New Orleans Advice

[MissTeeks]

I'm heading down to New Orleans in 15 days for a week and I was wondering if anyone had been and had any tips for a first timer.

[FlamingHomer]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

I'm heading down to New Orleans in 15 days for a week and I was wondering if anyone had been and had any tips for a first timer.

Talking to a couple of people who just returned, take lots of money. They were shocked at how expensive things were. Admittedly second hand info though.

[Locke]

Maybe PM Cowboy89, hes not around on the board a lot lately but I know hes got tons of NO experience.

[Cowboy89]

I guess I was paged! NOLA is one of my favorite places.

Do's:

- Eat authentic cajun food
- Drink a Hurricane
- Drink a 'hand grenade'
- take in Live jazz music
- Eat a po'boy sandwich
- Visit Bourbon Street on a busy evening
- Watch a couple of sets of Big Al at the Funky Pirate on Bourbon Street
- Eat lots of seafood
- Visit cafe du monde next to Jackson Square (Open 24 hours a day every day)
- Go on a city tour if you have enough time and be sure to visit the lower ninth ward and the cemataries (Where the 'city of the dead' moniker comes from)
- Saints NFL game

Don'ts:

- Drink more than one hand granade drink!
- Walk anywhere but Canal Street and Bourbon Street in the quarter after 11PM at night
- Stay at a hotel anywhere outside of downtown or the French Quarter
- waste time at Harrah's casino (Basically just a huge casino downtown)
- Watch an NBA Pelicans game (Terrible crowds, horrible atmosphere)
- Visit Deanie's Seafood in the French Quarter (Locals will rave about how good it is, it will be lined up around the block, and once you get your food you realize that it's basically all kinds of seafood deepfried in exactly the same way in rediculously large preportions. It was quite the shock to the system for a non-American!)

[PIMking]

meh... If you like booze, gross city that is a dump, and Spanish architecture in the french district you will be really happy.

I've been there twice and don't like it, but I don't drink too often and a city built on booze isn't that fun for me.

[normtwofinger]

Go to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shoppe. Oldest bar in North America.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

New Orleans?

You HAVE to go to Chili's and get your photo taken with everyone's favourite restaurant authority Springs1

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I guess I was paged! NOLA is one of my favorite places.

Do's:

- Eat authentic cajun food
- Drink a Hurricane
- Drink a 'hand grenade'
- take in Live jazz music
- Eat a po'boy sandwich
- Visit Bourbon Street on a busy evening
- Watch a couple of sets of Big Al at the Funky Pirate on Bourbon Street
- Eat lots of seafood
- Visit cafe du monde next to Jackson Square (Open 24 hours a day every day)
- Go on a city tour if you have enough time and be sure to visit the lower ninth ward and the cemataries (Where the 'city of the dead' moniker comes from)
- Saints NFL game

Don'ts:

- Drink more than one hand granade drink!
- Walk anywhere but Canal Street and Bourbon Street in the quarter after 11PM at night
- Stay at a hotel anywhere outside of downtown or the French Quarter
- waste time at Harrah's casino (Basically just a huge casino downtown)
- Watch an NBA Pelicans game (Terrible crowds, horrible atmosphere)
- Visit Deanie's Seafood in the French Quarter (Locals will rave about how good it is, it will be lined up around the block, and once you get your food you realize that it's basically all kinds of seafood deepfried in exactly the same way in rediculously large preportions. It was quite the shock to the system for a non-American!)

Originally Posted by PIMking

meh... If you like booze, gross city that is a dump, and Spanish architecture in the french district you will be really happy.

I've been there twice and don't like it, but I don't drink too often and a city built on booze isn't that fun for me.

i couldn't disagree more. NO is an awesome city. I've been there twice and love it. I agree with pretty much all that Cowboy recommended. Go down to Bourbon Street and stroll. Stop at a bar and listen to the music, have something to eat and ypu'll have a great time.

BTW, I rarely drink. Drinking isn't necessary to enjoy NO.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

i couldn't disagree more. NO is an awesome city. I've been there twice and love it. I agree with pretty much all that Cowboy recommended. Go down to Bourbon Street and stroll. Stop at a bar and listen to the music, have something to eat and ypu'll have a great time.

BTW, I rarely drink. Drinking isn't necessary to enjoy NO.

It just wasnt for me I guess, I went during the sugar bowl so drunk college students puking everywhere and during the spring a few years ago and was almost mugged.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by PIMking

It just wasnt for me I guess, I went during the sugar bowl so drunk college students puking everywhere and during the spring a few years ago and was almost mugged.

To each his own. We went to Nashville last year and although I'm not a country-music fan, it was also enjoyable. However, New Orleans is better. One of our visits ended with a cruise from NO and, believe it or not, it took the ship several hours to get out of the Mississippi River. Not that I minded a few more hours in that wonderful city.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

i couldn't disagree more. NO is an awesome city. I've been there twice and love it. I agree with pretty much all that Cowboy recommended. Go down to Bourbon Street and stroll. Stop at a bar and listen to the music, have something to eat and ypu'll have a great time.

BTW, I rarely drink. Drinking isn't necessary to enjoy NO.

I love Bourbon, but I think Royal Street is underratted. There are a bunch of neat shops and places you cannot find anywhere else. Also a lot of street performers that are actually talented. Great place to walk around and just hang out wherever strikes your fancy.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I guess I was paged! NOLA is one of my favorite places.

Do's:
- Visit cafe du monde next to Jackson Square (Open 24 hours a day every day)

Don'ts:
- Wear black while visiting cafe du monde

updated

[calgarywinning]

New Orleans is a great food town. You definitely have to be careful outside of the French Quarter.

Go toe Cafe Beignet for latte and Beignets. So amazing:

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/cafe-beignet-...est%20Beignets

Here you can get information and take a tour of the famous cemeteries. Be sure to pay for a guided tour as there are a lot of rogues and thief's in the cemetery. Nick Cage has a place there and a few other famous people.

Eat some Alligator at
http://www.cochonrestaurant.com

Magazine Street is not in the quarter but is a safe place to walk during the day and has lots of interesting homes, restaurants, shops, antique shops. Cochon is near this.

Go to ACME oyster house and sit at the bar, hopefully you will get Stormin Norm and he will entertain you and shuck some oysters for you.

For music go to Frenchman street and be sure to go after 10:00 and you will find some amazing bands. Much better than Bourbon street for music.

A friend went on a Swamp tour and quite enjoyed it.

Do be safe!

[nik-]

And New Orleans definitely has ... a smell.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it stinks, but there is a definite unique New Orleans scent in the air. I guess you'd describe it as swampy land? I dunno.

[MoneyGuy]

If you watched Treme, take the Treme tour.

Take a sidetrip to the Oak Alley Plantation.

Take the hurricane tour. It's depressing but historically significant. I'm sure after all this time there are still houses that are boarded up.

[Montana Moe]

Bourbon Street is great for a night. After that, definitely branch out a bit.

If they're in town, Rebirth Brass Band always plays at the Maple Leaf on Tuesday nights. Highly recommended.
See any show at Tipitina's.
Check out the WWII museum.
Try the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues if a Sunday is in your plans.
I hadn't seen anyone mention touring the above ground cemeteries, that's always interesting.
MoneyGuy mentioned Oak Alley, I'd also recommend the Laura Plantation as a polar opposite.


Stay away from the Yellow King.

[Engine09]

Oak Alley was worth the drive, go to the Central Grocery for a po'boy/muffaletta, the Garden District for sure!

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I love Bourbon, but I think Royal Street is underratted. There are a bunch of neat shops and places you cannot find anywhere else. Also a lot of street performers that are actually talented. Great place to walk around and just hang out wherever strikes your fancy.

If that's the street that had the civil war shop I'd agree

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

Bourbon Street is great for a night. After that, definitely branch out a bit.

If they're in town, Rebirth Brass Band always plays at the Maple Leaf on Tuesday nights. Highly recommended.
See any show at Tipitina's.
Check out the WWII museum.
Try the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues if a Sunday is in your plans.
I hadn't seen anyone mention touring the above ground cemeteries, that's always interesting.
MoneyGuy mentioned Oak Alley, I'd also recommend the Laura Plantation as a polar opposite.


Stay away from the Yellow King.

The ww2 museum is AMAZING on canal street I think.

Watch the movie it's awesome.

[gargamel]

Go to Willie Mae's Scotch House for the best fried chicken in the world. It has a slight kick to it, but isn't overly spicy. So good. It's only open during the day, but you wouldn't really want to go to the neighborhood (the Treme) at night anyway.

Domilise's po-boys are classic and are worth trying, but no one is currently making a better po-boy than Parkway Bakery & Tavern's surf-and-turf (roast beef with gravy and fried shrimp) version.

I also second calgarywinning's recommendations of Cafe Beignet and Cochon. If you do go to Cochon, it might be worth picking up some take-out boiled crawfish from Big Fisherman's Seafood down the street. I probably wouldn't make a separate trip just for that, but it's worth trying if you're in the area.