New Orleans, a city that often reinvents itself -- sometimes willingly, sometimes owing to unforeseen circumstances -- has done so again. And, as the pandemic appears to be winding down, people are re-re-re-re-discovering it.
There are new things to see, new places to stay, new places to eat. But to be sure, the New Orleans of memory has survived the pandemic largely intact: The queue at Cafe du Monde on a Saturday morning stretches as long as the one to get into Preservation Hall will that night. Reservations are still a must for Commander's Palace and Galatoire's. The World War II Museum continues to be the city's reigning can't-miss.
But there's new even in the old. During the pandemic, the New Orleans Jazz Museum opened an exhibit featuring the art of James Michalopoulos, who painted the personalities that defined the evolution of jazz from, as the exhibit's title suggests, "the Fat Man to Mahalia."
If you've strayed far enough from Lafayette Square to visit the Jazz Museum, push on to Jamnola, where curators commissioned the city's creative community to design a series of chambers based on New Orleans' music. Employing a variety of media, the artists take liberties and chances. The result is very interactive, very vibrant and very impressive.
Topping all the pandemic-era openings, figuratively and literally, is Vue Orleans. Located within the Four Seasons campus at the foot of Canal Street, it's an entertaining dive into fascinating aspects of the Crescent City, from its founding to modern times.
What really sets it apart from other museums in New Orleans -- or for that matter, other museums in the U.S. -- is the cutting-edge technology used to tell NOLA's story. Transparent displays; AI facial and gesture tracking; touchless, interactive displays; large LED walls; multiuser interactive games; an immersive theater; and augmented reality provide layer upon layer of "wow."
It's fun and informative, and after viewing its first level of experiences, visitors are directed to an elevator.
One floor shy of the roof of the 33-story building, visitors step off into a space that was once a rotating restaurant but now offers multiscreen films and interpretive maps and placards that add depth to a fantastic 360-degree view of the city.
The final experience, on the rooftop deck, completes the journey. It's where one takes in the fullness of the city and the river that gave it its birth, without the aid of technology or a barrier of plate glass.
Among the most anticipated pandemic openings was the Four Seasons itself, which debuted in November 2021. Its presence is not only a welcome addition for visitors, but locals have become regulars in its two restaurants, Chemin a la Mer and Miss River.
Both can easily hold their own in a city obsessed with food and beverage. Each is run by a local James Beard Award-winning chef: Chemin a la Mer is helmed by Donald Link (Herbsaint) and Miss River is from Alon Shaya (Shaya).
The decision to go back to New Orleans is never difficult. It's only once you've arrived that the hard part comes in: Do you revisit the places that made you want to return or head to the new places that will make you want to return again?