Age: 27.
Occupation: Attorney.
Family members: Single.
I’ve lived here for: Nearly all my life.
I live here because: The food is great, the people are phenomenal, and New Orleans needs dedicated, bright locals to help rebuild this city.
My neighborhood: I live in Uptown but grew up in Plaquemines Parish, where Hurricane Katrina hit and where my family still resides.
My favorite restaurant: Jacques-Imo’s Café (
www.jacquesimoscafe.com).
If you go to this restaurant, be sure to order: Shrimp and Alligator Sausage Cheesecake, country-fried venison, Paneed Duck, Carpetbagger Steak.
My favorite museums: The Ogden Museum of Southern Art (
www.ogdenmuseum.org) and the National World War II Museum (
www.ddaymuseum.org). They’re within two blocks of each other.
My favorite tourist destination: A walking tour of French Quarter and Garden District homes. You can soak up so much culture just strolling the streets.
Overrated tourist destination: Bourbon Street. While it is synonymous with New Orleans and certainly a must-see, it should not be the “only see.”
Best insider spots: The Maple Leaf Bar (8316 Oak Street, 504-866-9359) for great music, and the Columns Hotel (
www.thecolumns.com), on St. Charles Avenue, for drinks on the porch.
The one local cuisine you should try when you’re in town is: Cajun-Creole.
The best way to get around: It used to be the streetcar, but now walking is best.
When you visit, don’t forget to pack: Rolaids, Tylenol, and comfortable shoes.
But leave room in your suitcase for: Beads, pralines, coffee and chicory, and antiques.
The one thing most outsiders don’t know about this city is: Not everyone shows her boobs at Mardi Gras. And there’s more to do here than drink.
I tell my friends to stay at: The Fairmont hotel (
www.fairmont.com/neworleans), because of its Christmas display (but it has yet to reopen since the storm); the W hotel (
whotels.destinations.starwoodhotels.com/neworleans), because it’s pet-friendly.
They say “Virginia is for lovers.” So fill in the blank: New Orleans is for... Eaters, historians, shoppers, sports fans, college students, and, more important, volunteers!
