New Orleans is the most populous city in Louisiana, known for its live-music scene, vibrant nightlife, Creole cuisine, and festive spirit. Serving as a major port, New Orleans is considered an economic and commercial hub for the broader Gulf Coast region of the United States.
The city attracts millions of visitors to its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties. The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter, a colonial-era district known for its mixed-style architecture reflecting the city's history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures. In the French Quarter, you can also find Bourbon Street, the city's most famous street. Embodying the life of a party town, the street is lit by neon lights, decorated by beads, throbbing with music and filled with raucous bars and people-watching balconies.