April 4, 2017 Some Photographic Reasons Why I Love New Orleans

I fell in love with New Orleans the first time I visited five years ago. This is our home for the next week. A beautiful little courtyard cottage behind a shotgun house in Faubourg Marigny.

Reason #1 - the hidden beauty of the courtyards in New Orleans. A little oasis in the city.

Reason #2 - re-purposing classic old buildings for new uses. This old church is the new Marigny Opera House.

Reason #3 - Artists. If there are artists living in a neighborhood that is a place I want to visit because the beauty will be there for all to see.

Reason #4 - The people here understand what really makes America great.

Reason #5 - Local activists who fight for equality and fairness for their neighborhoods.

Reason #6 - see #5.

Reason #7 - People who truly love their neighborhood. Even though I am staying here in a short term rental, the owner does live in the house on the property. I always try to learn about local issues wherever I travel to. 

Reason #8 - The wonderful way people decorate their homes. 

Reason #9 - It's a very colorful city.

Reason #10 - The musical murals.

Reason #11 - The environmental murals.

Reason #12 - Real record stores

Reason #13 - Interesting decals posted wherever there is room for one.

Reason #14 - bathrooms so interesting that you have to take pictures of the tiles.

Reason #15 - great food served in old houses.

Reason #16 - artwork with a sense of humor

Reason #17 - Crescent Park along the Mississippi River

Reason #18 - The amazing colors of the local flowers

Reason #19 - The riverfront industrial past of the new Crescent Park is honored instead of forgotten.

Reason #20 - drinking in a building that has been a bar since the American Revolution.

Reason #21 - VooDoo Daiquiris

Reason #22 - a great sense of humor

Reason #23 - creative local Easter decorations

Reason #24 - street art

Reason #25 - Gender equality

Reason #26 - hot dog artwork defaced for those that can't imagine what the black bar was hiding.

Reason #27 - A Chicago hot dog stand on Frenchmen Street

Reason #28 - Music is available all day and night long

Reason #29 - Even though the French Quarter Fest starts in two days, there is another music festival here today.

Reason #30 - The tile street names on the sidewalks. This is my favorite street in the city. 

Reason #31 - People adding color to everything on the street

Reason #32 - So many fantastic locally owned businesses.

Reason #33 - Music is everywhere.

Reason #34 - Po-Boys

Reason #35 - shooting a TV or movie scene down the street from where we are staying.

Reason #36 - Chalk art on the sidewalk in front of another local business.

Reason #37 - Eating dinner at Mother's with my brother...

...and my cousins.