New Orleans is a city in the US state of Louisiana. It is famous for its delicious cuisine, happening nightlife, Mardi Gras festival and music. Also known as the 'Big Easy', the bustling city has a population of 391,000.
1. Though most folks believe that this city is the home of the Mardi Gras Festival, but that honor belongs to the city of Mobile, Alabama.
2. New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz, rock and roll and blues.
3. Celebrities Ellen DeGeneres and Reese Witherspoon are the natives of New Orleans.
4. The infamous assassin of John F. Kennedy - Lee Harvey Oswald was born in this city in 1939.
5. Here, people are permitted to consume alcohol on the street in plastic cups.
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6. There are no North, South, West or East directions in the city. Residents go Uptown, Downtown, Lakeside and Riverside.
7. New Orleans is home to the largest fixed domed structure in the planet. Known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome or the Superdome, the structure sprawls a staggering 13 acres.
8. Here, you will find the planet's longest continuous bridge - Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.
9. The city is believed to be the birthplace of pokers and craps.
10. Did you know that the first ever opera in the country took place in this happening city way back in 1796?
11. Strange but true, turtle and alligator soups are very popular here.
12. The city was the first home to the American Mafia.
13. The famous French Quarter neighborhood in the city boasts of predominantly Spanish architecture rather than French.
14. New Orleans has the sobriquet 'Crescent City' owing to the distinctive curve of the mighty Mississippi river that runs through the charming city.
15. The city is considered as the home of voodoo. Marie Laveau in the nineteenth century was a prominent voodoo practitioner.
16. The submarine sandwich is referred to as po'boy in this foodie city.
17. The beautiful city boasts of a lot of French influence which is reflected in its food and culture.
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18. New Orleans is home to the oldest continually operating cathedral in USA - namely the St. Louis Cathedral.
19. Incredibly, the gross mileage of canals both above and below ground in this important city trumps that of Venice in Italy.
20. The phrase 'Dixieland' originates from the name 'Dix' that was the currency of Louisiana back when the US states had their own currency.