When New Orleanians go home after a long day at the office, their sanctuary is enriched with the warm embrace of history. Maybe they will have driven out of the Central Business District past the Garden District’s Victorian mansions; hugging the streetcar tracks where those who have knocked off earlier strut or jog, into the shady neighborhoods of Uptown, and then away from the massive, ever-flowing Mississippi River and its barges onto Carrollton Avenue, passing restaurants they remember patronizing as children.

Perhaps they will have stopped off at their favorite fruit truck or neighborhood grocery store for cantaloupe or tomatoes; parked underneath hundred-year-old oak trees and smelled the confederate jasmine lining the fence of a home owned by a family they have known for years; a home built two centuries before.

Every year, thousands of people visit New Orleans without ever unearthing the daily routine of the neighborhoods, the variety of educational programs for children, the local art scene, or the eclectic offerings of entrepreneurs. This city isn’t just for tourists. It’s a place to call home.

David Lapin, board member of Relocate New Orleans, discovered the quality of life in New Orleans was a perfect choice for his family after living abroad and retiring. Now, he works with Louise Martin and others to attract future residents to the city. “The city is wonderful for people of my age and I would say for anyone of working age through retirement,” he said. “If you can’t find something to interest you in this town, you better get your pulse checked. This is a place for lovers, adventurers, entrepreneurs and people who like to smile.

There are myriad ways to volunteer, work or continue one’s education. If your idea of fun is duck hunting or duck eating, there are places for you to go. Transportation in town is easy and everything is close by. People always say New York has so much to offer, but availing one’s self of those happenings is almost impossible. The hassle of crowds, reservations and traffic make doing things in most big cities more work than fun. In New Orleans, things are more easily available, so you’re more likely to take advantage of them.”

From the architecture of every neighborhood to the ancient recipes in every dining room, New Orleans residents understand the strong pull of tradition. But Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Xavier University, Delgado Community College, and Dillard University keep the city exciting and relevant to the present day. According to Lapin, “The universities in New Orleans make it a great town for young people. The entire community is set up for them. It’s strange that one thinks of New Orleans as a college town, but it is. The youth in our town contributes by keeping us all current and a bit more hip than we might be without them. They create an undercurrent of new ideas that helps to keep things vibrant and interesting.”