In the new Hulu show Interior Chinatown, a background actor trapped playing different cliched Asian characters on a police procedural gets involved in Chinatown’s crime scene. Comedian Ronny Chieng, who co-stars on the show, based on the much-lauded book of the same name, is a bit of a connoisseur of Chinatown neighborhoods around the world, having lived in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and now the United States. “It’s pretty funny, because the idea of Chinatown is basically in a non-Asian country, right? But the best Chinatowns are probably in Malaysia or Singapore,” says Chieng, who remains a senior correspondent on The Daily Show. “But damn, I’m biased. I have to go with New York City. It's my Chinatown and I think it's the best Chinatown. It's got food, tailors, massage places, coffee. New York City’s Chinatown is where it's at.”
How to explore New Orleans’ beautiful Garden District
20.11.2024 - 12:09 / lonelyplanet.com
Nov 19, 2024 • 6 min read
New Orleans' French Quarter captures the headlines, but locals and regular visitors are drawn to the city's historic Garden District, home to some of the best-preserved historic homes in the American South.
You'll find more than just architecture to enjoy in this verdant corner of New Orleans. The beautiful Garden District lives up to its name with abundant green spaces and tree-lined avenues; there are few areas as pleasant to explore anywhere in town.
Sprawling north of the Mississippi River, the Garden District is defined by spreading live (evergreen) oak trees, shady lanes, whirring streetcars, strolling college students, mansions and apartment buildings that resemble mansions, and all manner of quirky businesses. Exploring the neighborhood is a highlight of any trip to the Big Easy.
For newcomers to New Orleans' charms, here’s our guide to getting the best from your first trip to the Garden District.
The area is part of Uptown New Orleans – and here, "uptown" means upriver from the city center on the north bank of the Mississippi. Downtown refers to neighborhoods downriver from the center, such as the famous French Quarter. Rather confusingly, the Garden District is not part of the neighborhood of Uptown, which lies to the west.
While the French Quarter was settled by early Creole (French and Iberian) arrivals to the city, the Garden District was founded by English-speaking Americans who arrived in the early 19th century. These well-to-do new arrivals sought to distance themselves slightly from Francophone New Orleans, settling outside the city's central hub.
Today, the Garden District is the fancy part of town, where some of the city’s most opulent mansions were built in past centuries. In the 21st century, you can still spot many of those historic residences, as well as more contemporary signposts of wealth, such as yoga studios and locavore fine-dining establishments.
To get a feel for the Garden District, immerse yourself in the following activities. The neighborhood is easily accessible from other parts of New Orleans via the St Charles Ave Streetcar.
Because of the low elevation and high water table, New Orleans residents were traditionally interred in “cities of the dead” – necropolises full of above-ground tombs and mausoleums. Of all the iconic graveyards in New Orleans, few can match the sheer gothic creepiness of Lafayette Cemetery No 1, where vines and vegetation grow up around ornate funerary monuments. Expect serious Anne Rice vibes.
One of the most beautiful urban thoroughfares in the country, St Charles Ave forms the northern border of the Garden District. All along its length, the street is fronted by a grand assemblage of mansions – whose architectural beauty
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My biggest regret was not exploring the world more. Now I'm 55, and my husband and I spend months in France every year.
I woke up in a panic a few years ago when I realized that at 53, I'd spent most of my adult life living in one place. Sure, I'd traveled over the years, but I hadn't lived outside the DC area since moving back here from Chicago at 26.
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