New Orleans

[Tayl405]

Just booked a trip to New Orleans for Feb 2010 (after Mardi Gras). I've never been before and I'm SO excited! I'm going with a small group fo girls. Any suggestions/tips??

[DaneCA]

Fun! I really want to go there, but I've been putting off planning a trip because I've heard that the city is still really rundown from Hurricane Katrina and I know that a lot of residents haven't returned (and most likely never will). I don't think it will ever go back to normal, though, so maybe I should just go.

Anyway, I haven't been, like I said, so my advice is questionable, but my parents went and my mom really enjoyed touring some old plantation houses that are outside the city. Also, this might not appeal to you, but my dad went on a tour of the Lower 9th Ward (a poor, low-lying area that was especially hard-hit by the hurricane) and he said it was really interesting to see.

I've talked this book up on here before, but I really recommend reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin before you go if you haven't already read it. It takes place in New Orleans and it's SO good.

[ugarachel82]

You have to see the levees and the lower 9th ward, up close, in person just to get a feel for the damage that was done.

French Quarter. Walk around. Take in the sites. There's a beautiful cathedral on the square. Coffee and bignets at Cafe du Monde. Canal Street. All the biggies.

There are more. PM if you are interested.

[PenforPrez]

I went to New Orleans four months before Katrina, and I absolutely loved it. New Orleans is an amazing place. A friend of mine went there a year or so ago, and he said much of the city was still a ruin except for the tourist areas.

I stayed in the Garden District, and there's good hotels there that are fairly affordable. I stayed at the Pontchartrain, which was a great hotel. It has a small restaurant that's good for breakfast, but the selection is limited. There was a lot of nice mansions in that neighborhood that went about eight feet underwater. :( I don't know if those have been repaired or not, but it would be worth a look.

They used to have a trolley line that ran down St. Charles Avenue in that neighborhood to the entrance to the French Quarter at Canal Street. If that's still running (they've been talking for years about building a modern light rail system in NO), that's the way to go.

Take your time walking through the French Quarter. There's a lot of good Cajun restaurants there. Since you're going with other people, I recommend trying what we did. I was with a group of about seven people, and we all tried a different dish, and we shared with the group. I kinda chickened out, but it looked like fun. :D

Don't even think of driving anywhere near the French Quarter. There's no place to park (that I know of) and on weekends, the streets are literally packed with people. They said it was a party weekend when I was there. Problem is--it's ALWAYS a party weekend in New Orleans! :p

Crime was bad when I went there, and it's even worse now; New Orleans has a much higher murder rate than Detroit or St. Louis now. The bigger problem is that the New Orleans police department is notoriously corrupt. Be very careful! The tourist areas are usually OK; that's more of a residential issue. Follow the usual common sense rules.

I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting. I'll post it if it comes to mind. Enjoy! :)

Paul

[Tayl405]

Thanks, guys!

We're staying in a condo in the French Quarter, about 2 blocks from Bourbon Street. I am going to eat and drink my way through this city! I really want to do a ghost tour. I'd be kind of nervous (and sad) to see all the damage, and I didn't know there were tours, but maybe I'll do it... I kinda feel like I should. I also really want to see the cemeteries and some of the old plantations.

We are not getting a car. I've heard it's so easy to walk everywhere in NO. Is that true? I suppose if we do a tour or something and need to get somewhere else we could take the trolley or a cab. We're there for a full week, so we'll get to do a bunch of stuff I'm sure.

I'm going to write down Cafe du Mond...

Dane - I'm definitely going to read that book! Thanks!

[FishOutOfWater]

My New Orleans trip pre-dated Katrina, so I'm not sure what's now destroyed and what's not. The obvious stuff's been mentioned already. I would STRONGLY recommend a ghosts and spirits tour, as well as heading to some old graveyards and tombstones during the day. Thse were some of my favorite parts of the trip. You can also take river tours of the Bayou and plantation tours, if those kinds of things interest you.

You don't need a car in New Orleans. I believe we were able to walk pretty much everywhere except the plantation we visited (and the tour company drove us there).

[Sanman111]

Hey,

I'm actually going to New Orleans during Mardi Gras in Feb., but I'm hoping to check out the other sites as well. I'll see if I can post an update for you when I get back.

[Tayl405]

Hey,

I'm actually going to New Orleans during Mardi Gras in Feb., but I'm hoping to check out the other sites as well. I'll see if I can post an update for you when I get back.

Thanks! We'll just miss each other. I'm going the week after.

[anichka]

I've travelled so much around the world, so I figured New Orleans would be nothing. I was wrong! I went earlier this year and the city is absolutely gorgeous! I love the colonial architecture which you find throughout the city, not just in the French Quarter. We did an evening tour of the city and found out about some of its violent past (about how the French treated the slaves). It's very eclectic and has a wonderful population mix. I saw many pedestrians and average people on bikes (as opposed to the spandex-clad cyclers). We drove through the neighborhoods hardest hit by Katrina. It was heartbreaking to see so many homes still abandoned with the numbers or x's on them. There is a lot of poverty in those neighborhoods, but a lot of character as well. Overall, it was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to return.

[DoubleDown86]

You'll love it! I was there twice, the last time being a week before Katrina hit. It's an amazing place with tons of culture and the food is second to none IMO. Be sure to check out the above ground cemetery's too, sounds weird I know... just check it out when you get there.

[fearlesss]

I just came back from there this week end.
As for easy of walking, in the french quarter it is insanely easy. I am sure about in the other. This mainly b/c the city blocks are not city blocks when compared to chicago and the city is on the grid system.
Bourbon Street smells (piss, vomit, and booze) and you can smell it from a block over in some areas futher.
The trolley line has been up and running for quite some time now.
The above ground cemetery's are not any thing too special.
Mainly b/c if you have spent anytime near the ocean or where the water table is high you have seen it before. This is b/c you can not bury a casket because they will float out of the ground. In the case of new orleans, over half of the city below sea level and the rest is 8-10 feet about it, so you can not dig too far before you hit water. You'll notice almost no houses have basement for the same reason.
As for the damage, you actually have want see it or go to the areas b/c the tourist areas have been re done.

[Sanalin]

I live in Baton Rouge and manage to get down to New Orleans every few months. It's definitely a lot of fun if you plan it out, so enjoy! There's plenty to do and see, and there's almost always something going on.

Make sure you get brunch near one of the squares on the edges of the French Quarter and check out some of the art merchants on the street. Also, just marking out time to walk around and see some of the smaller shops can lead to interesting finds. Also, even though you'll be staying in the French Quarter, remember that that's only part of New Orleans' history. There's plenty more outside of that area, just make sure you know where you're going and how you're getting back :)

For night-time travel, even around the quarter, make sure you stick to busy streets. It's not likely that you'll have problems, but New Orleans, like a lot of bigger cities, can have drastic changes in safety from one street to the next, so always be aware of your surroundings and take a cab if you're not sure. Better to pay out than to get lost in a bad area.

Good luck, have fun!

[Sanman111]

Hey,

I just got back from New Orleans and had a blast. I spent most of my time in the French Quarter and on Canal and St. Charles watching the parades. Definitely got the craziness of mardi gras. Definitely check out Cafe Du Monde and have some coffee and beignets (the lines are shorter at night and the place is open all the time). I would suggest that you get everything to go and walk up the ramp right next to the cafe, you have enjoy your snacks with a great view of the Mississippi River. Then check out Jackson square and the cathedral across the street. If you head down toward the 1200 block od decatur there is a little open air shopping bazaar and more shops. There is a fudge shop that makes amazing prailines somewhere on decatur as well. As for food:

Remoulade - On Bourban st near Bienville. Really good food at very reasonable prices.

Bourban Grill - across the way on Bourban St and is pricier, but nice as well. Acme is right next door, but many locals said it was a bit overrated.

There is a place on the corner of Bourban and (I think) St. Peter that had a great alligator sausage po boy. It's on the same street as "The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant" that I suggest you stay away from if my meal was any indication.

The Verti Mart - 1201 Royal Street - a take out deli that a few locals raved about. It was tiny and packed to the gills when we went, but the shrimp philly cheese sandwiches they had were amazing and really large as well.

Royal St and Decatur St had some really nice art galleries. Local artists and musicians were all around there.

If you want, the casinos are by decatur and canal, but I felt no reason to spend much time there.

Oh, if you venture out of the French Quarter at night, stop by the Le Pavillion Hotel on Baronne & Poydras around 10. They serve complimentary hot cocoa and PB&J sandwiches in the lobby. Awesome hotel ony a few blocks from the French Quarter if anyone needs one.

Have Fun!