Planning a trip to New Orleans in the end of August. What are the best places to check out?
Planning a trip to New Orleans in the end of August. Never been there before and need advice on things to do (besides jazz clubs). I like to do the tourist thing on vacation but I also like to check out less familiar areas (to tourists). Also, where is the best place to get a hotel? Should I rent a car?
New Orleans - 7 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
You crazy?New Orleans is a ghost town, man. That's no good place for vacations. Go to Cancun or Honolulu or Caribbeans or somethin'
Answer 2 :
Don't listen to Igor r. It is not a ghost town. In fact, the French Quarter looks pretty much the same as before Katrina. Neat places to go are a swamp tour where you can see alligators close up in the wild. Then try the Audubon zoo. It has a great swamp exhibit. Go to dinner at Jacque Imo's for great authentic food. Visit Pat O'Brien for a cocktail named a hurricane. Then go on a cemetery tour. Don't forget to try some craw fish. Finally walk till you drop around the French Quarter and don't forget to have a benoit or 2 or 3 before you leave.
Answer 3 :
New Orleans is one of the world's special places with an ambience unique in North America, and remains so even after Katrina devastated it in 2005. Katrina flooded about 80% of New Orleans with salt water, and the water stayed for almost a month. Much of the city is still struggling to recover and all you have to do to see devastation is drive around. It will take years for NOLA to fully recover from Katrina. However, the parts of the city that tourists usually visit were not flooded. It's not a coincidence - the French Quarter and other old parts of the city were built on relatively high ground and only suffered wind damage from Katrina. Almost all of the damage has been repaired and you have to look closely in the FQ and city center to see that Katrina happened at all. You should visit and see for yourself. Note that the City of New Orleans is only part of the greater New Orleans area. The GNO area had a population of about 1,400,000 before Katrina and is estimated at about 1,200,000 now (July, 2007). The absent 200,000 are mostly from the City of New Orleans and the parishes of Plaquemines and Saint Bernard, which were the worst-flooded parts of the metro area. Jefferson Parish - just to the west of the City - suffered relatively minor flooding and has fully recovered. You can drink the water, the electricity & phones work, and services like the post office, hospitals, schools, and police/fire/EMS are operating. Restaurants, stores and shopping centers are open. Municipal services like street cleaning & trash collection collapsed after Katrina. Those services were fully restored in late 2006 and it is no longer an issue. I recommend staying in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre") if you can. There is a very wide range of selections available, from moderate guest houses to very exclusive "boutique" hotels. Search Yahoo Travel and Travelocity for ideas and also check the hotel websites. Go to www.frenchquarterhotels.com for some non-chain hotels. You don't need a car to get around in the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Warehouse District. Also, the parking regulations are Byzantine and there are lots of Parking Control Agents. If you drive or rent a car, leave it in a lot or garage unless you are traveling away from downtown. The regional transit authority (www.norta.com) sells 1 and 3 day passes that offer unlimited use of buses and streetcars for the day(s) you select. There are also lots of taxicabs. Regarding crime, use the same common sense necessary in every major city in the world and there is little chance you will be a victim of anything except a need to visit the gym: New Orleans has mild weather from late October to early May and the city stays green all year most years (rarely freezes and almost never snows). We pay for the mild winters with hot, humid summers – particularly in July & August. The good news for summertime visitors is that hotel rates are lower. Things to do: There are many sightseeing opportunities in the greater New Orleans area, including carriage rides/tours, plantation tours, swamp tours, ghost tours, and even Katrina disaster tours. The steamboat Natchez also does a harbor tour. There are numerous tour companies and your hotel can help with the arrangements. Try to avoid scheduling an outdoor tour until you know the weather forecast for the day in question. The Saint Charles Streetcar is the oldest continuously operating street railway in the world and is a "tourist attraction" in its own right. It is part of the public transit system, as are the Canal Street and Riverfront streetcar lines: http://www.norta.com/ There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music. Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so know the price before you sit down. The clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking water or nothing. It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it s delivered so there can't be any confusion at the end of the evening. About certain alcoholic beverages: Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 ½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor. They don’t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge. Wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, watch the street entertainers (do tip), and visit some of the historic buildings that have been turned into museums (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions). Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and eat in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or in Jackson Square (a very nice park). The Riverwalk shopping center has an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com). The Canal Place shopping center is in the French Quarter and has a cinema and higher-end shopping (Saks 5th Avenue, Brooks Brothers, etc.) The lobby for the Westin Canal Place Hotel is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack:(www.westin.com). Cafe du Monde is in the French Quarter and you shouldn't miss having cafe au lait & beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d'Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is open from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food in addition to pastry. The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, has moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel 504-525-0200 (reservations are important and they are not open every day). The Palm Court is closed from about July 25th to about September 25th each year. All of the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Commander's Palace, etc.) have reopened. The Pelican Club (on Exchange Alley in the FQ) is not as well known but is the same type experience. Reservations are a good idea, and probably essential on weekends. Tujaques Restaurant (823 Decatur Street) is very traditional and has moderate prices: http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com/ Cafe Degas is a very French restaurant near City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays (504-945-5635). The Napoleon House restaurant is at 500 Chartres Street in the FQ, and has a menu of great local dishes: http://www.napoleonhouse.com/ There is a free ferry across the Mississippi at the "foot" of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/canal_stree... The Aquarium and Audubon Zoo are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. The Zoo is several miles from downtown. You can drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or take public transit from the French Quarter. The Louisiana State Museum is in the French Quarter: http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/ New Orleans is also home to a number of other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is in the central business district but a long walk from the French Quarter. NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but has free parking. Harrah’s Casino is in the Central Business District: http://www.harrahs.com/casinos/harrahs-n... New Orleans City Park has an amusement park with rides and attractions for children + free parking (www.neworleanscitypark.com). Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas about other things to do. Hope you have a great time!
Answer 4 :
if you plan on venturing outside the French Quarter you might want a car. but the main thing is to find out if your hotel has parking, how much it costs and if they don't where is the nearest lot. you might consider not getting a car for the first few days then if you use Enterprise rent a car they can deliver a car to your hotel.(make a reservation) Harrah's New Orleans Casino www.harrahs.com 8 Canal St New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 533-6000 http://www.patobriens.com/ Pat O'Brien's Bar, Inc. 718 St. Peter Street New Orleans, LA 70116 B & W Courtyards Bed & Breakfast 2425 Chartres St New Orleans, LA 70117 (504) 945-9418 (800) 585-5731 bandwcourtyards.com Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas Street (504) 588-2123 www.cochonrestaurant.com the pickles are house-made. get the oyster and bacon sandwich Guy's Po-Boys 5257 Magazine St. (504) 891-5025 The Bomb is a grilled catfish, shrimp and onion po-boy topped with melted cheddar and Swiss. chicken parmesan. "It's not on the menu, but people who know about it, know it's about the best thing you'll ever eat. check this website http://www.nola.com/ Riverwalk Marketplace 1 Poydras Street, Suite 101 New Orleans, Louisiana 70130-1694 (504) 522-1555 Mardi Gras World 233 Newton Street http://www.mardigrasworld.com/ http://www.ddaymuseum.org/ World War Two Museum 945 Magazine Street http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/ New Orleans Steamboat Company #2 Canal Street, Suite 2500 (504) 586-8777 (800) 233-2628 Cafe Du Monde 1039 Decatur Street http://www.cafedumonde.com/main.html
Answer 5 :
This is the answer I just gave another visitor coming here. You might want to check out other answers to her question.. Allright! Come on down! Warning, you might not want to leave....I'm pretty new here, and have met so many people who came to visit, came again, and eventually just had to move here; they fell in love with it. Not sure if you want the touristy info, or if you've done that before and want more meaty, local fun stuff! Check out: The Gambit - it's the bible for local info. Free paper at any coffee shop, comes out on Monday each week. Offbeat -music listings; monthly paper. nola.com NOLAFunGuide.com (All have websites) Check out events going on at City Park- they have some free or inexpensive night concerts. Lafayette Square- has great free Wed. afternoon music events but might end soon. The Ogden Museum -also has early concerts on Thurs. nights. Muriel's restaurant in the Quarter is my favorite. It's not snooty, but great food and fabulous atmosphere. [ My experiences there- They were so nice to us after my son's graduation. No other nice place was open for lunch at 2PM, then we were really delayed coming from out of town, and they waited for us. They helped us find it, find a place to park, and kept the kitchen open. It was a great afternoon. Sometimes I'll just sit and relax with a drink up on their wraparound balcony overlooking Jackson square, and people watch. They've told me anyone can go up there to sit. You can eat in the fancyish dining room, or in the sort of open atrium. The story of the building and the stairway is very interesting......The upstairs seance/cushiony, red room is so cool. Not sure what it's for, but I've had a few pillow fights with my niece in there. Don't hit the mummy's. ] Frenchman street - near the Qtr. is the best for great music at night, right in one place. Several clubs, safe, fun. Rock'n Bowl - cool place. Bowling, dancing, live music, great food you order from the bar. Jambalaya was awesome. Take the street cars when you can, walk, or take a cab; parking can be hard and the Meter Maids are out in force....evil, pad-carrying, bloodsuckers:) Several places have free crawfish boils on Fridays, and should still have them for the next few weeks. Mid City Yacht Club for one - (it's a bar/food place, not a yacht club. It's in Mid City and they flooded, and named it this after the storm). Louisiana Music Factory - the best music store around; cool people. They have free local music on Sat. afternoons! I hear Robert Plant was in there around Jazz Fest. Second line parade almost every Sunday in or near the quarter, that anyone can be in. Freret St. - now has a cool market on Saturdays. Local artists, crafts, food, and hear now music. There's so much more! I've been here but 6 months, and it's hard to decide which things to go to, there's so much. You get so much from the locals, so ask, ask, ask when you get here! These are THE friendliest, most welcoming people I've ever met. They're like one big family that have been thru a family disaster together and are united - black, white- everyone. Have a great time! Contact me if you need more info/details. Source(s): A New New Orleanian.
Answer 6 :
There is lots to do and sure you will have fun. Walk around the french quarter, there are so many wonderful historic buildings and neat streets and shops. While walking along you might want to stop at the French Market (nothing too exciting but cant find some cheep souvenirs and definitely worth strolling through). Some casual places to eat in the quarter are Coops, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, Port O Call, Fiorellis, Angeli's, Yo Mamas and many many more or for a more upscale my favorite is Bayona www.bayona.com also try Muriels, Commanders Palace, Mr. Bs and many more. You can walk up the riverwalk and go to the Aquarium. They also offer a combo pass to the zoo and the Aquarium. www.auduboninstitute.org Or take the free ferry across the river to Mardi Gras World. http://www.mardigrasworld.com The haunted tours or cemetery tours are neat. You can also try a swamp tour (I recommend the small boats). Or a plantation tour. http://www.tourneworleans.com/ http://www.louisianaswamp.com/ While out at night wander to Frenchman Street. A row of bars and restaurants and most have live music nightly. Go uptown for an afternoon, a very different feel than the quarter. Large houses on bigger lots. If going there for music I would recommend Tipatinas and the Maple Leaf. If here on a Wednesday this is a great weekly free thing to do. Wednesday at the Square April 2nd to June 18th 2008 Times: Wednesday 5:00 pm -7:30 pm Location: Lafayette Square on St. Charles Avenue in the CBD across from Gallier Hall Wednesday at the Square is a free, 12-week concert series with food and drink for sale to benefit the Young Leadership Council. Local artisans also sell their work in the Artist Village near the Camp Street entrance. This years line up include such acts as Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, IMarcia Ball, Irma Thomas & Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. http://www.wednesdayatthesquare.com For some other ideas visit the tourism and vistors bureau. They have a good section on things to do and events you can look up for the time you are visiting. http://www.neworleanscvb.com/ As for where to stay I have had great luck with Maison DuBois. Large suites, great hospitality, great pool and spa etc. http://www.maisondubois.net/ And I would not get a car, the city (French Quarter) is very walkable and parking is not very easy or can be expensive. Transportation by cab, bus or streetcar is the way to go in my opinion. If you feel you want to rent a car for a day to go drive to the plantation homes you can use Enterprise. They will pick you up and drop you off from your hotel. The tour companies offer trasportation too if you want to just use them.
Answer 7 :
IGOR is an uninformed, ignorant on New Orleans. New Orleans is pretty much back on track. A long way to go, but I went 3 weeks ago, and we walked the French Quarter, and had to wait 15 minutes to be seated at Cafe Du Monde. The sidewalks were full of people and Jackson square had 3 weddings going on!! But, August in New Orleans is VERY humid! Like, really hot. Keep water with you and pop in to A/C places often. You may want to rent a car, but if you stay mainly in the French Quarter, ride the buggies, or the streetcar. Have fun and be careful.
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