Historic City Battle: Charleston, SC vs. New Orleans, LA
 

Two cities I have long admired. I'm planning a road trip to Charleston, SC for a return visit, and NO has always been on my bucket list. Between the two, which do you prefer?

... Naw'lins

+1. I used to go to Charleston monthly because I lived close enough to take weekend and/or day trips. It's a beautiful city for sure, the harbor is gorgeous, the homes are pretty, and it has some great beaches. But if you stack it against New Orleans, Charleston falls like a house of cards in a hurricane. Charleston is a Disneyfied, overly touristy version of an antebellum southern city. New Orleans is the real deal. Charleston is squeaky clean to the point it has almost no soul; New Orleans is gritty, raw, and real. Charleston is a very pricy city to eat, drink, and play in (everything is upscale); New Orleans is far more earthy and reasonable. New Orleans tends to preserve all of it's historic buildings exactly as they are, or leave all of it's buildings in decay rather than knock them down, or renovate them to a point where they're unrecognizable as historic; Charleston is the opposite. Charleston is known as the Holy City and is very prim & proper; New Orleans is known for seedy debauchery. The preserved, historic section of Charleston is tiny compared to New Orleans- that's partially because the city was pretty much flattened in the Civil War (look up pics if you don't believe me- it looked like a moonscape). The other half of the coin is the fact Charleston had far less regard for it's own architecture & history than New Orleans, and so many of it's old buildings have been lost to parking lots & decks, gas stations, strip malls, and hotels/motels. Also, I've never met friendlier, more amazing locals in my life than in New Orleans. Carolinians are far more reserved. Don't get me wrong, I love both cities for their own reasons. They're both fantastic destinations. But only one captures my heart, mind, and soul: New Orleans.

Also- if you're planning on going to Charleston, hit Savannah as well. It's like a teeny-tiny New Orleans. River cities have a certain vibe about them, and Savannah has it in spades. Savannah is much looser than Charleston, better preserved, and much friendlier. Charleston is great, but it's like going to Disney World. Everything is fake, there are long lines for absolutely everything (unless you go in January), and everything is exorbitantly priced. Savannah is just about an hour and a half down the road from Charleston, and is far friendlier, cheaper, and less busy. It's small, so don't plan an entire vacation there, but I wouldn't plan a trip to Charleston without hitting Savannah as well. :)

South Carolina is a racist, homophobic, fundamentalist sh!thole. New Orleans is basically the only part of Louisiana that *isn't* a racist, fundamentalist sh!thole, or at least it wasn't prior to Katrina. So, I dunno. Take your pick, I guess.

Ethan is a str8 boy. Do you think all that will matter to him?

Of course not. Because, you know, only gay people are bothered by racism, fundamentalism, and homophobia.

I visited Charleston once for about 2 days when I was around 13, and fell in love with it. That's why I'm taking a road trip with a friend to visit its lush historic element, as well as the beaches. That being said, after the visit, New Orleans will now become number 1 on my bucket list to visit!!