Which City is a Flâneur’s Paradise?
A flâneur is a boulevardier, someone who strolls the streets and soaks up as much atmosphere as he or she lends to his or her surroundings. While a flâneur can be either male or female, I am more familiar with the male variety because I am one. If you want to know which city is flâneur’s paradise, look no further. New Orleans is where strolling and loafing and cafe culture are alive an well. In New Orleans, sauntering from restaurant to restaurant and watering hole to watering hole is a profession. We have professional ne’er-do-wells in New Orleans, too. Lounging one’s way through the day is a wonderful way of life in this wonderful city we call home.
Most flâneurs are dandies, whether they are male or female. I know more than my share of flâneurs. We bump into each other through the day as we saunter to and fro between our neighborhoods, traveling from one regular haunt to the next, saying hello and catching up on local gossip all along the way.
Sometimes, we flâneurs will band together to rescue a cat up a tree for an old lady. Sometimes, we pool our resources to help out a stranger in need. Most of us are not mechanically inclined so when we come across someone working on their car on a side street, we’ll peer under the hood, careful not to get our clothes dirty, and then we’ll offer some cheerful words of encouragement. Sometimes, we pick up litter. A clean city is a beautiful city in which to walk around, idling away the hours. No one loves New Orleans more than a bona fide flâneur.
New Orleans is a beautiful city. You should walk around New Orleans while you are here.
New Orleans is a flâneurs paradise.
You never know what you’ll find when you turn a corner in New Orleans. That is what makes being a flâneur so much fun. Yesterday, I watched a puppet show some neighborhood tykes were putting on out of a cardboard box in the park. The price of admission was a nickel. The artistry on display was priceless. Good memories are made in New Orleans every day. Ask any flâneur, any one of us.
Leisure is a form of art in New Orleans, just like music, just like painting, just like opera. Good memories are not hatched from an egg. It takes a certain sensibility and craft to make the kinds of memories that will enrich the rest of your life. New Orleans is overflowing with an embarrassment of riches. The culture here is densely woven and richly textured. When you have a relationship with New Orleans, you have a home for life. You should visit New Orleans like you live here.
People who live in New Orleans, live like they are visiting. They are tourists in their own city. They do everything you’ll do. New Orleanians inhabit the streets of this magnificent city. To a real New Orleanian, there is nothing more interesting than New Orleans, itself, every one of us. We don’t hole up in front of our devices. We are out and about. You’ll find self-styled flâneurs in cities all over the world. New Orleans is a flâneurs paradise.
If you think you have what it takes to be a flâneur, come test your legs in New Orleans. There is plenty to discover. You can even take a walk one of our two parks. We have City Park, at the end of Esplanade Avenue, and, we have Audubon Park, Uptown. I prefer City Park, for reasons I describe in this video:
When you are in a New Orleans state of mind, just wandering around and being a part of the unfolding shared adventure of being alive today in this wonderful city is its own reward. You belong here. If you want to know which city is a flâneur’s paradise, look no further. New Orleans is your answer.
Nobody ever says their visit to New Orleans is too long. When you are ready to visit New Orleans like you belong here, there is only one place to stay. You are on the right website. HERE IS A LINK TO OUR CALENDAR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.
La Belle Esplanade is a five-suite B&B hotel located on a beautiful historic street: Esplanade Avenue. Esplanade is the word for a linear walking park. This is our avenue. Make yourself at home here. Soak in the ambience. Good memories are made in New Orleans every day. The best New Orleans memories begin at La Belle Esplanade. Our inn has been ranked the #1 place to stay in New Orleans on TripAdvisor since April 2014. We have twice won the coveted TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, putting us in the top 0.0001% of hotels in the world. We’ve been ranked the #2 place to stay in the United States and the #16 place to stay in the whole world.
Follow La Belle Esplanade on Facebook and Instagram. We post a couple of times a day to keep you in a New Orleans state of mind. We also sponsor a sister blog called, appropriately enough, “A New Orleans State of Mind.” That guy over there does an excellent job of describing what it is like to live in our part of New Orleans. He’s a flâneur, too. He’s a very interesting fellow. If you choose to make La Belle Esplanade the headquarters for your New Orleans adventures, you’ll probably meet him.
Treat yourself right. You deserve the best that New Orleans has to offer and you should be a real New Orleanian while you are in this wonderful city we call home. La Belle Esplanade is here for you.
“I loved everything about this place. We only stayed two nights but you can be sure we’ll be back for a longer stay next time. Matthew and Melanie are the ultimate hosts and make you feel so welcome and comfortable, plus they share their treasure trove of knowledge about the city with you over a fabulous breakfast of local goodies. The place is gorgeous and the area is quiet, friendly, non touristy. You will not be disappointed with any of the suites, and you’ll fall in love with Treme like we did. Thank you, our two friends at La Belle Esplanade!❤️” –Paula R., Maryland.
