The 100 Essential New Orleans Experiences

He and She Said:

This place is different. Really, really different. But we know that already, don’t we? It’s not one thing that makes NOLA special; it’s everything. With that in mind, and in no particular order (except for number 1), here’s our list of the 100 essential New Orleans experiences, the stuff that makes us what we are. Which are on your list, and what did we miss?

Armstrong Park

100. The NOLA Running of the Bulls
99. Attend a Treme watching party
98. Buy produce from Mr. Okra
97. Bacchanal on a Sunday night
96. Eat a Hubig’s pie
95. Eat fried chicken in the morning on the neutral ground
94. Satchmo Club Strut
93. Dinner at Antoine’s
92. See the Indians on Super Sunday
91. Ride in a Mardi Gras Krewe
90. Cruise the Lakefront
89. Jazz at Preservation Hall
88. A Snowball from Hansen’s or Plum Street
87. Take the Algiers Ferry
86. Ride a carriage through the French Quarter
85. Friday lunch at Galatoire’s
84. French Quarter Fest
83. Get a pothole realignment
82. Ride the streetcar
81. Visit the cemeteries
80. Go to Mass in the St. Louis Cathedral
79. Attend a Second Line
78. Rebirth on Tuesday at the Maple Leaf
77. Po-Boys at Parkway Bakery or Domilise’s
76. Feed the ducks at City Park
75. Boil crawfish
74. Go to the zoo
73. Cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde
72. Costume on Mardi Gras Day
71. Buy from the Roman Candy Man
70. Caroling in the Square
69. Spot Uncle Lionel and Amzie
68. Dessert at Angelo Brocato
67. Have someone you voted for indicted
66. Attend a Mardi Gras ball
65. Dance on the pool table at F&M
64. Listen to jazz at Snug Harbor
63. Kermit Ruffins Tuesday at Bullet’s or Thursday at Vaughn’s
62. Go home after the sun comes up
61. Attend a NOWFE Vintner Dinner
60. Drink a Hurricane (but only one)
59. Cocktails at the Sazerac
58. Go to a Saints game
57. Go to the Rock and Bowl
56. Christmas in the Oaks
55. Eat King Cake
54. Make a meal out of what you caught on St Patrick’s Day
53. Canoe Bayou St John
52. Jazzfest, of course
51. Attach a seat to the top of a wooden ladder
50. Eat at Casamento’s
49. Drink at Ms. Mae’s
48. See the St Aug Marching 100
47. Watch the ball drop at Jax Brewery
46. Shop on Magazine Street
45. Catch a set at Tipitina’s
44. Walk the Garden District
43. Cocktails at the Carousel Bar
42. Catch a Zulu coconut
41. Go to the Aquarium
40. Wednesdays at the Square
39. See Lionel Ferbos at Palm Court
37. Dinner at Commander’s Palace
36. Ask somebody where they went to school
35. Eat gumbo z’herbes at Dooky Chase on Holy Thursday
34. Have dessert at Sucre
33. Drink at Snake and Jake’s
32. Picnic at Jackson Square
31. Run the Crescent City Classic
30. Cocktails at Arnaud’s French 75
29. Watch a movie being filmed
28. Fish in the City Park Big Bass Rodeo
27. Octoberfest at the Deutsches Haus
26. Watch a movie at the Prytania
25. Go to the Greek Festival
24. Eat at Crescent City Steakhouse
23. Cook your own red beans and rice
22. Get a traffic camera ticket
21. Visit the WWII museum
20. See a play at Le Petit Theatre
19. Spend the evening on Frenchmen Street
18. Know where Brad and Angelina live
17. Sunset stroll through the backside of the Quarter
16. Eat charbroiled oysters
15. Go to White Linen
14. Go to Dong Phuong Bakery
13. Become a member of WWOZ
12. Catch a Muses Shoe
11. Go to Moms Ball
10. Shop at Hong Kong Market
9. Go to NOMA
8. Wear Seersucker
7. See Krewe du Vieux
6. Shop at Hollygrove Market
5. Visit Armstrong Park
4. Visit the Cabildo
3. Perform unforgivable karaoke on Bourbon Street
2. Name all nine muses
1. Watch Hell freeze over and the Saints win the Superbowl