I spent several nights in New Orleans attending a convention and was able to spend a little bit of time walking around the city exploring some of the downtown area. It’s not hard to see many of the attractions by foot, including the French Quarter and the riverside walk by the Mississippi.  The city has a fun, worry-free, and friendly vibe to it, as well as a very unique mix of cultures. Streetcars provide a means of transportation in the city and add to the unique ambiance of the area. They are not the only unusual mode of transport, there are also horse-drawn carriages that one can take along the streets of the quarter.

The French Quarter was my favorite location in the city and has many small shops and restaurants that are situated in attractive rows of two or three-story buildings that have balconies or “galleries” with wrought iron railings. The galleries overhang the sidewalks, providing a covered walkway along the streets.  I particularly enjoyed looking at the paintings from local artists which were displayed in many shops around the city. It was also nice to listen to the musicians who play instruments or sing at several locations in the quarter. Sometimes many people gather around to listen. On one occasion a large group of perhaps nearly a hundred people congregated, some of whom started dancing to the upbeat tune.  

The French Quarter was originally settled by the French, but the architecture is influenced by the Spanish who rebuilt much of the area at the end of the 18th century after a large fire destroyed a vast part of the city. Americans came to the city after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.