Travel

“There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better.”

— Bob Dylan

Getting here

Traveling by plane

We got a new airport during COVID, it’s pretty nice, most of the time. They even finally built a road to it. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is 11 miles from downtown and an easy rideshare away to where you need to go.

At an average of 4.5 feet (1.4 m) above sea level, MSY is the third lowest-lying international airport in the world, only behind Schiphol Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands, which is 11 feet (3.4 m) below sea level, and Atyrau International Airport in Kazakhstan, which lies 72 feet (22 m) below sea level. Schiphol translates to “ship grave” in reference to the many ships that were lost by sudden violent storms in the large lake that was once where the Dutch airport now stands.

Getting around by car

While AI and the likes of Waymo will never be smart enough for the New Orleans infrastructure conundrum that is our City streets, Uber and Lyft are the way to go. If you are renting a car or bringing a car into the city, remember Uber and Lyft are once again, the way to go. Also beware of potholes, construction, parades (including Krewe of Boo), and all the usual common sense things that come with being in a city (even one that sometimes looks like the suburbs).

In addition to parades you may be lucky enough to encounter a Second Line while in New Orleans. A Second Line is a parade organized by Social, Aid, and Pleasure Clubs and is a cousin of the Jazz Funeral. The “first line” is the parade's main section, which would consist of the hearse in a funeral, and is followed by participants and other spectators, thus the “second line”. A Second Line is a Jazz Funeral without a body, where a brass band replaces the coffin and therefore they tend to be a little more lively, in more ways than one. Second Lining is also a dance form where participants dance and walk along with the band and Club in an African-based, free-form style.