HotelTonight – Gentilly New Orleans Hotels
New Orleans is a magical place for many different reasons. Yes, it's obviously home to some of the biggest and most festive celebrations in the world every year, and yes, millions of people come to visit the Crescent City for a variety of reasons. I've been one of those people for most of my adult life. I've come for Mardi Gras, to celebrate occasions in life on Bourbon Street and of course to sample the world-renowned cuisine there. What I've never done is take a deeper look at the Big Easy, and not long ago I realized that I was missing something by not doing so. It's the communities, the neighborhoods and the small nooks and crannies of New Orleans that make it what it is. I decided I was going to get to know those areas at every opportunity. I recently had to travel there for work, and I booked my return flight for 24 hours after I was finished. I was going to spend those 24 hours exploring the Gentilly neighborhood. I wasn't concerned about lodging, as I would have my HotelTonight app find me a Gentilly New Orleans hotel room when I needed one.
The Different Architecture
When you think about the French Quarter, you tend to think about the distinct architecture that you'll find there. When you walk around in Gentilly, you see some of that architecture in the homes, but you see a lot of other influences as well. You see bungalows that you'd find in the western part of the United States. You find cottages and raised homes along with some traditional plantation homes. It's a mishmash of different approaches and even time periods, but it all fits together very nicely. I took a lot of photos and a few ideas for my own home.
The Struggles
Hurricane Katrina was a disaster so far-reaching and devastating that it will be a permanent part of the history of this entire region of the United States. One of the smaller communities that was hit especially hard by this terrible storm was Gentilly. Unfortunately, you can still see the remnants of the destruction wrought by the hurricane, but you can also see the efforts to rebuild gaining steam. It's remarkable to see community members come together as one and work to restore life as it was before this awful event took place.
The Cuisine
One of the aspects of life that has persisted here in Gentilly is the cuisine. There are some old neighborhood restaurants around, and I decided to have dinner at a place that specializes in soul food. I had a plate of ribs that were incredibly tasty and tender. The meat fell off the bone before I could even get a rib near my face. The cornbread and greens were also tremendously flavorful and helped to sop up all of the juice from the main course.
HotelTonight – Gentilly New Orleans Hotels Are Available
I was more than full after such a satisfying meal. I was also quite tired after a day of exploration. I opened my HotelTonight app and found a Gentilly New Orleans hotel room immediately. I couldn't wait to crash out in my comfortable bed, happy that I had gotten to see another piece of New Orleans.
