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But Montreal looks so flat & grey whereas New Orleans seems more colorful with balconies.
I don't know. I guess I just don't see it.
I understand what you mean. That extra vibrancy and flair comes from the Spanish influence on top of French influence. Thats why our city is such an incomparable one. Though I do agree with most posters in that SF and Montreal are most similar to New Orleans.
But Montreal looks so flat & grey whereas New Orleans seems more colorful with balconies.
I don't know. I guess I just don't see it.
Sorry if I'm being nit-picky, but Montreal's downtown sits immediately East of a pretty big hill (Mount Royal), whereas New Orleans sits in the flattest part of the flattest region in America (the Gulf coast), without a single hill nearby. However, I agree. I don't see it either. I've spent time in both cities, and aside from the "French connection", they seem very different to me. And that's not even factoring in the weather. I will say this though... both cities are very unique in their respective regions/nations.
Actually the newer 'American' downtown of New Orleans reminded me of New York. It has the 'canyon feel' and there's surprising Italian influence in New Orleans. Like NY, it doesn't feel like 'Middle America.'
I've been to both and I'd say they're not really that similar except for the French influence.
Montreal is basically a Francophone city. It feels like a piece of Europe in North America (so does all of Quebec). The predominant language spoken is French.
New Orleans, by contrast, is a hybrid of Cajun French, Spanish, southern American, Caribbean and Italian influences. The predominant language is still American English.
So, the overall effect is that the cities are pretty different. You could never mistake one for the other. ;-)
Yea I still think SF is the clear choice. There are areas of NO that are very reminiscent of certain parts of San Francisco such as Magazine Street in Uptown. Also the corner of Canal and Carrollton reminds me alot of SF. A few other places as well, but the names escape me at the moment. Of course SF's topography is a lot better as NO is on the flat side. Still not a bad comparison.
Of course, the trouble with questions like this is that you can't find any two cities which are similar IN ALL RESPECTS. It's simply not possible. But bearing that in mind, it can be a fun, admittedly "unscientific" exercise.
My vote goes to Montreal, in the sense that it feels about 2/3rds like most North American cities, and 1/3rd "foreign" and unique. In Montreal, obviously, the Francophonic culture explains most of that difference; in NOLA it's its history as a cultural crossroads. Someone once described NOLA as "the northernmost Caribbean city", and Montreal could in a similar fashion be described as "the westernmost European city."
There's something shared in these largely Catholic port cities that sets them apart from the rest of Protestant, "uptight" America, in some sense. (I know Boston should fall in that category, as well, but I think the New England Puritan heritage worked to tamp down the Mardi gras spirit...)
I had interesting experiences discussing/experiencing music and food in both cities, and discovering the wealth of talent and tradition that are largely unknown outside of the respective regions.
Sorry if I'm being nit-picky, but Montreal's downtown sits immediately East of a pretty big hill (Mount Royal), whereas New Orleans sits in the flattest part of the flattest region in America (the Gulf coast), without a single hill nearby. .
Ha! Sorry, I was talking about the buildings, not the topography! I should've been clearer.
I've been to both and I'd say they're not really that similar except for the French influence.
Montreal is basically a Francophone city. It feels like a piece of Europe in North America (so does all of Quebec). The predominant language spoken is French.
New Orleans, by contrast, is a hybrid of Cajun French, Spanish, southern American, Caribbean and Italian influences. The predominant language is still American English.
So, the overall effect is that the cities are pretty different. You could never mistake one for the other. ;-)
Cajun would mainly be the areas of Louisiana west of New Orleans. The city itself is Creole.
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America, in some sense. (I know Boston should fall in that category, as well, but I think the New England Puritan heritage worked to tamp down the Mardi gras spirit...)
