New Orleans' identical twin

[UptownNewOrleans]

Let's hear it. Although I will say that most of us from New Orleans have friends & family in Houston (myself included). Houston is almost like a 2nd home for many New Orleanians.

[imaterry78247]

Let's hear it. Although I will say that most of us from New Orleans have friends & family in Houston (myself included). Houston is almost like a 2nd home for many New Orleanians.

Man they got some good seafood in Houston

[NCB]

While I do consider Houston my second home, and love that city and the state of Texas, I don't think it even comes close in any of the categories you listed. It has some good food, a good nightlife scene, and quite a bit of culture, but nothing like New Orleans. Miami probably would probably be closest in terms of culture and nightlife. But overall, I would consider Memphis a lot like New Orleans in many ways. Different histories, cultures, economies, etc. but they are similar in many ways. They are both known for great music and food, both have problems with crime, similar sized metro areas, both ports on the Mississippi River, etc. I know many New Orleanians, myself included, that feel right at home in Memphis.

[NCB]

Actually, there was something else I wanted to add...

I know you knew this, Uptown, but I just wanted to throw it out there anyway. New Orleans has no "identical twin" or anything even close to a twin for that matter. It's New Orleans, and that's what's so special about it, there is no other place like it. The history, food, music, architecture, geography, people; it's all specifically New Orleans, and won't be found anywhere else. Sure there are many cities that are similar in some categories, but there is no city on the planet that even looks like, or feels like, New Orleans. And that is what seperates New Orleans from so many other American cities, everything about New Orleans, is purely New Orleans.

[richyb83]

Yeah New Orleans is a unique one-of-a-kind city with a flavor all it's own. It's like fingerprints that cannot be duplicated.

[dan326]

^That's what I was thinking. New Orleans doesn't have a twin, it's a very individual city. To me though, it seems like Houston is least like New Orleans on that list. Also, for some reason I think of Houston as masculine and New Orleans of femine. Probably because Houston seems more industrial.

[TSmith]

In my mind, it's Memphis... of the cities listed. My brother moved there several months back, and I've visited. The similarities among the people in Memphis was nice. I guess it's one of those weird phenomenons that happens in a river city. People seemed laid back, like to have fun, etc... While it doesn't equal N.O. in many aspects, no city really does.

[richyb83]

I would consider Memphis more like a cousin to New Orleans.

[NCB]

I would consider Memphis more like a cousin to New Orleans.

Same here. And one reason I picked it out of the cities listed as well was because of what Travis mentioned, the fact that the people up there are also laid back and just like to enjoy life and their surroundings, just like New Orleans.

[bluff2085]

I would consider Memphis more like a cousin to New Orleans.

That's a pretty good way to put it. New Orleans is unique for a long, long list of reasons (btw how's that list coming, Nate?) and obviously no city on earth is comparable enough to qualify as the Crescent City's "twin." New Orleans is just the real deal. Seems like alot of American cities right now are in a desparate race to brand themselves almost to the extent of exaggerating or even fabricating their cultural significance. No need for that in New Orleans; the city just seems to speak for itself.

I have to agree that of the 3 choices, Memphis is the city most "comparable" to New Orleans. Houston and Miami are amazing cities; but to me, nothing about Miami even remotely resembles New Orleans. And aside from the climate and the historical ties to oil, Houston is also a much different city.

But for some reason Memphis has evolved as a city that shares an unusual amount of similarities with New Orleans. For one, the Mississippi River, or the "family blood." Also, the music. New Orleans is famous the world over for jazz music. And to a lesser extent, Memphis is famous for the blues. And no matter what people tell you, the home of the blues is not St. Louis, it's not Chicago, it's Memphis! Blues and jazz have their differences, but they are both rooted historically in African-American culture, which points to another similarity between the two. Memphis is something like 63% black and NO is more than that (70% ?). Now both cities have become front-runners in the Southern Rap scene.

New Orleans is also recognized for its food. So is Memphis--but again, to lesser extent than NO. Seafood and cajun cuisine in general have contributed greatly to New Orleans fame. In a similar way, pork barbecue and "soul food" in general have helped put Memphis on the map. There are also numerous echoes of "New Orleans" architecture in Memphis. I would also add to the list of comparable traits the trolleys (Memphis trolley system not nearly as extensive as NO trolley system though), as well as rampant cynicism shared among the two cities' citizens that is geared toward the local governments.

I could keep going but one thing I would like to add is how it seems both New Orleans and Memphis are either beloved or loathed by the rest of the state (and for both cities the deciding factor is usually the crime). I sometimes get the notion that east Tennessee, like north Louisiana, has to some degree parted culturally with the state's other half. I would also argue that the two cities (very much unlike Houston and Miami) have a similarly easy-going attitude. Houston is more of a we're-from-Texas-we-like-things-big attitude, and Miami seems to have more of a LA-east vibe to it. And I think Memphis and New Orleans have that "easy-going" vibe for virtually the same reason, though NO being that one that is certainly more famous for it. I think it's a combination of the music, the food, and the humidity. And last but not least, I'm more likely to qualify both my hometown of Memphis and New Orleans as "underdog" American cities. I'm not talking about the skylines (as mentioned in a previous thread) but by "underdog" i'm referring to the "love it or leave it for dead" attitude many outsiders reflect towards these two cities. Haha I apologize for the long post.

[fla_tiger]

Although not listed as one of your choices, I've always considered the smaller cities like Savannah, Charleston and Key West as having a character similar to New Orleans. They are all pedestrian friendly and have colorful histories. Even areas of Mobile have the flavor of New Orleans. Agreed they do not offer the same commercial, technological, educational and industrial options that New Orleans offers.

If I had to choose one on the list I'd say Memphis.

[krazeeboi]

New Orleans doesn't really have a twin, as has been stated, but the first city that came to mind before I even saw the choices was Memphis. I think that a case could possibly be made for Louisville and St. Louis as well, on certain levels (as a "cousin" as well).

[SlidellWX]

I would have to pick Memphis. The overall feel and look of the city is much closer to New Orleans than the other two.

[UptownNewOrleans]

While I do consider Houston my second home, and love that city and the state of Texas, I don't think it even comes close in any of the categories you listed. It has some good food, a good nightlife scene, and quite a bit of culture, but nothing like New Orleans. Miami probably would probably be closest in terms of culture and nightlife. But overall, I would consider Memphis a lot like New Orleans in many ways. Different histories, cultures, economies, etc. but they are similar in many ways. They are both known for great music and food, both have problems with crime, similar sized metro areas, both ports on the Mississippi River, etc. I know many New Orleanians, myself included, that feel right at home in Memphis.

I'm not disagreeing in the least bit. Memphis and N.O. are so much alike it's crazy. North Memphis is just like New Orleans Uptown ghetto, notorious. I will say this, New Orleans hasn't sold itself out for the sake of growth. I want N.O. to grow just like the next person, but at the same time I wanna keep our uniqueness & charm.

[convulso]

I will say this, New Orleans hasn't sold itself out for the sake of growth. I want N.O. to grow just like the next person, but at the same time I wanna keep our uniqueness & charm.

bourbon street, decatur street and harrah's notwithstanding...

the next few years will tell an interesting tale in this respect. there's a lot of proposed development on a massive scale. new orleans has always felt authentic to me because it has undergone immense changes in its history, and has rolled with them all, preserving bits and pieces of its varied cultural past. even though parts of the city have changed unrecognizably over the years, the city has survived and adapted.

the current self-awareness of that past could be fatal, though. instead of changing with whatever viccissitudes nature and the economy will bring, NO may find itself trying to keep being "new orleens" - which is precisely the last thing it needs to do, if it wants to remain one of the most authentic of american cities.

[JPKneworleans]

NONE OF THE ABOVE. There is only one city in the US that is like New Orleans, and that is San Francisco, our very VERY wealthy sister.

To quote the great Nora Ephron: New Orleans is one of the two most ingrown, self-obsessed little cities in the United States.The other is San Francisco.

[DaltonGA]

NONE OF THE ABOVE. There is only one city in the US that is like New Orleans, and that is San Francisco, our very VERY wealthy sister.

To quote the great Nora Ephron: New Orleans is one of the two most ingrown, self-obsessed little cities in the United States.The other is San Francisco.

No twins but cousins do exist, as the river cities of Memphis and St. Louis share culture and heritage. But Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA have some similarities as does Mobile, AL. Key West, FL is more New Orleans-like in its atmosphere and hedonism. Miami has the density due to surrounded by ocean to the east and wetlands to the west and a diversity in common with New Orleans, but the flavor and culture are different, due to the Northeastern US influence and the young age of the city, the Carribean and Latin influences are similar to the cajun, creole, French and Spanish influence on New Orleans. Baton Rouge is probably the prim-and-proper church going sister to New Orleans open-no-holds-barred in-your-face this is what I am.

[L-Beware]

Charleston, South Carolina AKA Chucktown AKA Geechee/Gullah City is the most similar to New Orleans.

If youre talking about speech. Specifically the speech/dialect of the Black people, Charleston and New Orleans hands down are the most similar cities in the country. If youre talking about food and the cuisine, Charleston and New Orleans. If youre talking about the architechture, unique styles of shotgun row houses that line the city streets, once again. Its Charleston and New Orleans.

The whole history of the cities are the same. Charleston has always been historically the main port of the south, and New Orleans was that to the Gulf Coast, what Charleston was to the Atlantic. The same way former Haitian slaves came to New Orleans in like 1791 I think that was, and they brought that shotgun house style to the city, forming their own unique "New Orleans" style shotgun house, is the exact same thing in Charleston, where the West African and Carribeans brought the shotgun style to the city, but formed their own unique style known as the Single House. Also the Freedmans Cottage.

At the same time theyre like two opposites. I think that comparison made just now about Baton Rouge and New Orleans is even more applicable with Charleston and New Orleans. Charleston is the older more reserved sister while New Orleans is the young wild one.

New Orleans culture and speech stems from their creolization, their mixture of different ethnicities and culture, while the Gullah culture of Charleston was born out of the Africans isolation. Its like 2 sides of the same coin.

New Orleans is known for Gumbo. But the actual WORD Gumbo comes from the Gullah slaves. Alot of words New Orleans people use in their dialect are Gullah words. Like you hear certain New Orleanians say, "Fa True." Or "Fa Trut" Thats Gullah. If you really look at it, somebody needs to do a closer analysis of the two cities. Its amazing how these two port cities on the opposite coasts of the South maintained their culture while everything else, everywhere else, in the country changed.

[breaux]

Charleston cannot be New Orleans' identical twin because of New Orleans' rich French and Spanish heritage. They might be closely related, but what separates New Orleans is not the Garden District, but the Vieux Carre and the Faubourg Marigny.

Baton Rouge and New Orleans don't compare at all. Baton Rouge, up until recently, was a country, blue-collar town. New Orleans for over a century was the crown jewel of the south. The way of life is different (for better and worse), and that ought to be apparent to anyone who has spent time in both cities.

I think if you're going to compare New Orleans to anywhere, you have to realize that it's unique. It relates to San Fransisco because it has its own unique style and maintains that style throughout, without the anytown USA feel that you have in other places. Culturally it is more similar to Charleston, with the architecture, southern culture and history.

Unfortunately for this discussion, New Orleans is an only child. The illegitimate child of old Europe and frontier America.

[L-Beware]

Right. I understand that.

I was just really talking more about the African-American cultures of the 2 cities since that seemed to be what he was talking about.

[UptownNewOrleans]

^Agreed. My bad for not making that plainly obvious.

[Rardy]

Charleston cannot be New Orleans' identical twin because of New Orleans' rich French and Spanish heritage. They might be closely related, but what separates New Orleans is not the Garden District, but the Vieux Carre and the Faubourg Marigny.

Baton Rouge and New Orleans don't compare at all. Baton Rouge, up until recently, was a country, blue-collar town. New Orleans for over a century was the crown jewel of the south. The way of life is different (for better and worse), and that ought to be apparent to anyone who has spent time in both cities.

I think if you're going to compare New Orleans to anywhere, you have to realize that it's unique. It relates to San Fransisco because it has its own unique style and maintains that style throughout, without the anytown USA feel that you have in other places. Culturally it is more similar to Charleston, with the architecture, southern culture and history.

Unfortunately for this discussion, New Orleans is an only child. The illegitimate child of old Europe and frontier America.

I have to disagree with you about Baton Rouge being a blue-collar town. It's the state capital and home to LSU -- more educated than most of Louisiana, and less blue-collar than most southern cities.

Memphis is IMO a very similar version of New Orleans. I've lived here for several years now and there are a lot of similarities, mainly because of the river, both cities' proximity to the delta region, and their racial makeup.

Beale St. vs. Bourbon St. (not even close)

BBQ vs. gumbo

MED vs. Charity

Forum vs. Superdome

Memphis blues vs. New Orleans jazz

Elvis vs. Louis Armstrong, et. al

Mississippi River

Herenton vs. Nagin

UofM vs. UofNO

1.3 mill. vs. 1.31 mill (pre-Katrina)

and so on...

Houston, IMO, is NOTHING like New Orleans. Oil industry, and that's as far as it goes.

[UptownNewOrleans]

Orange Mound vs. Treme

Memphis In May vs. Mardi Gras

No Limit/Cash Money vs. 3-6 Mafia

[L-Beware]

Only thing I dont like about Memphis is how country they talk. They talk real country. We dont talk like that.

When you compare the two cities rap game though, they got more similarities with their underground, local rap scenes in the 90's, than CMB/No Limit and 3-6 do.

Both Memphis and N.O. had literally hundreds of local to underground music coming out in the mid-late 90's. I got a huge collection from both cities, especially New Orleans.

Also Memphis doesnt really have projects like that. Their projects look like apartments or something. When you look at ours, you can tell they were made around the same time, and by the same company as whoever did most of the ones in New Orleans.

Like that St. Thomas look like our Wilson Street Project

STP

WSP

or dat St. Bernard

and then the Nolia look like our Back To Green Projects.

BTG

[AlabamaGuy2007]

Yeah New Orleans is a unique one-of-a-kind city with a flavor all it's own. It's like fingerprints that cannot be duplicated.

I agree, it's hard to pair New Orleans with a city that's like it. There aren't many cities that can be like NO without its past. I know it's not on the list, but, I'd say Mobile is most like NO. True, it's way smaller, but, they were founded around the same time, Mobile a little bit further I believe. Mobile 1703, and New Orleans 1718. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But, as for the cities on the list, I'd say, Houston is most like New Orleans.