Random Observations: New Orleans
ESSENCE Fest is this weekend, so why not?
Welcome to Random Observations, a monthly column on the random shit I notice in random places around the world. Very serious and completely unserious. Since ESSENCE Fest is around the corner, and I’ve now been to NOLA twice, here are my random, unprovoked thoughts. You can also watch along on TikTok.
Yes, everyone will call you “baby,” pronounced byehbeeee. Revel in it, and embrace it. You will feel internally loved from the soul out, even if it’s just the homeless man across the street shouting it at you. Live, laugh, love it.
If you’re going during the summer like I did, it's going to be hot as hell, and the humidity will feel like wading through a thick, invisible heat fog.
The most beautiful Black art is created here. I’ve discovered new artists like Brandon ‘BMike’ Odums, the founder of Studio Be (a must visit in NOLA!)
Mural by Brandan “BMike” Odums I don't understand the hype about po'boys. I finally tried one, and…meh? Am I missing something?
NOLA has its own nutrient chart, and vegetables aren't on it. That might be fortunate or unfortunate for you. If you do happen to catch sight of something green on your plate, it will most likely be buttered, sautéed, and deep-fried. Yes, and.
The food here is delicious, but you will die in approximately 7 days if you make the mistake of eating it every day (which I did, and I’m happy to report I’m still here).
The southern hospitality is real. This is my first genuine trip to the South, and as I had heard, everyone is super friendly. They’ll go out of their way to accommodate you without you even asking.
Go to Bourbon Street once. Just to say you saw it. From there, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID.
The Café du Monde locations at both City Park and Riverwalk Mall have better beignets than the original one in the French Quarter. Definitely check out the French Quarter location for the vibes and powdered sugar-caked floors, but the other two locations have the tastier donuts.
When eating said beignets, you will get powdered sugar everywhere. It's unavoidable; just go with it and indulge in the fried holiness of one of the greatest pastry creations to ever be made.
*salivates* If you try to navigate back to a really pretty house you saw, you might as well just keep walking because another one is right ahead.
There are virtually no African people (first-generation African immigrants) to be seen. Then I wonder why we decided to plant our feet mostly in Georgia and Texas as opposed to Louisiana (I’m sure I can Google this). Most people I met were African-American with Southern roots.
Everyone has a big ol' cornbread-fed booty. There will be 5-star ass everywhere; don’t panic. Just admire from afar.
Black love is the norm here, and I love to see it! So many beautiful Black couples and families roaming around.
I saw approximately four white people in the span of five days.
When you venture out to places like the 9th Ward, you’ll see that the effects of Katrina are still very visible. I got a chance to visit a friend’s grandmother at her house over there, and it felt similar to navigating my parents’s village back in Nigeria. The people’s spirits are still high, and they have immense pride in where they come from.
I went to a Master P concert and wow, he is a horrible performer. But he's the unofficial mayor of New Orleans, so I can’t be mad that I’m getting to see the legend live.
Dragos is the spot to be seen. While you'll most likely run into a D-list celebrity or two, that’ll hardly make up for the cost of your food and it taking literal hours to be made and delivered to your table.
Be prepared to have seafood in ways you’ve never expected Black and white southern families have a lot of cultural similarities in terms of how they were raised. Humor between groups is very similar, and jokes are easily shared. This was jarring AF to my West Coast brain, it could not compute.
I asked for Ritz cracker sandwiches on my flight home and was handed Ritz cracker sandwiches filled with cream cheese. Do people outside of the South know about these??
ESSENCE Fest is a beautiful Black homecoming that you have to attend at least once in your life! I’ll be back next year!
Have you been to New Orleans? What are some random things you’ve noticed? Let’s chat in the comments!
I’ve been to Nola twice as well. I had a mixed seafood po boy that changed my life in mid-city (near where our airbnb was and honestly better food off of the strips). I saw Drake concert when he had the Nola bounce songs like In My Feelings so it’s such a memorable time and the 2nd was in the winter and I got to see the huge Christmas tree and have a different experience. I can’t wait to go back, I’ve been obsessed with the city way before I ever went and I love that Solange loves & lived in the city as well (fun fact: she received the key to the city)