"The Spirit of New Orleans can be found in the city's food, music, beauty and charm, but most of
all, it lives in the hearts of those lucky enough to call New Orleans home."  -- Michael Murphy
"There is such an overwhelming sense of history on the streets and alleyways of the French Quarter that, on
a quiet night, the sound of a car can quite literally startle you back from another century."  -- Anne Rice
"A thing like Mardi Gras couldn't exist in the practical north...for the soul of it is the romantic."
-- Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi
"Music is at the bare essence of the city, you can take everything else away,
and the music will always return."  -- Spike Perkins, bass player at Preservation Hall
Streetcar on St. Charles Avenue stops for passengers on a rainy evening.
Streetcars on Canal Street
A lady who is young-at-heart accepts a second-line dance
during 2007's French Quarter Festival.
"There is an exhilarating euphoria you feel when you enter the city of New Orleans, that makes
you keenly aware that you are in the presence of life enjoying itself.  This is what the locals call
the Spirit of New Orleans and its power is mesmerizing."  -- Michael Murphy
Carriages lined up in front of Jackson Square
The Steamboat Natchez leaves the dock in New Orleans
Court of Two Sisters Restaurant in the French Quarter
Musician performs on a French Quarter street.
Courtyard, French Quarter
This brick archway to a connecting courtyard dates back to the 1700's.
"This city, like no other, relies on music, the people can't function without it."
-- Willie Lockett, All Purpose Blues Band
The five flags which have waved over New Orleans during her rich history.
A man plays a trumpet solo on a foggy New Orleans morning by the river.
A house on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter.
The Spirit of New Orleans
"They told me to catch a streetcar named Desire and then transfer to
one called Cemeteries!!"  -- Blanche Dubois, A Streetcar Named Desire
.