As Mardi Gras approaches, tourists draped in wreaths of beads are lured, voodoo-like, to New Orleans' French Quarter. But while its centre – Bourbon Street – might be good for one night of revelling, especially on March 4, there's much more to the city, says expat Canadian author Joseph Boyden.
"The Quarter is almost like the Disneyland version of New Orleans. Obviously you have to be careful, but there's just so much more to see. It's a city inspired by music and art that doesn't feel like anywhere else. It's a city of neighbourhoods that are very tight and very different from one another," says The Orenda author and long-time Crescent City resident. Boyden shares his favourite places to experience the real city.