Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

New Orleans' population has undergone a dramatic change since the last official census was taken back in 2000. Then the official count was 484,674, but the current figure is highly contested. As the city continues to rebuild in the aftermath of Katrina, population estimates range from as low as 190,000 to as high as 290,000 people.

As people have moved back into the city, so too have businesses. In fact, a study by the Times-Picayune identified more than half of the region's 81,000 businesses as currently open – welcome news indeed. Employment-wise, major industries in the region continue to focus on energy (crude oil and natural gas) production and tourism; the Port of New Orleans, the fifth largest port in the US, is also a major player.

Sales tax in New Orleans is 9%. At hotels, an additional 4% tax is added to bills, and a nightly tax of up to $2 is assessed based on the number of rooms a hotel has.

Weather

Historically, New Orleans has always enjoyed pleasant year-round weather, its subtropical climate never really allowing temperatures to fall below 40 in the winter or go much higher than 90 during the summer months. Rainfall is common in New Orleans, and the monthly average is right around five inches.

Holidays & Business Hours

Celebrations and festivals are as commonplace in New Orleans as the days of the week. Make no mistake, this is a town that loves to throw a bash, and even in the wake of Katrina, most folks refused to even entertain the idea of cancelling the 2006 Mardi Gras festivities. That said, from the start of Carnival (January 6) though the week of Fat Tuesday, the city's sole focus is on partying and parading. Don't expect to get much business done. A similar mentality takes hold of things during the Jazz Fest, which begins the last weekend of April and continues for 11 days.

On federal and state holidays, many offices and businesses close or have truncated hours. Naturally, policies vary, but in general, the following holidays are broadly observed:

Coming & Going

The area's largest airport, Louis Armstrong-New Orleans International Airport (airport code: MSY) provides direct flights to more than 100 major cities. Seventeen domestic and international airlines provide regular services to and from the airport, and it is one of the region's busiest and most important gateways for travelers.

The airport is located in suburban Kenner, some 15 miles away from the Central Business District (CBD), so air travelers headed into the city need to arrange ground transport. One option is the Airport Shuttle (866-596-2699), a service that provides transportation from the airport to CBD hotels; a one-way trip is $13, a round-trip is $26. Cabs are another alternative – fares to the CBD are set at $28 for one or two passengers. Seven rental car agencies also service the airport, their desks are located on the lower level.

AMTRAK, too, services the New Orleans area. Union Passenger Terminal, at 1001 Loyola Avenue in the CBD, is the city's main rail station.

If you're traveling to New Orleans by car, Interstates 10 and 55 are the major routes.

Making Your Way

If you drive your own car, if at all possible, park it in a garage and walk – after all, New Orleans is extremely easy to navigate on foot, and most of her top hotels, attractions and venues are within easy walking distance of one another. That said, if you insist on vehicular transport, don't drive yourself: instead, give the public transportation system a try. NORTA buses operate routes all over the city, and the St. Charles streetcars make regular (9am to 6pm) runs in the CBD and along both Canal Street and the Riverfront. Both buses and streetcars cost $1.25 to ride. One-day, three-day and monthly VisiTour passes are available for $5, $12 and $55, respectively.

Taxis are another viable option, particularly in well-known neighborhoods and in the areas surrounding prominent hotels. United Cabs, Inc. (504-524-9606) has been around since 1938 and is one of the city's most reputable companies; they accept all major credit cards and offer 24-hour service.

News & Views

The major daily news source in New Orleans is the Times-Picayune; it covers news both locally and all over the world and also has major sections devoted to arts and entertainment. To get a handle on the Big Easy's nightly pulse, the monthly offBeat focuses on the regional music scene in addition to restaurant reviews and Katrina-related features. For an edgier take on the goings-on, look to the Gambit Weekly, which has extensive restaurant listings and a thumb on just about everything cool that's going on in Orleans Parish. Meanwhile, prestigious New Orleans Magazine emphasizes the finer sides of life, from real estate to Jazz Fest. The local financial climate is the focus of Biz New Orleans, and there are also specialized periodicals like Louisiana Weekly (African-American) and La Prensa (Hispanic).

Quirks & Curiosities

Driving. If you're not from or very familiar with New Orleans, it's best to avoid doing it at all. Why? For starters, even in the most-touristed sections of town, streets can be difficult to navigate – long-time residents freely admit it. This malady is compounded by the fact that, in some areas, signs for side streets are tough to locate and even tougher to read, especially at night. There's also the fact that many streets are one-way or closed to automobile traffic all together, often making direct routes impossible. Adding another degree of difficulty, some drags may be open to autos at one point in the day and then become pedestrian-only; Bourbon Street is a prime example, as it is not drivable after nightfall. That said, if you choose to disregard the advice, make sure you have a thick skin because your fellow drivers won't be very patient if you're indecisive about which way to turn.

Getting Your Bearings

When you're not familiar with a city, you feel completely adrift. That's exactly what local visitors' centers hope to ward off. They've compiled a vast collection of resources to help you better understand a particular city, and they're more than eager to share their time, hints, and literature. In New Orleans, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) operates a vistors center at 2020 St. Charles Avenue (504-566-5005ýor 800-672-6124).

Necessities - Post Offices

It's usually not too difficult to spot a drop box when you're out and about, but if you need to conduct more serious postal business, it's not always that easy. In the heart of New Orleans, several locations are convenient to travelers and residents. They include:

Main Branch
701 Loyola Ave
New Orleans, LA 70113
504-589-1714
Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 8am-5pm

Vieux Carre
207 N Peters St, Ste 200
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-207-4258
Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm

Lafayette Square
610 S Maestri Pl
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-581-1039
Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm

Mid City Finance Station
501 N Jefferson Davis Pkwy
New Orleans, LA 70119
504-485-0733
Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm, Sat 8:30am-1pm

Common Courtesies

Although tipping is generally a personal matter, there are some guidelines that prove helpful to travelers. At restaurants, servers typically get 15% of the bill, although 10% acknowledges basic assistance, and 20% awards exceptional service. It is also common now for some restaurants to charge an automatic gratuity of 18% for groups. You should be aware of this possibility before providing an additional tip. Taxi drivers usually fit into similar guidelines by receiving a tip equivalent to 15% of the tab.

Often, a dollar tip covers many situations. Bartenders are customarily given $1 per cocktail, hotel maids are provided $1 for each day of a stay, bellhops get about $1 per bag, and a coat-check clerk typically receives $1 as well. The exception is a concierge, who generally receives $5-$10 for standard service (additional assistance suggests more).