As much as we love them, celebrities have the tendency to do some odd things. They love marrying people they barely know, getting copious amounts of plastic surgery, and saying inappropriate things on live TV. But, their decisions aren’t all bad, especially when it comes to traveling. So take a page out of the celebrity handbook and read on to find out the five reasons why celebrities love the Big Easy even more than shocking America with their Oscar’s acceptance speech or getting into fights with the paparazzi.
1. The Food
LA might have some great Mexican food and New York may be known for their sushi, but nothing trumps New Orleans cuisine. Matthew McConaughey of Magic Mike loves Sake Cafe, Coquette, and Commander’s Palace. And some New Orleans chefs are celebrities in their own rights–Emeril Lagasse, John Besh, and Sue Zemanick all have restaurants here. It’s no surprise that the 11th season of Top Chef (set to premier on October 2nd on BRAVO) takes place in this cuisine-filled town.
2. The Sports
Even the most apathetic of sports fans find it difficult not to root for the Saints. From Louisiana natives to celebrity visitors, the stars love the Saints. Whether it’s Spike Lee, Robin Roberts, or Ellen Degeneres, someone is donning black and gold to support their team. While the average person may not be buying tickets for celebrity-caliber seats, we can still watch the game from home and pretend that our obnoxious friends taking candid snap chats are the paparazzi.
3. The Philanthropy
One of the most well-known celebrity charities in recent years is Brad Pitt’s New Orleans based charity, Make it Right. He described the charity, which builds homes for residents of the Lower 9th Ward who lost their houses to Hurricane Katrina, as an organization“built on the donations of people. Americans donated. That has a deep effect on the people living in these homes. We have solar panels providing the energy, and it works and fellow Americans paid for it.” Even the stars recognize that there are a million worthy causes in New Orleans if you’re willing to get involved.
4. The Movies
Celebrities don’t just flock to New Orleans because of the fantastic food or worthy philanthropic causes, they come here to work. Films such as 21 Jump Street, The Lucky One, and The Skeleton Key were filmed here. And don’t forget the TV shows either. The new season of American Horror Story is set in New Orleans as well as the ultimate guilty pleasure, Tough Love New Orleans (you know you tuned in at least once), aired last year.
5. The Music
Name another city is the US where all you have to do to hear talented musicians is walk out your door. And with fantastic music comes the vast potential to spot celebrities as evidenced by this year’s Jazz Fest. Concertgoers caught glimpses of big names such as Woody Harrelson and Billy Joel (who was seen at famed restaurant Herbsaint).