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| I'm constantly peeking between gateposts and into windows in New Orleans. There's so much magic tucked away just behind the city's historic walls. |
My partner, John, and I have spent lots of time in New Orleans lately, and we are simply smitten with the Crescent City. In fact, I could see myself relocating there one of these years. I would just need to keep my house in the Catskills as a summer escape when the humidity hits astronomical levels. I have purchased a seersucker suit and have been lapping up the Sazerac cocktails more than the rosé wine, so I am ready for Nola-styled living should a move be in the stars.
There’s nothing better than wandering the streets of Nola, and I don’t mean just honky-tonk Bourbon Street or the far quieter, more charming byways of the historic French Quarter. I like to drive over to bucolic Audubon Park and stroll along the winding pathways that loop past a lake, golf course and the neighboring residential streets. I also head over to the funky Marigny nabe and continue beyond the restaurants and shops that congregate at the French Quarter side of the district.
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| A quaint, colorful cottage in the Marigny neighborhood. |
The architecture in New Orleans fascinates me. There are shotgun-style cottages, stone mansions, brick villas, haunted houses and everything in between. My suggestion: Start off a weekend morning with a fabulous brunch at Coquette on Magazine Street (try the soft shell crab
sandwich with pickled ramps) or Ralph’s on the Park in Mid-City (don’t pass up the chicken and waffles). Then set out for a long walk. If you’re in Mid-City, explore the fabulous, 1,300-acre New Orleans City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art or wander the city’s atmospheric cemeteries that cluster at the far end of Canal Street. If you’re on Magazine Street, there’s fabulous shopping to be had along the route. Then veer off and enjoy the quiet streets that linger just behind this busy artery.
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| My partner, John, in verdant New Orleans City Park. I love the dramatic cypress trees with their knobby roots that can be found near the park's waterways. |