Introduction New Orleans is justly famous for its food, music, and Mardi Gras celebrations. In some ways, it has more in common with some Caribbean communities than it does with other, more uptight, American cities. Embrace the relaxed way of life; don’t spend all your time rushing from place to place. New Orleans grew up around the curve in the Mississippi River that gave it the name “Crescent City”, and there’s no north-south-east-west grid to help you get around. Instead, directions can be given as “lakeside” (generally, north), “riverside” (generally, south), “upriver” or “uptown” (generally, west), and “downriver” or “downtown” …