New Orleans' identical twin

[AmandaHugginkiss]

I think Memphis and N.O. are very different but they match up the best.

Both are located along the Mississippi River

Both have a ton of history and culture

Both have unique dialects

Both have famous streets for adult entertainment

Both have streetcars

Both are known for their cooking

Both are predominately black

Both are similar in size

Both have dense and vibrant downtowns (of course N.O. is denser)

crime

Memphis has this place called Voodoo Village. I don't know much about though.

[bluff2085]

It's pretty much just a street [or 2] deep in south memphis off S. Third. Everyone in the "village" has voodoo paraphanalia? in their yards. If you drive down one of those streets, dogs will run out onto the street and bark at you despite your superiority in size [your car!] and you might get driven out or followed out by a resident. At least that's what I've heard from suburban thrill seekers

[Trel-Ellis]

Being very familiar with both cities, more so NOLA. Memphis would be the closest canidate. Although NOLA is much more unique " hands down" and more urbanish. When your in memphis, you kinda find yourself saying in your mind "That looks like ____ in new orleans--This -that..etc And I've also been to Charleston, SC and besides those houses (L-beware) mentioned, Im a louisianian, born and raised, and nothing there made me think of new orleans.

And im sure most louisianians would agree.

[tennreb]

Being very familiar with both cities, more so NOLA. Memphis would be the closest canidate. Although NOLA is much more unique " hands down" and more urbanish. When your in memphis, you kinda find yourself saying in your mind "That looks like ____ in new orleans--This -that..etc And I've also been to Charleston, SC and besides those houses (L-beware) mentioned, Im a louisianian, born and raised, and nothing there made me think of new orleans.

And im sure most louisianians would agree.

[NCB]

Memphis is a watered down New Orleans. Its good stuff isn't as good, but its bad stuff isnt as bad.

[Donny James]

Being very familiar with both cities, more so NOLA. Memphis would be the closest canidate. Although NOLA is much more unique " hands down" and more urbanish. When your in memphis, you kinda find yourself saying in your mind "That looks like ____ in new orleans--This -that..etc And I've also been to Charleston, SC and besides those houses (L-beware) mentioned, Im a louisianian, born and raised, and nothing there made me think of new orleans.

And im sure most louisianians would agree.

[tennreb]

Yeah I can see how you would say that. Theyre really polar opposites. Ive never been to either Memphis or New Orleans. And from pictures and video Ive seen, Memphis and New Orleans do look similar. I also know many New Orleanians that live in Charleston, moved to Charleston, and people that have family in both places. And they all say its just as similar as it is different. Alot of things reminds them of home and alot of things dont. Its like 2 sides of the same coin. Alot of the architecture is similar, but the character of the cities are different. I think thats where Memphis and New Orleans are probably more similar. I think what l-beware was touching on about the histories, culture, and the dialect of the people are what is most similar. And this is true because its well-documented. Even down to the food. Louisianian is known for the spicyness, the Lowcountry food is more mild, but they both come from the same base and represent two versions of the same thing. Memphis and New Orleans have different kinds of similarities than New Orleans does with Charleston.

[Donny James]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowcountry_cuisine

Charleston was settled by French Hugeonots, and Spanish settlers, along with the English. The African-Carribean roots of the two cuisines are unique to anywhere else in America. Lowcountry cuisine has little English influence. Its primarily based in the cooking of the enslaved Africans of the Lowcountry. The example l-beware used was Gumbo. New Orleans is the most famous for Gumbo, but the other place it comes from and entered America (first) through was the Lowcountry/Charleston. Along with the actual word 'Gumbo'. That dish is actually a part of our culture. The same dish, but where as Louisianians might use roux or file', we only use okra.. Which is another food/word that comes from the lowcountry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumbo

The Lowcountry is a region of marshy wetlands that stretches from a bit north of Charleston down to Savannah. The cuisine is, naturally, heavily seafood-based. Cooking styles are influenced by the cultural mix of the Lowcountry's history, from early Spanish settlers (and later Sephardic Jewish residents) to English colonists and most importantly to their African slaves. In additon, a French flair was added to the mix by Huguenot settlers. It is the French connection that gives Lowcountry cooking a character that differs from most other Southern cuisines, and also gives it a resemblance to New Orleans Creole cuisine, though with decided local differences.

[L-Beware]

To me it seemed like UptownNewOrleans was talking about the urban black similarities of the cities. Thats what I was responding to. Culture and dialect. And shotgun houses!!

Speech-wise, I know Memphis people have a more country, inland Southern accent. Rap game wise, they do parallel alot with New Orleans. Houston does too though also. Houston might be a better comparison.

[PortofBama]

I think a "Little New Orleans" might spring up in Houston. There is already a lot of new seafood places opening up.

[Memphis Love]

I would definitely say that Memphis and New Orleans are more similar than any other two discussed.

[dan326]

I think other cities that could be considered identical twins would be Sante Fe,New Mexico and San Antonio,Texas. No I haven't lost my mind. I think they are twin in a different than having the same kind of amenities. I think they are twins in that that offer a very authentic, concentrated idea of what the region has to offer.

[Donny James]

I had a detailed post with links that got erased and Ive just been too lazy to post it again.

[NCB]

They have a similar thread going over in the Memphis forum, which can be found here. I'm sure they'd appreciate some of our imput on the Memphis-New Orleans relationship.