NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
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What’s easy in the Big Easy? My wife and I spent three days and nights in New Orleans recently. While there, I couldn’t get out of my mind the words “Big Easy” and how/why it describes New Orleans. So, I went on a search for easy in the Big Easy. This post is meant to be an easy-going semi-pictorial web log of our easy visit to the Big Easy. :-)
What's Easy In The Big Easy? Well, it's easy to get an alcoholic drink. :-)
Why is New Orleans called the Big Easy? This is an euphemism for New Orleans, like the Crescent City, that is attributed to Betty Guillaud, a gossip columnist for the Times Picayune. She coined the euphemism in the ’70s as a term of endearment and an answer to the then I Love New York City hype. Guillaud proclaimed: “If it’s the Big Apple for New York, then New Orleans is the ‘Big Easy,’ where everything is slower, simpler and easy-going.”
The Big Easy offers many balconies for easy viewing of the Big Easy. Here's my lovely wife "easily" celebrating Mardi Gras the day after Fat Tuesday.
It’s easy to walk in the Big Easy, especially if you are near the French Quarter.
It's easy to walk in the French Quarter in the morning.
It’s easy to walk because the streets are too narrow for much traffic.
It's easy to walk in the French Quarter in the afternoon.
It’s easy to walk UNLESS there’s a lot of foot traffic – very common in the evening.
It's NOT as easy to walk in the French Quarter at night! :-)
The streetcar is a nice, convenient and easy way to see the Big Easy.
It's easy to see many of the sights using the St. Charles streetcar.
The Big Easy has lots of good restaurants located in buildings with great architecture and easy to get to. Commander’s Palace, a nice restaurant in the Garden District, is very popular for its food and ambience.
It's easy to visit the premier restaurant, Commander's Place, in the Garden District.
The Big Easy seldom buries its dead! They can’t dig deep enough without “hitting” water and therefore, literally have Cities Of The Dead.
It's easy to find a place to NOT be buried.
Some of the beautiful houses in the Garden District are popular with celebrities.
It's easy to find where celebrities live - for example, this is Sandra Bullock's house.
The Big Easy is cultural and academic!
It's easy to find a major park (Audubon Park) across the street from two major universities (Tulane and Loyola).
Art is everywhere in the Big Easy!
It's easy to find women in the park. :-)
The Big Easy is the “Big Ending” of one of the biggest rivers in the world – The Mississippi. The river literally runs through it!
It's easy to see the big easy Mississippi.
Besides being a major port for ocean-going vessels, it also has big riverboats.
It's easy to find a big boat to float the Mississippi.
The Big Easy isn’t a gamble for a good time, but you can gamble.:-)
It's easy to lose money in the Big Easy! :-)
The Big Easy is a great place to tour.
It's easy to people watch.
The Big Easy is known for it coffee shops that serve chicory coffee and beignets. Cafe du Monde was established in 1862 and is very popular.
It's easy to find good coffee and beignets in the Big Easy.
The Big Easy tends to provide good service to visitors.
It's easy to get good service in Cafe du Monde.
Jackson Square, in which sits the St. Louis Cathedral, is a popular spot for tourists in the Big Easy.
It's easy to look at the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral.
The Big Easy always has great jazz performances. Jeremy Davenport, from University City, MO, is featured at The Ritz-Carlton on the edge of the French Quarter.
It's easy to find a University City jazz musician (Jeremy Davenport) with a lounge named after him in the Big Easy Ritz.
In the Big Easy, jazz is not only played, but also performed. :-) Here’s Jeremy Davenport with his current band in his lounge at the Ritz.
It's easy to attend a free jazz performance by Jeremy Davenport.
Many restaurants in the Big Easy offer second floor balcony seating. It’s a great place to have a Po’ Boy and people watch.
It's easy to eat Po-Boys sandwiches on the balcony at a river-view cafe.
The Big Easy is known for its Cajun and Zydeco culture. Is easy to find the music of the culture performed.
It's easy to find a Cajun/Zydeco live band performance.
In the French Quarter of the Big Easy there seems to be a parade a day. There are parades for special days and many second line parades.
It's always easy to find a parade.
The people of the Big Easy called Katrina what they thought she was and then slipped back into their big easy lives. :-)
It's easy to see what the Big Easy thinks of Katrina. :-)
So, what’s easy in the Big Easy? Now, that’s an easy question! Look above. :-)
Posted by Ron Rogers 
