Exactly What Does New Orleans Have that St. Louis Does Not?

For five days in May, I found myself in New Orleans. I'd been there once before, in 1993 to see the Final Four in the Louisiana Superdome. I was 16 and to be honest, don't remember much outside the 15 hour drive to get there, an eye-opening midday walk down Bourbon Street and the basketball games. I'm now 33, have a deeper appreciation for architecture, culture and food - all of which play a big role in what makes a city. Obviously I'm not the only one who's changed in the past 17 years, New Orleans has changed and changed again since then.

I was determined to see New Orleans with eyes wide open. Fearing I might miss the essence of NOLA if I were to grab a random guidebook, I enlisted the help of Matt Mourning (Dotage St. Louis), a one-time NOLA resident and a guy with more love and knowledge of the city than anyone I know. Matt's excellent NOLA guide can be found below. To get the most out of the experience, my wife and I were determined to walk much of the city and eat at least four meals a day. It was a great experience, but to be honest, the visit left me wondering why St. Louis isn't as celebrated as NOLA.