New Orleans
Parks and Recreation
New Orleans may be a thriving metropolis, but its parks are nothing short of urban oases.
Woldenberg Riverfront Park encompasses 5.3 hectares (13 acres) of landscaped territory, featuring more than 300 oak trees, magnolias, willows, and crepe myrtles, a large lawn and a brick walkway offering direct access to the Mississippi River.
City Park, located on City Park Avenue, spans 607 hectares (1,500 acres) and features moss-draped oaks, lagoons, hiking-biking trails, picnic grounds, golf courses, tennis courts, luxuriant
Audubon Park, located on St. Charles Avenue, offers golf and tennis, a 2.9-kilometer (1.8-mile) jogging path shaded by giant oak trees, and 18 exercise stations.
The Audubon Zoo, located on Magazine Street behind Audubon Park, is ranked among the top five zoos in the nation. It is noted for its famed white tiger, white alligators, the Louisiana Swamp exhibit, and the World of Primates.
Aquarium of the Americas, located at the foot of Canal Street, is the place to visit for a close view of sea life. Visitors can explore the aquatic world of the Caribbean, Amazon Rainforest, Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi Delta.
For fishing enthusiasts, the bayous and inlets off the Mississippi River are rich with redfish, trout, and bass; lemon fish, tuna, and red snapper can be found around the oil rigs a few miles offshore. A license issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is required for any outing and is available from most sporting goods stores and marinas.
Game around Louisiana includes a wide variety from deer and water fowl to rabbit and alligator. Hunting permits are available from most expedition outfits.
As the New Orleans City Council conducted hearings for the 2000 Millenium Budget, the recommended operating budget of $507,304,152 proposed to continue the city's commitment to youth development and improving the parks. The proposed budget recommended increasing funding to the New Orleans Recreation Department to nine million dollars to include summer and teen camps, public pools, and after-school recreational programs.
