My boyfriend and I are planning on taking a trip to New Orleans at the end of next month. I was wondering on what was a good area to stay, events to do, things to see, ect.
New Orleans - 2 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
The Richelieu is a really nice, quiet old hotel with pleasant employees and a lovely courtyard w/ small pool, also a cozy bar frequented by locals. And it's one of only two hotels in the French Quarter that I know of with free parking. It's in the lower Quarter, i.e. close to Esplanade, so only a few blocks from Frenchmen Street in the Marigny neighborhood, where there are little clubs galore, plenty of great music with low cover charges. The Columns uptown on St. Charles Avenue is a wonderful old hotel, my friends who are former New Orleans residents always stay there. You can watch streetcars from the lovely huge front terrace and it has one of the best bars in the city. The Richelieu probably has good deals because this is getting to be the slow season. I got a great balcony room for $85/night a couple summers ago before the economy had even tanked. The Renaissance Arts Hotel in the Warehouse District also gets really good reviews. And if you want something funkier, La Dauphine B&B in the Marigny is like staying at a friend's house, super nice owners, www.ladaupine.com Eat: Bayona on Dauphine St. is one of the best restaurants in the country, and not horrifically expensive like Emeril's. Lunch esp. is a bargain considering the quality. Some of the best po' boys in town are at the takeaway counter at the Verti Marte convenience store in the French Quarter. Walking around at night is ill advised except for a few streets in the French Quarter while there are still lots of people out and about, and down on Frenchman right around the clubs where there is plenty of foot traffic. Armed robberies are not uncommon and you have to watch out for groups of excitable teenage boys, as their preferred method of settling an argument seems to be gunfire and some of them are not good shots. There was just a shooting at Bourbon and Conti in the heart of the Quarter last weekend. That part of Bourbon is sketchy after midnight now, I understand, and locals say not to walk on Dauphine , Burgundy , or Rampart after dark. Rampart is not such a great idea during the day, even, it's close to the Iberville Projects where they average at least a murder a week, it seems like. The Quarter streets closer to the river -- Decatur , Chartres , Royal -- are relatively safer.
Answer 2 :
The first answer has good suggestions for some places to stay, and more are on: www.frenchquarterhotels.com Crime tends to be a topic when questions about New Orleans are asked. Reality is that about 97% of serious violent crime happens within the illegal drug community and another 2% are domestic incidents. To put it another way, 99% of the victims know the perpetrator - they aren't "random". That doesn't make the crimes OK but the average resident or visitor doesn't have to worry about it. Other crime is at or below the national average for cities. To be very blunt, stay away from people who buy, sell, or use illlegal drugs (especailly crack cocaine) and your chances of being the victim of anything worse than a hangover are remote. All you need to be safe in New Orleans is the same basic common sense required in every city in the world. Things to do in New Orleans: Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival are world famous events, but New Orleans hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout the year: www.nola.com/festivals 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: 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. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can't be any confusion at the end of the evening. An incomplete guide to bars & clubs: http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Nightlife/ www.neworleanscheapdrinks.com About certain alcoholic beverages: Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 ½ ounces of alcohol. 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.). Magazine Street is a miles-long shopping district: www.magazinestreet.com Louisiana is the only US state that offers tax-free shopping for international visitors: http://www.louisianataxfree.com/ 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 offers 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. Maximo's Italian Grill has great food and atmosphere: 1117 Decatur Street in the French Quarter, (504) 586-8883. 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: 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: www.napoleonhouse.com More restaurant suggestions: http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Restaurants/ Preservation Hall has traditional live Jazz, and doesn’t serve alcohol so all ages are welcome: www.preservationhall.com New Orleans has ballet, opera, a symphony orchestra, and theatre: www.nobadance.com www.neworleansopera.org www.lpomusic.com www.lepetittheatre.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_street_ferry The Aquarium, Audubon Zoo, and the new Insectarium 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. Go to www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on more museums. Harrah’s Casino is in the Central Business District: www.harrahs.com (age 21 required for entry) New Orleans City Park has a variety of attractions + free parking. (www.neworleanscitypark.com). Check www.frenchquarter.com and http://www.nola.com/visitor/ for ideas about other things to do. Hope you have a great time!
Read more other entries :
About What to pack for trip to New Orleans
No comments:
Post a Comment