re: Now w/ the VIDEO of Matthew McConaughey: New Orleans is 'a big, beautiful mess'

This thread.

I grew up in a small town/suburb 45 minutes outside of Detroit. I was able to do all of these outdoor activities within a 30 mile radius of my home. I felt I was very complimentary of New Orleans. It's a very unique and special place to me.

I strictly said it lacks outdoor activities (that I'm accustomed to) and therefore I would not like to make it my permanent home. Does New Orleans offer running, walking, jogging? Sure. Granted, it's typically on a flat dirt path down St. Charles Ave (which is actually pretty great) or a nice two mile loop through Audubon Park/City Park. Or, I could always run down Magazine Street and dodge all the shoppers & bar hoppers and suck in exhaust from all the vehicles. Can I kayak in Lake Ponchartrain or the many mosquito infested swamps and crystal clear bayous? Sure.

Every city, theoretically, offers "outdoor activities". Some are just (substantially) better than others. Tourists seek out New Orleans for partying, drinking, festivals, food, music...not the outdoors.