New Orleans, LA

DUMP. Politics is the bottom of the barrel, crime out of control, trash everywhere.

I went there before the flood and the entire city smelled like vomit; it's buildings are crumbling; even though I was there in October, the humidity was about 600 %; it's filled with tacky tourist traps; and the service people are uniformly snotty and condescending.

One of the best cities in the country for a person that is urban saavy. Amazing culture, architecture, history, transportation, people and food.

Are you on crack? Do you like to smell semi tropical sewage mixed with vomit? Do you like to get beat up by your local thug on the block? If you answered yes to these, then you will love NO!

New Orleans truly is unlike any other US city! It is a spirit or spirits all of its own! The city is beautiful, especially the French Quarter. While it is hot down there, its really a wonderful city! I haven't been back since Katrina, but am interested to see the change.

I'd rather go to Baton Rouge or even Shreveport instead.

Founded in 1719 by musician, Harry Connick, Jr., New Orleans is a great place. I was only there for two days but the ferry to the Algiers section of New Orleans was nice as well as walking along Bourbon Street and the riverwalk area. I definitely recommend Cafe Du Monde for beignets (basically, a doughnut).

unique feel and vibe.  caribbean, european and southern USA all mixed into one. even before Katrina, the city had multiple rundown areas, and now, it is all rundown except for the" high" ground around French Quarter and environs.  Maybe it will make a full comeback, but I am starting to doubt it.

I always liked NO, and in the old days I would recommend it. I have not been there since the hurricane, and I guess it is a thing of the past. I suppose that we will have to find a new port in that area, on higher ground, of course.

the people, food, culture, and opportunities to serve here are completely unique and coming from San Francisco, this city holds its own!

I absolutely love New Orleans. I guess I'm a little biased though since I grew up there. I don't have much bad to say about it except the crime has been out of control for a while now. Other than that, my hometown is so much fun. I still don't get tired of going to Bourbon and being envolved in Mardi Gras. There is something truly magical about N.O. I can't quite put my finger on it though. If you ever visit you should have someone from there show you around. If not you will end up at all the same touristy places as all the other tourists.

When the mayor of New Orleans declared that the city of New Orleans is a "chocolate city" I knew then and there that I was through with it forever. If a white mayor had made similiar commentary - a vanilla city - there would have been a total uproar. It was completely classless and tacky.

One of the most violent cities in the country. I almost got robbed but a police officer saved me. Decadence is celebrated on Bourbon Street. No further comments are necessary.

Wow, it's a shame what happened to New Orleans, this city is so cooked. Their tourist industry is destroyed for a few years. The city may never recover, and with Bush throwing money everywhere but his own people, it's definitely going to be ugly. God bless, New Orleans, better days will come in good time. Update- Holy crap, the situation in New Orleans is getting worse, cops are resigning and giving in to the armed gangs, people are dying of starvation and disease, many are admitting the city may be totally lost, and the National Guard is about to go in and totally start the Battle of New Orleans...not looking good, the Big Easy is never gonna be the same, far less maybe even exist! Update...watch for New Orleans to totally change if it is rebuilt, probably with a state-of-the-art Levee. Apparently, the poor blacks can't or won't come back, so the city might be heavily affluent and white when it is rebuilt. Sad for the original occupants, but probably great for the business owners...

Hmmmm, with this city being run by liberal democrats for the last 60 years, why is there such poverty? I thought liberals and the left wing idealism built a utopia where all people are equal and there's no racism or poverty. It seems that the Democratic Party and its rhetoric about the Republicans is nothing more than empty promises and phony beliefs.

Chicago rebuilt when the whole city was burned to the ground. San Fransisco rebuilt when it was in rubble from the earthquake. Both came back bigger and better than ever. With some hard work, hope, prayers, and optimism New Orleans can come back to a bright future. Realistically this will take years and years but New Orleans is too important to just abandon and leave behind. It will come back again.

For the next 6 months to a year, Nawlins will not be the place to go for fun, for obvious reasons. However, I believe the city will rebound. It just has too much history and charm too just disappear off the face of the earth.

I've always had a fascination with Orleans, I've never been there but the lure of this historical and culturally significant part of America has beckoned me for quite awhile -The French Quarter, Mardi Gras, The Garden District, Voodoo priests, and Cajun cooking all hold an interest for me .... I hope this city and her people will recover one day. Hell, I hope the REST of America can recover from this as well...

Update:Time to start shooting looters on site.(OM)Was this a warning to the city?To come within 30 miles of being leveled?Horrible crime rate,corruption,prostitution and pretty much a drunken brawl all year round.

Probably unoccupied for a few months.

Sorry Y'all. New Orleans is sinking and I don't wanna swim.

Most of these comments are from people who have only visited the French Quarter. New Orleans has a lot to offer beside watching tourists get drunk on Bourbon Street. That is where you'll smell the vomit and pee. And, I'll point out, it is not the locals who are getting drunk and acting obnoxious. If you get the chance to visit, get out of the Quarter and see the beautiful neighborhoods of the Garden District and Uptown. You'll be hard pressed to find a city with more laid back, friendly people and fabulous restaurants, bars, MUSIC!, museums, parks and lots of history. New Orleans has its own attitude and sense of itself apart from the rest of the US. It is beautiful even if it is a little run down. (You should've seen it in the early 90s-it was really bad then.) Though it is hot, hot, hot in the spring and summer, get to Jazzfest for your first visit and see what it is all about. Unless you're a college freshman, you'll probably want to skip Mardi Gras unless you can manage to stay drunk enough to not be bothered by the crowds (and other drunks). I've lived all over the country and my fondest (and most decadent) memories of any of my adopted hometowns are from NOLA. Good food, good friends and good times. I love it!

Outside of the French Quarter (and even some places in it not on Bourbon Street) most of NO is a dump. It is a fantastic place to visit for a short time, not in the miserable summers though. But they have one of the highest crime and poverty rates in the nation.

Great place to visit occasionally. Great food, music, architecture. But to live? No way. The crime is insane. The areas surrounding the city are among the worst suburbs I've seen in America. Very run down.

What can I say about New Orleans... Great city, great food, great nightlife (in the French Quarters), friendly people, and an interesting history behind it all. However the city is dirty...the streets smell like pee and vomit. Don't get me wrong though, I love New Orleans. I've visited New Orleans, well the French Quarters, about every years since 1998. I know there's probably more to New Orleans besides the French Quarters... It's a great place to go if you want to get drunk for cheap (they run 3-for-1 drink specials) and see lots of boobs and debauchery.

I came here 1 year ago after living all over the country, and made more friends in 2 weeks than I did in 4 years in Atlanta. It's not for everyone, but the food, nighlife, culture, and people are the best I've seen. I rate this as one of my top 3 cities along with NYC and San Francisco.

Fun for partying, but just terribly dirty, smelly, nasty

I love New Orleans, although it's charm is someone confined to the French Quarter. Dangerous too, although I'm not someone who wants to live in an armoured car.

Architecturally fascinating, from the beautiful European-style double story homes with their gorgeous iron balconies, to the creepy nearby cemeteries with the famous above ground crypts. Bourbon Street and the surrounding area in the French Quarter is great fun day and night, and the Garden District makes for a nice walk, easily accessible by the St. Charles Avenue historic streetcar. The biggest problem, as nearly all the comments here have pointed out, is that outside the touristy areas like the French Quarter - and even just outside it - is a great deal of poverty and associated crime. The city looks, even in many places that you'd think would be upscale, like it's falling apart - and in far too many areas, downright dangerous. Worse, most of those dangerous areas are scattered, not concentrated, so you can easily wander into one while walking towards a more tourist-oriented area. This seems odd, as so many tourists pour into this city, that little of the revenue seems to be going into upkeep of the current city or even the long-gone ones - the cemeteries are falling apart too. In the tourist areas, like the French Quarter, this is a beautiful and intriguing city, well worth seeing. Unfortunately, at the moment, you have to keep your wits about you when visiting.

New Orleans definitely has character; indeed it has a certain joie de vivre that simply isn't replicated anywhere else. The food, music and architecture make the place very unique. The French Quarter and the Garden District are must sees here. The suburbs are rather boring and the urban areas contain some of the highest crime rates in the nation. None of this however should deter you from visiting this interesting city.

While the food and music here can't be beat,you should watch your back on Bourbon street! It's hot and muggy,with hustlers galore,with tourist traps and VooDoo stores.French Quarter & Garden Districts are loaded with charm,but wandering at night will bring you harm.

The dirtiest, trashiest, seediest cities I've ever been to. I felt dirty the whole time i was there and couldn't wait to leave it.

Kind of backwards, a great city for visting, but horrible for living. The cops are the worst in the country by far! They beat the crap out of people and probably do more drugs than the actual citizens of New Orleans themselves!

One of the best restaurant cities in the world. The music is very good, but as there's just as vibrant a music scene, or even moreso, in other cities (NY, Austin, Memphis), this aspect of Nawlins is a tad overrated. The architecture in the Big Easy is quite intriguing, and parts of the city are remarkably atmospheric. What is most charming about the Crescent City is its unrelenting joie de vivre, which is often overstated to obfuscate the city's perilous homicide rate. The people are gracious there, that is, those who aren't pulling stick-ups or protecting drug turf on the East end. Climate can be brutal, but that's what airconditioning and Dixie Beer are there for: to ameliorate. On the whole, one of the best U.S. cities to visit, and probably a decent one to live in, that is, if you select a safe neighborhood. Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!

Simply the BEST party town anywhere, it goes 24/7/365 and goes and goes--however not for Vegas type people who love glitz and galmour and faux settings --NOLA is gritty and real. Check out Tipatina's Fait do do on Sundays and Pat O'Brien's Hurricane's.

Crime, crime, crime!

The French Quarter and Garden district areas are a must see for anyone who has an interest in history. The rest of the city resembles a 3rd world city. A sad contrast.

I am from New Orleans and I must add that there is alot of crime, but for a reason. People don't walk around with guns in there hand a shoot people for the fun of it. The major problem with this city is DRUGS! Drugs has been the cause of nearly all of the deaths. Though it's true that bullets has no name, you shouldn't be anywhere where drugs are being sold and smuggled and you should be OK! I am a african- american female and I have been through all of the worst housing developements and here I am today. It's not too often you hear white man shot to death leaving jazzercise class. Most likely you're going to hear black male shot to death in the courtyard of the Magnolia Housing developement or police wounded in The St. Bernard housing developement. I say that to say this, if you don't deal with drugs are interferre with drug dealers , what a wonderful life you'll live in New Orleans!

I visited New Orleans last summer, and I had a lot of fun in the French Quarter. Everyone should try some beignets at Cafe du Monde. Also, Bourbon Street is packed at night, but you can feel the energy from the crowd. Taking a cruise on the Cajun Queen is good too, especially if you want some nice shots of the New Orleans skyline. On the downside, the highways in the area all need to be repaved (except in Metarie), and they need much, much better traffic control on Canal Street. It took me fully 30 minutes to make it from I-10 down to Harrah's casino when I got there in the evening. Also, some areas of the city looked very uninviting, especially east of the French Quarter.

New Orleans is extreme in everything. The best music, parties, nightlife, and people (99%). Also the worst schools, crime, housing, sanitation, and people (1%, but watch out!). Beautiful parks (though badly maintained) architecture, museums. Mardi Gras is wonderful, but Jazz Fest is a lot of fun too, and there are fewer obnoxious tourists then as well. The French Quarter and Garden District are beautiful and one-of-a-kind, but don't expect the whole city to look great-most of it is boring Houston-style sunbelt or scary Detroit-style slum. Since the oil industry packed up and left for Houston in the 80s, the only major industry in New Orleans has been tourism and the universities. So don't come to New Orleans looking for work; there isn't any, except for badly paid service work during Mardis Gras. The city government is notoriously corrupt and callous (last Mardi Gras they kicked the homeless people out of the shelters to rent the beds to college students!). The very concept of 'public service' does not exist in New Orleans; everything is for sale. Anyone who can afford to sends their children to private school, hires private security and goes to private hospitals when they get sick. In other words, not a city you want to live in unless you have lots of $$$s and can afford a house in the Garden District or the French Quarter. But a great place to visit, for anyone, anytime.

Great city. Very fun. Great for all ages. The crime is only bad in certain areas. If you stay in the central buissiness district you will be fine.

this is an ok place to visit but it is the same thing eceryday and bourbon street is just full of people walking up and down the street.The street is full of drunk rednecks and you could see better breast anywhere. ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT TOO MUCH CRIME MUST BE FROM LOUISIANA AND HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE ELSE BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE CITIES THAN THIS ONE WITH CRIME AND OTHERS WHO ARE WORST. (NEW YORK, PHILLY, BALTMORE,LA,CHICAGO,HOUSTON,SAN FRAN,AND OTHERS.

There's a lot to like about Big Easy - the French Quarter, the fun loving atmosphere and uninhibited attitudes of the people, the charm o the garden district but one unforgivable fault: The place is DANGEROUS. Lots of seedy types roaming the tourist areas waiting to rob or murder or maim the unsuspecting tourist. BEWARE!

hi, i was wondering if moving to new orleans should be an option for me. i am 20 years old, and have a boyfriend and a child. i wanted to know how well are the job opportunities, as well as education. i was also wondering how easy it is to find housing that isn’t ridiculously over priced, and the crime rate would also make a big difference. i wouldn’t know much about new orleans, since i have only been there for mardi gras, but i don’t want to make it a point to pack up and move there, only to have to move back because something wasn’t right. i currently live in ft. myers florida, so the move wouldn’t be ever so drastic, yet i don’t want to waste my time, if something should go wrong. thanks your any insight that some of you may be able to give me.

The #1 city in the world, as long as it's not Mardi Gras--New Orleans has so much more to offer!

Not really all that impressive until you get to the French Quarter. Then, it is something to behold.

A great city!!!!! My second home. Call it a mini New York. You can get just about anything there. A 24 hour party and the best food in the country. I have walked the French Quarter at 4 and 5 in the morning and never had a problem. My favorite Hotel is the Omni Royal,just one block from Bourbon but more quite.

I've spent a good deal of time in New Orleans and I find that most people who complain about it had a run in with the police. Well, DUMBASSES, you all seem to think that anything goes in N.O. but it doesn't. You come down here and act like an ass and you're gonna get in trouble and believe me, the NOPD is one gang you don't wanna screw with. Act like you have more sense than a baboons ass and you'll be OK.

One of the most unique spots on the face of the earth. A city with so much atmosphere you can literally feel it seep into your bones. The St. Louis catherdral is awe inspiring. Crusty buildings line the Bourbon street area and Spanish moss drips from the ancient sleepy trees lining the sidewalks. Hot, sultry, deep south but still retaining a hint of European charm and sophistication. New Orleans is a town of stark contrasts; saints and sinners, artists, musicians, cathedrals, brothels, mansions and shacks. Unlike a living history museum New Orleans is a very much lived in peice of history and walking through its streets gives you the feeling you are actually walking through time. And, once you visit you have no trouble understanding how everyone from musicians, to authors, to world class chefs have been able to draw their inspiration from this oddly captivating city.

I have lived in New Orleans for the past four years, and recently tried to move away. What a mistake! Since leaving, I have missed it with a palpable pain in my heart. It is simply the best town, with the best people, that I have ever had the good fortune to experience. It must be said that it is a love/hate town; that is, even when you are monogamous with the city, you sometimes feel a great desire to strangle it. But you always stay, or you at least come back. It is truly not for the faint of heart, and that is part of the appeal; it makes you work for it's love and at times seems to take on the feeling of an entity, a real force. In the years that I lived there, it was not uncommon to hear the name of the city invoked at least twice a day in conversation with other locals. It is very self-conscious that way; there is a very real sense that the city is incomparably unique and a constant influence in everyone's life. Nothing ever feels muted or suburban. It feels at turns bleak and terribly, blood poundingly alive. And there is a sense of community that is comforting and thrilling; a metropolitan feeling, and also the warmth of a cradle of people around you at all times. And the locals are welcoming but at the same time vehemently protective of their beloved city; it feels that the world is divided between those who recognize the beauty of New Orleans and those who disparage it. Visit, or better yet, sell all of your things like I did and simply move there tommorow.