We lived West Bank about 5 years and NOLA (Canal Street for a Year ... that sucked!) couple 2-3 years in Chalmette/Arabi (best of the three places)
In those 10+ years I drove through the French Quarter almost daily and NEVER thought it might be a place to go at night...
You get relatives that want to go... I make them park “Their” vehicles across the River in a lighted Parking lot, take the Ferry both ways if necessary and we would have a 10PM Curfew, or they can go on their own and I don’t care.
Never once went to Marti Gras in New Orleans.
I was in the Military at that time and made lots of money standing duty for the young single guys that wanted to go.
The Food was awesome in Louisiana (especially the sandwiches at Little Arabi Store) I have yet to taste a better bread (Stateside) than fresh Zip French Bread and the folks over in Chalmette were some of my favorite neighbors ever in my life. I did like Chalmette, it was wrong of me to paint them in with the broad New Orleans Brush
Roger that. I first went there in ‘68 and was at Algiers Naval Station and my dad was the CO at the Navy Supply Depot across the river on Dauphine street. My folks lived out near Michoud first then got a house in Belle Chase. Met my first wife in the area so when I got out of the Navy we ended up in the area but never in New Orleans although I did work a lot of different jobs in town. I’m sure you met a lot of folks that will NEVER leave no matter what. Guess it’s a NOLA thing. And yes, we know some “Chalmations” too.