Parades roll. This is what we say in New Orleans. We don’t say they march, we don’t say they pass; we say they roll. That is how New Olreans rolls. This is why we love it so.
If you see a city bus this time of year (summer 2025) you will see advertisements on the buses’ side or inside, over the seats. The ads are for the RTA (formerly NORTA, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority). Most of them feature Kermit Ruffins, who is always amenable to making a buck. Who isn’t?
Other ads feature a lawyerly type. The only people who wear neckties in New Orleans are lawyers. Everyone else is a schlub. The lawyer says, “I work in the CBD and I take the RTA. That’s how New Orleans rolls.”
I don’t know any lawyers who take public transportation by choice.
If you want to get to work late, take the streetcar. Later? Take the bus.
If you are on vacation, you don’t need to be on time. Look out the window. I love it when people from out of town take the bus. You get to see a part of New Orleans that nobody else sees. You get to see the parts where people live.
The first time I was in New Orleans (this was the 1990s), I took the bus to the art museum (New Orleans Museum of Art, at the end of Esplanade Avenue, in City Park). Then, like now, there were not a lot of tourists on the bus. Then, like now, nobody cared. New Orleanians don’t mind talking to strangers. Happiness loves company.
We passed a po’ boy shop. I had seen signs for po’ boys on my way from the airport. New Orleans was an exotic place. This was years before The Princess and the Frog. I didn’t know what a po’ boy was. I do now, of course, but I learned for the first time on the bus that day. I asked the lady sitting across the aisle on the bus.
There are no strangers in New Orleans, only friends you haven’t yet met. A po’ boy is a long sandwich. It is always overstuffed. Get one. People eat them for lunch, or for dinner, or for both, every day. A breakfast po’ boy is rare but not unheard of. Keep your eyes open. Follow your nose.
Take the bus. It really is how New Orleans rolls. A fifth of the population doesn’t own a car. Everyone I know takes the bus, at least sometimes. Yes, they also take the bus and the streetcar to work. Some people I know take the ferry. There is a reason nothing in New Orleans ever starts on time. We like it that way.
The 91 bus stops on our block. It runs from the Cemeteries to the Lower Garden District. It’s a nice ride. $3.00 for a 24-hour pass that is good for all streetcars, buses, and the ferry is the best deal in the city. It is both cheaper than uber and more scenic. The people on the bus will be happy to talk with you if you have questions. I’m proof of it.
When you are looking to stay in New Orleans, you are on the right website. La Belle Esplanade is located on Esplanade Avenue, on a beautiful street close enough to all the things you want to see, but far enough away to be in the real city where you can get a good night’s rest. Make La Belle Esplanade your home in New Orleans. Visit like you live here.
If you would like to read more about what it is like to live in New Orleans, click here.