Huzzah! This is my 50th post, just in time for the blog’s six-month anniversary. I’ve had so much fun writing this and it’s given me a great outlet to express my thoughts. Thanks for reading! The most salient lesson I’ve learned about maintaining a blog is that when something happens that inspires me to write a post, I should do it as soon as possible. Trying to recall what was so special about a moment that occurred days–or sometimes weeks–earlier has proven really difficult.
The (kind of) New Orleanian Scale
Being that this is my 50th post, I thought it would be a great time to take another measurement for the entirely subjective New Orleanian Scale, first established in July. This is a score in which I evaluate if I’ve undergone the experiences necessary to further my journey to become a real New Orleanian.
This is not an all-inclusive list. I’ve included venues/businesses I’ve never been to before or ones that are very New Orleanian, are new (and therefore hip, which I attribute to being local) or because I indicated on the to-do list that I wanted to go there before.
This scale is an idea in flux–I’d love any contributions or suggestions! I don’t have anything here about shopping in the Greater NOLA area. Where do I have to shop to be a New Orleanian? What do I have to buy? I own shirts from Dirty Coast and Defend New Orleans… Do I have to own a painting by Simon or Dr. Bob?
Music
Balcony Music Club
Hot 8 at the Howlin Wolf’s
- Paul Sanchez at Chickie Wah Wah (+2 because Sanchez used to be in Cowboy Mouth, a seminal NOLA band)
- Went to Harvest Fest and saw Big Sam’s Funky Nation (+2)
- Three Muses on Frenchman (had never been there before) (+1)
- Cake at Mahalia Jackson Theater (Never been there before!) (+1)
- Hot 8 at Howlin Wolf (+2) (extra point for it being the band’s weekly stint)
- Tipitinas for their Friday Free Show (it’s just in the summer) + a show I paid for (+2)
- Vaughns for Kermit Ruffins (This is before he announced he would start his sets his sets earlier so he could get to bed at a decent hour! He was pretty loaded when we saw him… and it was late) +1
- Bonus: Bought two CDs from local musicians (+1)
Restaurants/Food
- Bywater: Satsuma, Elizabeths (+2)
- CBD/Warehouse District: Capdeville, Cochon Butcher, Cochon for real, Domenica for Happy Hour pizzas and drinks (+4)
- Farmers Markets: Crescent City Farmers + Hollygrove (+2)
- Freret St: Dat Dog, Sarita’s Grill, Ancora Pizzeria, High Hat (+3)
- French Quarter: Gumbo Shop (+1)
- Mid City: Venezia Restaurant, Crescent City Steakhouse, Katie’s (+3)
- -1 for not eating at that many restaurants in my neighborhood
- +2 because I haven’t eaten at a lot of Mid City Restaurants because I am always eating at Boo Koo BBQ in Finn McCools and pizza at Banks St. Bar. That makes me a New Orleanian/Mid Citizen.
- Oak St/Carollton/Riverbend: Tru Burger, Boucherie, Dantes, Oak St. Cafe (+4)
- Uptown: Mahony’s Po Boy Shop, Cafe Atchafalaya, Dick and Jennys (+3)
- Vietnamese Food on the West Bank (it deserves its own category, based on what I’ve heard about it!): Tan Dinh (+2 for the travel)
Bars
- CBD/Warehouse District: Handsome Willy’s, W.I.N.O. (+2)
- French Quarter: Balcony Music Club, Bar Tonique (+2)
- Mid City: 12 Mile Limit, Banks St. Bar, Holy Ground, Pals, Bulldog (+5)
- Marigny/Bywater: All Ways Lounge, The Country Club, Kajun’s pub (+2 cos it’s a karaoke bar, and I SANG, which is something I have RARELY done), Lost Love Lounge, , The Maison, Saturn Bar (+7)
- Uptown/Garden District: Avenue Pub, Delachaise, 45 Tchoup (+2 cos it was on the to-do list!), Traceys (+3)
- -1 for not going to all the Mid City bars, which is something I have pledged to do for MONTHS.
Theater/Film
The Rock Cats, AcroCats’ house band
- Saw a movie at the new Canal Place (Fancy! $$$, folks) (+1)
- Saw two movies at Zeitgeist (The Conan Documentary and the Swell Season Documentary) (+2)
- Went to the Shadowbox Theater for Acrocats! (+1)
- -1 for not going to the NOLA film fest
- -1 for not going to any plays from the Fringe Fest
Art/Museums
- World War II Museum (+1)
- Ogden (+1)
- New Orleans Museum of Art (+1)
- Longue Vue House and Gardens (+1)
- T-Lot (Satellite Exhibition to Prospect 2.) (+1)
Total: 5
Bob Snead’s installation for Parallel Play, by T-Lot
From the Parallel Play exhibition by T-Lot
Sacrificed Objects
Sea goddess Thalassa by Swoon, at NOMA (temporary installation)
From the Ogden’s permanent collection (apologies for no picture information!)
From the Ogden’s permanent collection (apologies for no picture information!)
by Elayne Franks Goodman from her moving Whispering Pines Series (temporary exhibit)
Outdoors
- Have spent a lot of time on Bayou St. John–running and drinking wine (+1)
- Have gone on numerous long bike rides to Lake Pontchartrain (+1)
- Finally went out with the NOLA Social Ride, a weekly bike ride that took me through Mid City (+2)
Festivals, Celebrations, Events
Opening night of Hell Yes Fest, staged by The New Movement.
- Burrito Juke Joint (+1)
- Hell Yes Fest (+1)
- Street Fair Derby (+1)
- Halloween (+1)
- Bicycle Second Line (+1)
- White Linen Night (+1)
- -1 for not going to Voodoo Fest, which is even in my neighborhood!
- +1 for not going to Voodoo Fest because it had a horrible lineup– so it was a genuine reaction… genuine = local
Total: +6
Misc
The list of sessions for the Bar Camp “unconference.” The sessions are not announced ahead of time– participants just post ’em up at the event.A Star Wars presentation at Bar Camp
A Star Wars presentation at Bar Camp
- I’ve sat on my porch and talked to my neighbors (+2)
- Finally went to Rock N Bowl! (+1)
- My boyfriend and I moved into our own place. Moving out of sublet definitely makes me more of a local! (+1)
- Got my hair cut here. Beginning the trek to find your own businesses for your personal routines = local (+1)
- I’ve hung out on the North Shore multiple times (+1)
- I’ve attended two conferences: Bar Camp and Rising Tide (+2)
- I have a library card and have done work from a library (+1)
- -1 for not actually checking things out from the library!
- I did my laundry at a bar (+2)
- I have worked out at a local gym and yoga studio (thanks Groupon!) (+2)
- I have had business at local universities (Loyola and Xavier) (+2)
- I ordered a cake from a bar. Doberge from 12 Mile Limit. I prefer the one from Haydels! (+1)
- Spend a day in Baton Rouge (I’d like to go back and give it another try) (+1)
- I finally went to a Saints game! (Yes, it was preseason, but I’ll take it!) (+1)
- Went to an event at Fair Folks and a Goat, which is now closed. (Isn’t that hip, to go to a place that is closed?) (+1)
Saints vs Titans, Preseason
The doberge cake I ordered from 12 Mile Limit, in celebration of my boyfriend’s new job.
Total
78
Summary
In July I scored 36, after being here a month. However, I had just arrived and life had yet to normalize a bit. I will take the liberty to assume that a normal month’s score would be 25. In that case, my points should be at 125… I am behind!
What else do I need to do to become a New Orleanian?
What I Still Want to Do
New items added since last time are in green.
World War II Museum- Lousiana State Museum
- Civil War Museum
- Historic New Orleans Collection
- Big Fisherman Seafood
45 Tchoup- Cafe Reconcile
- Visit a nature-type thing outside of the city
Visit another city in Louisiana- Go to a Gulf-Coast beach
Camelia GrillChickie Wah WahGumbo Shop- Preservation Hall
Rock N BowlVaughnsTipitinas- Visit Prospect 2 installations
- See a local comedy show
- Bacchanal
- Visit the pool at The Country Club
- Marckey’s Bar
- Attend an event at The Eiffel Society
- Parasol’s
- Dance night at the Saint
- Dance night at Mimi’s in the Marigny
- St. Roch Tavern
- Carrollton Station
- Rebirth at the Maple Leaf (obvious)
- Wit’s Inn
- Family Ties
- Yang’s Po Boys
- Rendonn Inn
- Willie Mae’s Scotch House
- Dooky Chase
- Lil Dizzy’s Cafe
- Backstreet Cultural Museum
- The Old Absinthe House
- Preservation Hall
- Cafe Amelie
- Cowbell
- Molly’s at the Market
- Cafe Envie
- Il Posto
- Dino’s Bar & Grill
- Southern Food & Beverage Museum
- Cake Cafe
- Gott Gourmet
- Hong Kong Market
- Squeal BBQ
- Visit another city in Louisiana that is not Baton Rouge
- Go to an event at the 3 Ring Circus
- Get a book from the library
- NOLA Healing Center
- A Saints game that isn’t a preseason game
2) boil for yourself +2
3) host a big boil +3
4)
5) join a league that involves something active + drinking (like kickball or coconut beach volleyball or a playnola sport or run with the hashers or
6) DJ soul sista saturday night at Mimi’s
7) dance with me at the goldmine until 4am!!!
**A note on this** I HAVE danced late with this poster, and she is a True New Orleanian and I cannot keep up with her. I wrote about it here.
Kind of New Orleanian 