Welcome to Gatekeeping: New Orleans
Welcome to GATEKEEPING: New Orleans
Happy New Year!
If you’re reading this, you already know how this works. I started Gatekeeping because sometimes I want to go first and I do get those invites. I have been wanting to work with this particular videographer for a long time. I reached out to him. Let’s see where it goes… This is not about a clique, it’s about attention to details to get the best. Gatekeeping New Orleans is not about being in the right clique, it’s about knowing where to show up. I plan on working with some promoters for private Gatekeeping New Orleans events.
I’ve been moving through this city a long time. Watching rooms change. Paying attention to when things feel HOT, and when they don’t anymore.
The best places in New Orleans don’t stay good forever. Not because the food changes, but because the room does. What was lit in October can be played out by December.
New Orleans doesn’t have a shortage of good places. We have an overexposure problem. Content Creators do a great job of oversaturating certain places more than others and some get little exposure. I have been paying attention to that on their pages. The minute something gets stamped a “must-visit,” the room changes. Locals stop coming. The magic quietly exits.
This newsletter is my way of documenting New Orleans before it gets explained to death. Some confessions and tips. Strategies to make your night better in New Orleans. I hope folks from outside the city and even the country subscribe so when they come to New Orleans, they will know exactly where to be. For just $7 per month, you can’t beat that, especially from Lynn Wesley Coleman. I have so many tips that content creators don’t know about this city.
Gatekeeping: New Orleans does not represent:
Places designed for tourists who “love the vibe” - I want tourists to subscribe and stay in touch with this
Restaurants that peaked on opening night
Bars that turn into LinkedIn networking events after dark
No 10/10 reviews and stars here, this is next level
Not reviews.
Not ads.
Not “best of” lists.
Gatekeeping: New Orleans represents:
Rooms where the crowd is intentional
Food that hasn’t been filtered through PR
Nights that feel like something could actually happen
Hottest hotels in the city
What you’ll get here:
New restaurants before they blow up
Bars where the crowd feels right this month
Pop-ups, soft openings, secret menus
Where the energy is moving , and where it’s already over (do not go list)
When to go, what to order, where to sit - When people post New Orleans restaurants, I can name the restaurant/hotel from my experience
Events before everyone else hears about them
Personal hacks and quiet tips from me
What you won’t get:
Overexposed restaurants
Influencer hot spots
Sponsored posts
Anything that needs a PR pitch to be interesting
okay spots
Every post will be short, opinionated, and current.
If it’s here, it means three things:
It’s good
It’s early
You should go soon
Most city guides tell you where to go after it’s already over.
GATEKEEPING tells you where to go right now.
This newsletter is for people who care about:
Energy over just hype
Rooms that feel right for a grown crowd
Restaurants still in their soft-opening era
Bars where the crowd knows why they’re there
Places you hear about through people, not algorithms
With AI, you will not be able to tell authentic from fake - I know the difference and I just completed an AI course and I tested the features
This is grown and sexy.
That means:
You know how to dress for the room
You know when to arrive, and when to leave
You appreciate good lighting, good service, and good conversation
You don’t need everything explained
You appreciate good service and hospitality in New Orleans
You love an experience not just a night out
My audience moves differently.
Y’all may not comment on every post. You might not even like it. But you go. And I know you go because you stop me and say things like,
“Oh, I went to Kenji — it was fab.”
Gatekeeping: New Orleans is grown-folks business.
People who eat out, spend money, and value experience. They love culture. They love intention. And when they show up, rooms change.
That’s why restaurants should invite me to soft openings.
This audience moves first — and they move on purpose.
What’s coming later:
Paid drops with exact timing windows
City-specific releases
Private events
Limited “send-to-a-friend” posts
Pop-up guides (weekend only)
My goal with this brand is simple:
Make GATEKEEPING the most trusted insider guide to New Orleans, the place people check before they make plans. Instagram is oversaturated right now. You can’t tell authentic from fake. Meta is not the same anymore since the latest administration. Summa yall, need to back off that gram and join this because IG can be toxic.
$7/month
First paid post drops this week.
If you don’t live here, read carefully.
If you do live here — welcome home.
Shall I proceed,
Yes indeed.
Lynn Wesley Coleman