge and freeway in the new residential areas of New Orleans East, Jefferson Parish [County] and the West Bank.