Free music festival this weekend in Mid-City

Check out Bayou Boogaloo this weekend for a free music experience. BTW, it features a huge rubber duck race. Yeah!bayouboogaloo_logo

Info from GoNOLA.com:

Catch 30 local legends, including Rebirth Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band, doing what they do best, on multiple outdoor stages. Set along Bayou St. John, this weekend of New Orleans soul will dance you into summer mode.

The schedule from the fest’s website:

The Boogaloo Goes On Rain or Shine…
Founded during the evacuation of Hurricane Katrina, the Mid City Bayou Boogaloo has shown its commitment to New Orleans through rain or shine, and the 2013 festival is no different.

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Brass band party Saturday in New Orleans

IntheNOLA.com hosts its second annual “Heritage: A Brass Band Celebration” this weekend. If you are new to the brass band scene, this will be a good opportunity to catch four different bands for a bargain $30 at the door.

poster via IntheNOLA.com

poster via IntheNOLA.com

From IntheNOLA.com:

– Event benefits Son of a Saint Foundation.

– Will have four brass bands:
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Good places to live in New Orleans

New Orleans has many good places to live. The first step is identifying which neighborhood appeals to you. Each one has its own character and flavor.

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We found this mailbox in Uptown. (photo by Carlie Kollath Wells/New in NOLA)

There isn’t one neighborhood that’s “bad to live in.” Every neighborhood has good places and bad places in it. It’s important to find a neighborhood that has a place you can afford and amenities you desire. For some, that might mean a small studio in the French Quarter. For others, that may mean a standalone home with a yard in Gentilly.

If you have time, it’s important to drive and walk through your block BEFORE you get your apartment/house. The neighborhoods sometimes change dramatically by block by block. And don’t rely on Google Streetview. Our city is changing so rapidly that Google’s images are frequently outdated.

We love this neighborhood breakdown from ExperienceNewOrleans.com. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it helps get you started. And, click here for a simplified neighborhood map.

Once you’ve identified neighborhoods you’re interested in, check out our guide to finding an apartment in New Orleans.

Neighborhoods highlighted on ExperienceNewOrleans.com:

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Best donuts in New Orleans: Blue Dot Donuts

The clever logo only adds to the appeal of Blue Dot Donuts. / Photo by Elizabeth Kilian, New in NOLA

The clever logo only adds to the appeal of Blue Dot Donuts. 
(photo by Elizabeth Kilian/ New in NOLA)

Blue Dot Donuts

4301 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
504-218-4866. 

Before reading this post, you might want to go ahead and invest in a pair of pants with an elastic waistband.  If you’re anything like me, you will go nuts for these donuts.  After all, sometimes there is nothing more satisfying than fried dough smothered in icing and filled with fruit or Bavarian cream.

While companies like Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts revolutionized the industry, a little place on Canal Street helped to rejuvenate a city.  As New Orleans continues to grow and rebuild itself post-Katrina, it is easy to recognize that the small, local businesses are the backbone of this town.

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New Orleans neighborhood map

This neighborhood map of New Orleans has been tremendously helpful. Where is Mid-City? Bywater? Uptown?

This map has the answers. Via NewOrleansOnline.com:

New Orleans neighborhood map via NewOrleansOnline.com

New Orleans neighborhood map via NewOrleansOnline.com

Storyville Apparel has a more detailed map. And, you can buy the T-shirt version of this map via Storyville.

image via storyvilleapparel.com

image via storyvilleapparel.com