Surprising And Fun Facts About New Orleans
New Orleans is a city in the state of Louisiana that is located near the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico. New Orleans is known for its live-music scenes, vibrant life, and tasty cuisine. This city is a melting pot of African-Americans, French, and Italians. Many natural disasters have also rocked this city, and this includes hurricanes and floods. Do you know that canal street in New Orleans was once the widest street in the world? We have done detailed research to unveil the most interesting facts about New Orleans you probably don’t know about.
1. There are some casino games that originated from New Orleans, and this includes the game of poker and craps.
2. The original streets of the French quarters in New Orleans are all named after French nobility and royalty.
3. The oldest operating Cathedral in the United States, St Louis Cathedral is located in New Orleans.
4. The canal street in New Orleans was once the widest street in the world, and this was because it was originally meant to be a canal.
5. Unlike most American homes that have a basement, most homes in New Orleans are raised off the ground instead.
6. New Orleans is filled with crimes of all sorts, and the crime rate is three times higher than the national average.
7. Tourism is a major part of New Orleans’s economy, and in 2017 more than $8 billion of revenue came from tourism.
8. Most people don’t pronounce New Orleans as “New Orleans”, rather it sounds more like “Nawlins”.
9. Because of the easy-going vibe in this part of the US, the nickname of New Orleans is The Big Easy.
10. New Orleans is home to some important inventions, such as the dental floss that was invented by New Orleans dentist Levi Spear Parmly.
11. The first movie theater in the world was established in New Orleans and is known as Vitascope Hall.
12. The bar culture in New Orleans is buzzing, as it is one of the few cities in the United States that serves alcohol 24 hours a day.
13. Citizens of the United States consider New Orleans as the most haunted city in the US.
14. The population of New Orleans is low compared to some other cities in the US, and as of 2019, the population of New Orleans was around 423,000.
15. New Orleans is located near the Gulf of Mexico, on the Mississippi River, and has a total land size of 350.2 square miles.
16. The place believed to be the most Haunted part of New Orleans is the historic French Quarter.
17. The tombs that are located in New Orleans are above the ground, because of the high water table in the city.
18. The Congo square that is located in Armstrong Park in New Orleans was a place where slaves in the city gathered together.
19. The slaves that were in New Orleans were the only slaves in the world that were allowed to own their won drums.
20. Jazz music became part of New Orleans culture after World War 2.
21. The first opera that was hosted in the United States was done in New Orleans, and it was that of Ernest Gretry’s “Sylvain”.
22. There are funerals in New Orleans that are celebrated with jazz because they believe that the music will help the dead find their way to heaven.
23. In the 1830s, brass bands were so many in New Orleans that the local newspapers reported that they were at every street corner.
24. New Orleans has contributed a lot to metal music, and sludge metal originated in the city.
25. The person that founded New Orleans was French explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne in 1718.
26. Known as the Louisiana purchase New Orleans was sold to French leader Napoleon in the nineteenth century.
27. Hurricane Katrina which happened in New Orleans was the largest and 3rd strongest in the United States.
28. This city is one of the United States cities that have been owned by multiple countries such as France, Spain, and finally the United States.
29. New Orleans is the only city in the United States that has the highest number of historic districts and neighborhoods.
30. When it comes to hurricanes, New Orleans was once considered one of the safest cities in the south.
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31. New Orleans City Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States Of America.
32. New Orleans is credited as the central city that led the development of funk music.
33. Hurricane Katrina of New Orleans was the costliest Atlantic hurricane in history, with monetary damage of about $125 billion.
34. During the seventeenth century, New Orleans was the city in the United States with the most millionaires.
35. The original hike of the mafia in the United States Of America was New Orleans.
36. The Sauvé’s Crevasse flood that happened in New Orleans left about 12,000 people homeless.
37. In terms of food, New Orleans is known for its unique Cajun and Creole cuisine in the world.
38. The oldest continuously operating restaurant in the state of Louisiana, is located in New Orleans, and is called Antoine’s Restaurant.
39. The official cocktail of New Orleans is the first cocktail in the United States and was produced by Antoine Peychaud.
40. You are less likely to see Starbucks in New Orleans than in other cities in the US such as New York.
41. The Gumbo which was created in New Orleans is the official state food of Louisiana.
42. Hurricane Katrina of New Orleans flooded about 80% of the city and water levels rose up to 20 feet.
43. It is illegal in New Orleans not to wear masks in Mardi Gras floats.
44. The oldest jazz club in New Orleans is known as the Preservation Hall and was established in 1961.
45. The first Madi Gras that was celebrated in New Orleans was in the 1980s.
46. The nineteenth-century pirate, Jean Lafitte helped to defend New Orleans from the British.
47. New Orleans was once the capital city of Louisiana before the capital was moved to Baton Rouge.
48. During the American Civil War, New Orleans was the largest city on the Confederate side.
49. The national city park of New Orleans was once used to host duels in order to settle disagreements.
50. Unlike what people think, Bourbon Street got its name from a French noble family and not from the drink.
51. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in New Orleans is the longest bridge over water in the United States.
52. New Orleans is the city in the United States where the first Italian immigrants settled.
53. The first pharmacy and pharmacist that America had come from New Orleans and was named Louis Joseph Dufilho.
54. The Battle of New Orleans was the only real triumph that America had in the war of 1812.
55. The first-ever girl’s school that was opened in America was in New Orleans and was known as Ursuline Convent.
56. Milneburg is part of New Orleans that has survived every storm that has happened in the city since the 1850s, including Hurricane Katrina.
57. There are two houses in New Orleans that are built to resemble steamships.
58. The fresh market that is located on the corner of St. Charles and Louisiana was once used as a funeral home.
59. There are souvenir shops in New Orleans that sell voodoo and occult items.
60. Unlike what people believe, Madi Gras did not originate from New Orleans but from Alabama.
61. More than 25 million Mardi Gras items are thrown from floats every year.