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New Orleans is usually pronounced by locals "Noo Or-lins"
or "Noo OR-lee-anns". The distinctive local accent
is unlike either Cajun or the stereotypical Southern accent
so often misportrayed by film and television actors. The City
has the nicknames the Crescent City the Big Easy, and the
City that Care Forgot. Many visitors consider New Orleans'
motto to be "Laissez le bon temps rouler", or, "Let
the good times roll".
Favorite tourist scenes in New Orleans include the French
Quarter (known locally as "the Quarter"), which
dates from the French and Spanish eras and is bounded by the
Mississippi River and Rampart Street, Canal Street and Esplanade
Ave. A popular visiting spot in the quarter is the French
Market (including the Cafe du Monde, famous for cafe au lait
and beignets). The Natchez, an authentic steamboat with calliope
(pronounced callyope) tours the Mississippi twice daily.
There are two active streetcar lines, the Riverfront line
(also known as the Ladies in Red since the cars are painted
red) which runs parallel to the river from Canal Street through
the French Quarter, and the St. Charles line (green cars,
along a line in continuous operation since the 1830s, formerly
connecting New Orleans with the then independent suburb of
Carrolton). The city is also the scene of the Tennessee Williams
play "A Streetcar Named Desire." The streetcar line
to Desire Street became a bus line in 1948, but will be restored
as a light rail line.
Because of the high water table, New Orleans cemeteries mostly
use above ground crypts rather than underground burial. New
Orleans created its own spin on the old tradition of military
brass band funerals; traditional New Orleans funerals with
music feature sad music (mostly dirges and hymns) on the way
to the cemetery and happy music (hot jazz) on the way back.
Such traditional musical funerals still takes place when a
local musician, a member of a club, Krewe, or benevolent society,
or a noted dignitary has passed. Until the 1990s most locals
preferred to call these "funerals with music", but
out of town visitors have long dubbed them "jazz funerals".
Younger bands, especially those based in the Treme neighborhood,
have embraced the term and now have funerals featuring only
jazz music.
New Orleans has always been a center for music with its intertwined
European, Latin American, and African-American cultures. The
city engendered jazz with its brass bands. Decades later it
was home to a distinctive brand of rhythm and blues that contributed
greatly to the growth of rock and roll. In addition, the nearby
countryside is the home of Cajun music, Zydeco music and Delta
blues.
The city is also famous for its food. Specialties include
Po'boy and Muffaletta sandwiches; Gulf oysters and other seafoods;
etoufee, jambalaya, gumbo and other Creole dishes; and the
Monday evening favorite of red beans and rice. (Louis Armstrong often signed his letters, "red beans and
ricely yours".)
New Orleans' most famous celebration is its Mardi
Gras (literally, "Fat Tuesday"; known in other
cities as Carnival), which is held just before the beginning
of the Christian liturgical season of Lent. Mardi Gras celebrations
include parades and floats; participants toss strings of cheap
colorful beads and doubloons to the crowds. The Mardi Gras
season is kicked off with the only parade allowed through
the French Quarter, a walking parade aptly named "Krewe
du Vieux". (Vieux Carre being another name for the Quarter)
New Orleans is the home of the New Orleans Saints National
Football League team and the New Orleans Zephyrs minor league
baseball team. Until 1957, their team was The New Orleans
Pelicans. The Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball
Association moved to the city for the 2002-2003 season.
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Information provided by wikipedia.org
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