The New York Times calls New Orleans ‘unlike any other city in the world’. But will the influx of visitors change its character?

New Orleans was voted the No 1 place to visit. Are we happy about it?

These days, after more than a decade of flux and change, New Orleans is again being recognized positively in the media. The latest of these citations came when the New York Times named New Orleans as its top place to visit in 2018.

The Times wrote: “In a year that seemed particularly traumatic for many around the world, we look to a place where centuries of trauma have yielded something magical. New Orleans is unlike any other city in the world, largely thanks to its ability to synthesize that history – and the myriad populations that participated in it – into a place full of joy and wonder.”

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(Colombia – the whole country – was number two.)

“Joy and wonder.” It’s a great compliment: we have been down a long, hard road since settling behind mud levees three centuries ago. Great input for the tourist industry, great to inspire visitors.

When I asked about the effect of such fawning press, Kristian Sonnier of the Convention & Visitors Bureau emphasized the positive: “Most New Orleanians recognize how important tourism is to our city,” he said. “But even those who don’t are fiercely proud of New Orleans and are eager to share it with visitors.”

Still, this sort of free advertising is occasionally not so convenient for residents. Since Coop’s Bar and Central Grocery on Decatur Street hit the top listings in national guidebooks and websites, I, like most locals, haven’t been able to get in the doors. I am afraid the same will happen to Compere Lapin and Marjie’s Grill, both named in the Times story. (Granted, that is a selfish concern – I can make my own muffalettas, I suppose.)

Either way, these sorts of lists often work in a circle of self-reinforcement, actually magnifying a phenomenon already occurring.

For instance, New Orleans was recently ranked as home to the most single people per capita in the country, according to an analysis by City Lab. The information was initially reported by the US Census Bureau back in 2013.

The reporting of the “number one” ranking of single young people resulted in an immediate burst of construction in the Central Business and Warehouse Districts of New Orleans, targeted at this demographic. The building surge has continued through 2017 into 2018 – which has of course inspired the arrival of yet more single people.

But besides the lure of more of their own sort, there was opportunity. According to a Forbes study, in 2014 New Orleans was becoming a “brain power” center, not “just drawing tourists, but transplants wanting to put down roots”.

And that culture and creativity are important, making it a top asset for the city.

“Forget New York or Los Angeles. Working artists should move to New Orleans if they want to see their careers flourish. That’s according to a new Smartasset ranking that names New Orleans the top US city for creative professionals, from painters to musicians, choreographers to architects,” according to Nola.

Funny that this new raucous population of working creative singles is paired with the phenomenon of child-rearing: New Orleans has more private schools for kids than any other US city.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: the draw could also have to do with this many-faceted reputation as a party city. We have more bars per capita than any other municipality in the US, and simultaneously have more liver transplants than any other place in country.

Either way, we live in a world where rankings matter, and where a listing in a numerical sequence can cause the rise and fall of fortunes among the many mom-and-pop businesses that make up this unique habitat.

I feel bad recommending places these days, knowing that popularity can ruin the more obscure places that I frequent. But I remain quite happy that someone has complimented my hometown, which once again has reasserted its worth and quality.

I just wish the lines were shorter.