If You Didn't Go To Essence Fest, Here's 8 Reasons To Visit New Orleans
What to expect from the Big Easy
Folks from all over travel to Essence Festival, the big festival in the Big Easy, to see R&B and rap's biggest talents perform their biggest hits. But even if Essence Fest isn't your scene, one reason to hit up New Orleans is the city itself.
Packed with culture, mysticism, good people and better food, Nawlins fills you with good times and real life LOLs. From the city's infamous Bourbon Street to the French Quarters to the artistic hub of Frenchmen Street, it's easy to see why Solange left her Brooklyn 'hood for NOLA.
VIBE's editor Shenequa Golding traveled down to New Orleans for the first time. Here's her unfiltered take on the Big Easy:
NOLA Has An Abundance Of Nice Doors
I've never been to a city that has so many beautiful doors. Yes, I know, doors usually don't get a lot of love because all they do is open and close, but the doors in New Orleans were detailed and colorful. I saw red doors, teal doors and yellow doors. They had personality, presence, character and charm. Go to NOLA and you'll get an abundance of likes on the 'Gram simply from taking photos of doors.
The Street Names Are Actually On The Street
While walking through the French Quarters, I noticed the street names were on the ground. At first I thought I was still a little drunk from the Hand Grenades and Hurricanes I had, but as I continued to walk throughout the city, I realized the street names cemented into the ground with blue and white tile, were a small detail that added to Nola’s overall artistic vibe.
The Ninth Ward Still Needs Help
I traveled to the Ninth Ward, where Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hardest. According to my tour guide and lifelong resident, Mr. LeBlanc, his house and entire block were under about 22 feet of water when the Catergory 3 storm hit.
Ten years later, things are better than they were before, but people still need help and homes. Construction is still being done to repair the property damage of Katrina, which reportedly totalled an estimated $100 billion.
The Shrimp-N-Grits Were Praise Emjoii Hands IRL
I'm 30 years old and had grits for the first time while in New Orleans (I'm Jamaican. We don't eat grits, we drink porridge). Prior to dinning at the Little Gem Saloon, I didn't understand the fascination. Now, I get it. The cajun style shrimp with the succulent seasoned gravy spilling over the mountains of fluffy grits that had just the right amount of butter was truly a spiritual experience.
Beignets Are The Devil (Meaning They're SO Good)
When I Ubered to Nola's famous Cafe Du Monde for their beignets, I knew exactly what I was getting into. You'd think fried dough with powdered sugar is the epitome of overrated, but beignets must be fried in unicorn tears. These flaky pastries melt in your mouth. It can also be devoured without a sweet, sticky coating on top. Six beignets later, I knew I had a problem.
Don't Drink A Hand Grenade Unless You Want To Be Drunk The Next Day
I moseyed on down to Bourbon Street to have the city's infamous Hand Grenade, a drink made of gin, rum, vodka, melon liquor and grain alcohol. I wasn't expecting the drink to be so sweet, so I downed the first two like lemonade and pretty soon, I entered a happy place. Once at the hotel, a magical dwarf from Hogwartz appeared and held my hand to ensure I successfully made my way to the elevator and then, the bed. When I was in my 20s, I could easily get out of my drunken stupor. Now? Not so much.
Charbroiled Oysters Are Doing God’s Will
I lunched at a great local spot called Neyows Creole Café, just a stone’s throw away from all the Essence Fest activities and had charbroiled oysters for the first time. Doused in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil and lots of butter, my taste buds began to twerk. It was a glorious experience, one I suggest everyone have.
