Tourist

Jackson Square

Jackson Square was originally known in the 18th century as "Place d'Armes." It was then renamed to honor Andrew Jackson, a war hero. Jackson square is located in the French quarter facing the Mississippi River; it is also surrounded by other historic buildings such as the St. Louis Cathedral. Jackson square is a huge attraction for artist. People come there to paint or draw portraits or caricatures and hang their work on the iron fence. What is interesting is some of those paintings have been there for generations. Jackson square is a popular site amongst locals and tourist. 

Picture retrieved from Google

City Park
City Park was founded in 1854 and is one of the oldest urban parks in the country. The park is 1,300 acres and receives millions of visitors annually. The park offers so much such as the Botanical Garden, Besthoff Sculpture Garden, biking and walking paths, tennis courts, and even an 18 hole gulf course. City Park is also a place for families because of the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. Something significant this park holds is the worlds largest stand of mature live oaks. One of the oaks dates back 800 years.

City Park was shaped by two major events, The great Depression and Hurricane Katrina. During the Great Depression the Roosevelt Administration $12 million in developing the park which was apart of the Work Progress Administration. Hurricane Katrina left the park under flood water for weeks which caused approximately $43 million in damages to the park. Since the catastrophe the public support was phenomenal and  funded significant progress towards repairing and improving the park.


Picture retrieved from Google


Picture retrieved from Google

Tours

• Swamp Tours: Not far outside of New Orleans are a number of Louisiana Swamps and tours that travelers can take and see endless waterways, beautiful nature, and swamp wildlife including alligator and hundreds of different bird species. Travelers will learn about pirates and hear stories of Big Foot.
• Cemetery Tours: New Orleans is known for their above ground tombs which are referred to as "cities of the dead." The reason New Orleans has many above ground tombs is because the water table is very high. If you try and dig a few feet into the ground then the grave will become wet and filled with water, the caskets will eventually begin to float to the top. Still today after a flood, coffins are still coming above ground because of the high water table. One the cemetery tours travelers can visit some historic grave sites such as Marie Laveau.
• Plantations Tours: Just outside New Orleans are some historic plantations. Travelers on these tours will hear the unique story of each plantation and see historic sugarcane fields and ancient oak.

(Photo taken during cemetery tour)

(Picture taken during Whitney plantation tour)

Picture retrieved from Google

Picture retrieved from Google


Picture retrieved from Google

Work Cited
"Experience New Orleans." Experience New Orleans. 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
"City Park New Orleans." New Orleans City Park. 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Population Information

Picture taken in the French Market in New Orleans

Populations:

Louisiana as it stands has much more to it than meets the eye. The beautiful city of New Orleans beams with fun and excitement, while making visitors and residents feel like they’re at home. There are a wide variety of individuals that make up the population of New Orleans. All different races and ethnicities lie within the streets of New Orleans. According to Shrinath, Mack, and Plyer (2014)  “According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 population estimates, there are now 99,650 fewer African Americans living in New Orleans (Orleans Parish) compared to 2000, but there are also 11,494 fewer whites. Meanwhile, the number of Hispanics grew by 6,023” (para. 3). Since 2013, there have been many changes in the people who live in this area. There have been significant changes to the population in New Orleans since 2000. According to Shrinath, Mack, and Plyer (2014) “The share of Hispanics in the city increased from 3.1 percent in 2000 to 5.5 percent in 2013; the share of Asians increased from 2.3 percent to 3.0 percent; and the share of whites increased from 26.6 percent to 31.0 percent” (para. 4). Citizens from states all over the nation 

Subcultures

Flourishing cultures, amazing art, and excitement are what visitors and residents take home with them after experiencing the beautiful city of New Orleans. Mardi Gras is just one of the exciting subcultures that coexist within the city. Mardi Gras fun filled days and exciting nights have a much longer history than many may realize. This wonderful subculture within New Orleans has a history dated back to the late 1600’s to very early 1700’s. According to The History Channel (2015) “Many historians believe that the first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when the French explorers Iberville and Bienville landed in what is now Louisiana, just south of the holiday’s future epicenter: New Orleans”(para. 4). This cultural celebration continues on today filling the luxurious streets of early January. The meaning behind Mardi Gras may be understood by many as time for partying, cutting lose, and enjoying time with family and friends. The roots of Mardi Gras mean much more. According to DuBois (2015) “The French word Mardi Gras translates to Fat Tuesday in English. The term Fat Tuesday developed out of the desire for people to fatten up with food and enjoy endless entertainment before giving up something for Lent” (para 1). This celebration is the meaning a fun in every aspect of its presence. Although, it may seem as if everyone in the luxurious city of New Orleans has the same care free, full of life culture, there is indeed residents that do not participate in the usual cultural practices of New Orleans.

 

(People enjoying Mardi Gras. This image was taken from Google images)

(Picture taken at an Italian restaurant)

Many populations have gathered here in New Orleans. A large amount of Italian Americans live in this beautiful city. These Italians have opened up small restaurants such as La Divina. This Italian restaurant is known for its delicious gelato and Italian cakes.

(Rootbeer gelato purchased at La Davina)

Works Cited:

Shrinath, N., Mack, V., & Plyer, A. (2014). Who Lives in New Orleans and Metro Parishes Now? Retrieved from http://www.datacenterresearch.org/data-resources/who-lives-in-new-orleans-now/

DuBois, L. (2015). Mardi Gras subculture in New Orleans. Retrieved from http://www.axs.com/mardi-gras-subculture-in-new-orleans-40976

Mardi Gras. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mardi-gras