I had a great working vacation to New Orleans last week, where along with some UX folks who design websites and mobile apps for Twitter, Google, Obama for America, I spent 5 days in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) talking to muscians (from buskers to rising hip hop stars), record producers, managers, promoters, and social services, trying to figure out what tools could be developed to help the artistic community there. The whole initiative was called “UX4Good.” A lot of hard work, but met a lot of amazing people, in a really amazing city. Definitely will try to get back there again with Cynthia and the Boys.
Some of the houses that are being rebuilt in the lower 9th ward (funded by Brad Pitt)
Musicians playing late at night on Frenchman street
More buskers, this time in the French Quarter
A bar I walked by in the Marigny part of town
While walking to see this band in the Cafe Istanbul, I passed the actor Jeremy Irons just walking by!!
The best way of getting around the city was by bike, and a really great way of seeing some of the historic neighborhoods. This was the bike I rented.
The only thing rivaling the music in NOLA is the food, here is a deep fried soft shell crab I got at Jazz Fest, YUM
On the last day in NOLA I went to the New Orleans Jazz Fest, where I saw this band “The Lost Bayou Ramblers perform
Nice to see that there still making music in New Orleans. The design of houses being funded by Brad Pitt are also very impressive.