Richard Bienvenu is a New Orleans native, author, and media personality. He is the creator of Completely New Orleans and the author of Your Own Personal New Orleans Tour. He writes about the city’s restaurants, hotels, history, music, culture, and things to do.

Richard Bienvenu

Can New Orleans Saints Make the Playoffs

The New Orleans Saints have made the playoffs many times over the course of their history. But there success has always been spotty. In recent years when they played the Rams and that famous no call when it was obvious that a call should have been made, kept the Saints from going to the Super Bowl again.   They have only been to the Super Bowl once and they won the game with the excellent coaching by Sean Payton and play

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Can New Orleans Be Saved From Sinking

First of all New Orleans is not sinking. I don’t know where anyone would get this idea. over 50% of the city is at or above sea level. What Hurricane Katrina did was expose the areas that were originally swamp that was filled in without building it up first. And this causes the neighborhoods in this area to flood more readily than other areas. So no New Orleans is not sinking.   Then there are those that want to blame this

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Can New Orleans be saved?

Yes, New Orleans is always being saved. New Orleans has always struggled against the elements and has always come through over its more than 300 year history. It’s survived fires, hurricanes, floods and yellow fever epidemics. As well as terribly poor management by city government. Hurricane Katrina dealt a heavy infrastructure and financial blow to the city. And it is still recovering in some areas.   Also you have to look at saved from what? Poor government, incompetence by city officials,

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Are New Orleans streetcars air conditioned?

One of the great things about riding the St Charles streetcar is that it is not air conditioned. Even in the summer time when it can get pretty hot here when the streetcar takes off and the windows are open you get a really nice breeze and you can hang out the window and look at all the beautiful homes going by. Now, there are newer streetcars that roll on Canal Street and the spur that goes to City Park.  

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Coming for Mardi Gras? Here are Two Unique Places That Will Make Your Trip Even Better

If you are coming for New Orleans Mardi Gras now is the time to book your room. And if you want to stay a little longer rooming at one of these unique places might just be the ticket. Of course, they ain’t cheap. And maybe it’s time for you to splurge a little on yourself.   These hotels are atmospheric and unique and are the perfect spot to get that real New Orleans vibe. They are the Kingsway Mansion and the

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New Year’s Eve New Orleans 2022 – What’s Cookin’ With Da Music?

The New Year’s Eve New Orleans music scene is going to be chock full of groovy artists this New Year’s Eve. How about these guys: Billy Strings, the Revivalists, Big Freedia, DJ Soul Sister, the Hot 8 Brass Band and many many others. You can check out this site to get more info.   I saw Billy Strings at the New Orelans Jazz Fest this year, had never heard of him and man he was awesome!! Unfortunately his gig is already

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Are There Any Differences Between Cajun and Creole Cooking?

Although both ways of cooking are heavily influenced by French cuisine they differ in the ways dishes are cooked and the base ingredients with which they are made. Remember too that Cajun cooking is country cooking and Creole is really something that originated in New Orleans and has different influences. The way gumbos are made are different and many times the recipes cross over so you really can’t tell where Cajun cooking begins and Creole style ends. As shared on The

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The French Quarter

The true heart of the city is the French Quarter. La Nouvelle Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville on a plot of land that had a natural levee. This was a sacred spot for the indigenous people of the area and could be the reason why New Orleans seems to be such a spiritual place. Very early on the streets were lined out in a grid pattern very common in European cities.   The Quarter, as

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Are The New Orleans Saints Good?

  Well, that is a loaded questions. Certainly they are a lot better than they were when they first started years ago. They had some really great players over the years and coaches as well but things didn’t turn around until Tom Benson the great auto dealership mogul bought them and got better management.   He hired Sean Peyton and then he got that great quarterback Drew Brees who stayed with the Saints for 15 years until his retirement in 2021.

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Are New Orleans Streetcars Free?

  When I was a kid it only cost about 10 cents to get anywhere around the city. You could get on the streetcar and get a transfer ticket with which you could use to get on a bus that was a connecting line.   Streetcars are not free and never have been. They cost $1.25 per ride and that price has not changed for decades. I don’t know how the city manages to continue with this price for streetcars and

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