Surrounded by a wealth of cultural history and immersed in unparalleled entertainment, New Orleans, Louisiana is a flourishing city that residents proudly call home. Before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, New Orleans was inhabited by the French, given to the Spanish, and eventually ceded back to France again. After the Haitian Revolution thousands of freed people from Central Africa and Haiti rushed to New Orleans, bringing with them a blend of customs that remain essential to the city’s homegrown sizzling flavor. Meanwhile the Cajuns found solace in New Orleans arms too, adding lively music and their celebrated cuisine to the mix. Today these historic people unite under one city in the American South-- their European roots, Caribbean influences, and Cajun zest is boldly represented in the local architecture, cuisine, and one-of-a-kind entertainment. Based along the Mississippi River, the Port of New Orleans booms with cotton and tobacco river trade, and dominates the Caribbean as the trade stop for island crops like sugar cane, rum, and fruit. Locals proudly display an eclectic architectural style unique to their history; St. Charles Avenue is famous for its antebellum homes and mansions reminiscent of the Greek Revival, Colonial, and Victorian styles as well as great European-style Catholic cemeteries. Simply step outside to hear the melting pot of musical life, the birthplace of jazz and Zydeco rhythm, and the most famed musicians, from Louis Armstrong to Lenny Kravitz. Neighborhoods jive to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Carnival season, known for its final day of Mardi Gras, but natives know that the exceptional music, food, arts and crafts last all year long. The legendary cuisine is a combination of local ingredients and traditions that produce favorites like Po’boy, jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans and rice. You never have to travel far with over 1,500 restaurants run by celebrity class chefs, like Galatoire’s and Emeril’s along with neighborhood favorites like Ralph’s on the Park and the Gumbo Shop. Dive into downtown nightlife at Harrah’s New Orleans Casino and the riverboat Treasure Chest Casino. Appreciate your hometown culture at the Contemporary Arts Center and New Orleans Museum of Art, and fun-filled venues like Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas keep the family busy. With NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, you can root for your home team yearlong. The wetlands of the Mississippi River supply ecosystems vibrant with commercial fishing, birding, and beautiful parks. Enjoy your city’s annual fishing competition, Tarpon Rodeo, with plenty of speckled trout and redfish. In 2005, the floods and failed levees of Hurricane Katrina caused the worst civil engineering disaster in American history. Despite the devastation, the waters were unable to wash out neither the vibrant and colorful city nor its rich roots; citizens of New Orleans take pride as they usher in the good ol’ New Orleans Creole and Cajun spirit once again.