New Orleans for a first timer

5,017 Views | 47 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by aggiedata
AustinCountyAg
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In all my years I have never been to NO so I have zero knowledge of the city. I would like to take my wife for a weekend, possibly end of Jan time frame to avoid the Mardi Gras crowds.

Where is the best area to stay? I'm guessing we would drive unless we find some cheap flights that are too good to pass up. Once in the city I would like to avoid driving if at all possible.

We normally just like to stroll cities and see them that way. However, I know NO is pretty rough in some areas so I am not sure if this is attainable or not? Knowing the town has tons of history and colonial type of homes that my wife loves to see is there any area of town where they can be accessed as well as the touristy/restaurant areas?

Any general advice suggestions are welcomed. We are basically looking to just stroll the nice parts of the city and eat/drink our way around.
Milwaukees Best Light
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AG
Don't forget about the Sugar Bowl. It will be packed that weekend.
schmendeler
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The french quarter is safe for walking, if not the most wholesome.
Also, the garden district is lovely.
Haven't done much walking around outside of that.

Highly recommend taking the street car down st Charles.
redaszag99
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Stay at Royal Sonesta on Bourbon, They have a parking garage on site

Anywhere in the French Quarter, Garden District, CBD is generally safe during the day

It can get sketchy in places at night

WWII museum is awesome

Ride street car from Canal to Garden District down St Charles and eat and a place like commanders palace

There are homeless people around, there are people sleeping on the street, the kids will tap dance in front of you and ask for a tip

Eat some Beignets - Cafe Du Monde or there is another popular one that I don't remember

If you get up early on Saturday, go to the French market (basically a flea market / craft show) and look around, there is a place that has banana smoothies that I like, I think they will put vodka or rum in them too

Eat at Coops place

Get a muffaletta for lunch from Central Grocery

Deanies in the quarter for BBQ shrimp

Drink in Laffittes blacksmith shop


Matsui
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AG
Just got back last month. I'll reply. I frequent New Orleans. Love it.
StinkyPinky
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Just don't wander too far off the beaten path in the French quarter at night. Lot's of places you won't want to find yourself in.
ssb429
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Restaurant recommendations: Bayona (great spot walkable from the French Quarter), Atchafalaya, Parasol's for po' boys, Peche, Shaya and Coquette

If you are staying in the French Quarter, make sure to stop by the Erin Rose (great dive bar) for the best frozen irish coffee I've ever had.
aggiedata
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AG
You will be wishing you flew no matter what the cost when you are stuck for hours in a traffic jam on I-10 over the swamp due to construction, accident or a combination.
AgCPA95
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We went to Preservation Hall for some live music a few years back and our group really enjoyed it.

You will eat really well in NO! Enjoy!
OilManAg91
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Hotel Monteleone is also a nice place to stay. Also can't miss stopping in Pat O'Briens to get a hurricane. And the Court of Two Sisters does a good brunch.
Wicked Good Ag
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Frenchmen's Street

Lots of good food everywhere.

Cafe DuMonde is great for a beignet however you can find better in area but the price and people watching make it worthwhile. And if even a little bit into this Tory the WW2 museum recommend earlier is one of the best museums via a specific time period around
CE Lounge Lizzard
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Say it with me "No more than ONE of these!"

Good suggestions offered previously.
Matsui
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I normally stay in the Central Business District area.
But I spend a lot of time in the CBD, and warehouse district and in the French Quarter (during the day and just at night for supper). Another area for strolling and shopping is the Garden District along Magazine Street. The main shopping areas are from Magazine/Bordeaux to Magazine/Felicity. The Garden District is an easy street car ride from any of the previous areas I mentioned. NOLA is an awesome long weekend spot. Great food, great drinks, a unique city. I love it there.
Potcake
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Wife and I go for a long weekend once per year for a Saints game. We stay at Dauphine Orleans in one of the carriage house rooms. It's convenient walking to Dome or FQ. Bayona is across the street. We avoid Bourbon except to cross (one exception is Lafitte's Tavern, away from the trashy part). Royale Street is good.
Restaurants:
Bayona
Arnauds
Hermes Bar at Antoines
Napoleon House
Johnny's Po-boys - fried shrimp
Acme (TA haters in 3..2..1, Felix's is just not good) - chargrilled oysters
Royal House
Bourbon House - Bourbon milk punch FTW
Pascale's Manale - Italian in Garden District
NOLA
Willie Mae's Scotch House - fried chicken in the Treme
Lafitte's Tavern - beers
AustinCountyAg
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is staying two nights enough, or should we do 3?
G Martin 87
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The Higgins Hilton hotel attached to the WWII museum is a great place to stay. Rosie's bar on the roof is very good; their Aviation variation is superb. The FQ is a bit of a walk from there, but doable.

If you're a mixology hobbyist/historian, a visit to Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 tiki bar is a must. Reservations were required last time we went.

Potcake
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Do at least 3
aggiedata
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I'm going next weekend. Yes, I'm flying. I'm never driving again from Houston. can't wait to see the WW2 museum plus the town should be decorated for Christmas.

One of my favorite restaurants is GW Fins. Classy place with such excellent seafood. Highly recommend.

We are also trying the Red Fish grill for the first time.

Best general hurricane and just a cool place to see; Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar

Old Absinthe House is worth a visit.

Drago's Seafood for Chargrilled Oysters is the best first bite of a meal in New Orleans. Worth a visit but other places have chargrilled oysters as well.

We are using Marriott points to stay at the Renaissance Pere Marquette for the first time.

I'll report back.
agracer
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pretty sure most of the hotels charge for parking so it may in fact be cheaper to fly when you factor in gas and parking. Of course you have to pay to park at the airport too.
Potcake
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Good point about Christmas decorations. The Roosevelt lobby will be lit for Christmas. That is another thing I keft off my list. Have a Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt. Domenica, also at Roosevelt, is also a hood restaurant to consider.
MAROON
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I like to hit up FQ during the day. Roam around drop in a spot for a drink - Napoleon House, Lafitte's, Carousel Bar at the Monteleone. NOLA Po Boy just down from Lafitte's is a good option, as are Felix's/Acme. Lots of great restaurants in the quarter.

WWII museum is amazing if you are interested

Garden District - The Columns Hotel is a nice spot on the front porch for cocktails. Commanders is great. Magazine Ave shops

Parkway has the best Po Boys - closer to Lakeside but worth it.
What do you boys want for breakfast BBQ ?.....OK Chili.
Milwaukees Best Light
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2 nights is fine. 3 is better. 4 is too much.

You probably need to make reservations if you want to have dinner at a bunch of the places listed. Would not recommend just walking up.
Matsui
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2 nights isn't enough. Do 3.
Fis4Favorite
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We were there in August and had a great trip.

Aside from other recs mentioned above I would add that we did a food walking tour off Viator that was awesome. We hit up the French market and had crab stuffed beignets. So good! In past we have done a garden district walking tour that we really enjoyed

I second GW Fins and will add Toups Meatery. It is not in the main tourist district and was a 5-10 minute Uber away but it was excellent. We walked across the street to a local bar and had a great evening visiting with locals.

Check out Pat Os version of the hurricane and then an original hurricane off Bourbon street. It is made with passion fruit and very tasty. The Carousel Bar is also a fun stop, get there early if you can.
Bluecat_Aggie94
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If you stay in the French Quarter, I'd recommend taking an oil diffuser. The odors in New Orleans are... memorable.
Milwaukees Best Light
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Bluecat_Aggie94 said:

If you stay in the French Quarter, I'd recommend taking an oil diffuser. The odors in New Orleans are... memorable.

This reminds me, a sound machine, or sound machine app on your phone with a speaker is not a bad idea. Depending on where you stay, it can be loud late and then early in the morning. Nothing like a nice hangover and hearing the garbage truck come pick up cans and the neighbors discuss the weather. Or trying to sleep and hearing bass from the place down the street.
Esteban du Plantier
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CE Lounge Lizzard said:



Say it with me "No more than ONE of these!"

Good suggestions offered previously.


I went on a ghost tour double fisting these. All I remember is my wife falling off a curb and a buddy puking next the ice maker at our hotel.

csnole
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Was there Labor Day weekend. We stayed at Harrahs. The hotel was nice - loved the casino won a jackpot!! Had an amazing lunch at Turkey & The Wolf - highly recommend!!
schmendeler
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Their sandwiches look legit
Garrelli 5000
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We go a few times a year.

Absolute favorite thing to do is peruse the shops and art galleries on Royal Street and Chartres Street. Get early, grab some cafe au'lait, and walk the streets as the shops open. NOLA has some of the best local artists in the country that focus on the city they reside. By that I mean a lot of cities have art galleries out the wazoo, but many in NOLA are art specific to NOLA.

Potcake's list is good other than the ACME rec over Felix's. Last Saturday I had a blackened alligator poboy and chargrilled oysters from Felix's, as I've done before, and it was freaking amazing as always. ACME is good but it is very long lines for something that isn't worth the long line. It is popular because of name inertia. For years we'd laugh at the moron's standing in line at Acme as we walked into Felix's. There's often a line at Felix's now, and they had a massive expansion a few years ago due to the growing popularity.

We always stay at either Hotel Monteleone or Bienville House. Both are good locations. I wouldn't stay on Bourbon street unless you're under 35 and plan on doing a lot of things on Bourbon.

We stayed an Monteleone during Thanksgiving. It is beautiful during the holidays. I recommend requesting one of the remodeled rooms. That said, we stay at Bienville House so often when an opportunity purchase this painting presented itself over the weekend we couldn't pass it up. Retiring early is overrated.

The others mentioned are a few minutes walking from Bourbon and much lower chance of hearing hooligans partying at 2am 4 stories below your window.

Poboys - my favorite is Mahonys - I think their FQ location re-opened. Johnny's is very good too. It is cash only and closes at 4pm but there is an ATM in the restaurant.

R'evolution is very good and will also require a reservation. Their death by gumbo is a religious experience. They'll split it for two people. Also their blue crab beignets.

Jazz Brunch at Court of Two Sisters is very good and is buffet style. Don't be scared of turtle soup - it is fantastic and if you don't pour a little sherry on top you're doing it wrong.

The best charbroiled oysters are served on a plate that is soaking with garlic/herb butter, along w/a piece of french bread. Use the bread to mop up the butter.
Drinks -
  • Latitude 29 - I'm a huge tiki fan. Make a reservation if you're going on a weekend, particularly in the evening. They open at 4pm and it is often impossible to get a seat w/out a reservation. Food is good too. Bonus - it is connected to Bienville House.
  • Manolito's - only about 5 tables but fantastic cuban cocktails
  • Lafitte's - wife loves the voodoo (frozen grape juice w/everclear) and I'm a fan of the hurricane. Much less sweeter than the wildly over sugared crap hurricanes at most places
  • Port of Call - Monsoons are great but dangerous. Secret here is the burger. Get there 10 minutes before they open so you can grab a spot at the bar. Best place to sit.
  • Erin Rose or Molly's at the Market - frozen Irish coffee
  • Bourbon House - frozen milk punch
  • Carousel Bar (or most places) - Sazerac
  • 21st Amendment - great craft cocktails, often whiskey based, and nightly jazz bands.
  • Bourbon'O - this is the hotel bar for the Bourbon Orleans and is on Bourbon St. It is however a bar w/professional 'mixologists' and you aren't going to find riff-raff in here getting their crunk on.
  • As a first timer I definitely recommend Pat O's. I'm personally not a fan of their hurricane, it is too sweet for me, but still get one or a mint julip and soak in the court yard, flaming water fountain, etc. If you don't want the souvenir glass they server your drink in, do NOT leave it on the table. Take it to the bar for a $2 refund.

Note - you can order drinks to go anywhere, just request it in a go-cup. Likewise, no drink left behind. Ask your server or bartender for a go-cup.

Other - If Charlie Halloran is playing go see him. One day we walked into Frenchman All Day on Frenchman street and he was there playing with his band The Tropicales. Absolutely incredible trombone player that plays a lot of Calypso type music, rhumbas, etc. Check his recent album "Shake the Rum" on Spotify. World class musician (as his resume shows) truly one of the unplanned random musical highlights of my life when we ended up spending 3 hours in FAD instead of 5 minutes to grab a drink.

If you want to be a badass and for your wife's undies to fly off, here's the magic - Go to Muriel's on Jackson Square. Walk past the host stand and make your way back to the bar. Order a drink (I recommend a Sazerac). Opposite end of the room from the bar is the stairwell upstairs. Go up and turn right. Visit the Seance room. Really cool room decked out in red. Then go back the opposite way past the stairs and walk out onto the balcony. Often at night you'll have this massive corner balcony to yourself looking out over Jackson Square. One year we were there with a few friends and there was a huge congregation of people singing Christmas carols in Jackson Square. There was a time that you had to walk through a large fancy reception/living room to get to the balcony. It would stink when you made it upstairs and the room was reserved for a private party. They've since walled it off and there's a dedicated hallway to access the outside. If you can get in that reserved room it is cool too - very old, period decorations, fireplaces, etc.

Safety - stay away from Canal Street at dark if you can. The street itself isn't that bad, but a lot of the muggings happen the last block or so before you reach Canal when heading from any of the streets in the French Quarter. Likewise if it is dark and you see "Rampart" street, run, don't walk, the opposite direction.

G Martin '87's taste in drinks is as fine as his taste in music. Here's my recent visit to Latitude 29.



Lastly here's our insane Bienville House painting. Can't wait to get it hung w/a dimmable art light. The artist's style is amazing with lights - when you dim an art light on his paintings it feels like the lights you see in the painting are dimming, and your visibility further away from the lights in the painting lessons, as does the perceived "output" of any lamp/lantern/etc. Wonderful wonderful artists on Royal and Chartres streets. I can't emphasize that enough. We aren't "art" people but over the last near 20 years what stuff we do have in our home has largely come from NOLA.


Take the trash out staff.
Slim Isle
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Sad that you missed the old days of NO

You can still capture a little of that though.

Go to all the old haunts.
Bulldog73
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AG
Cafe Beignet is much better IMO. They have multiple locations, but the one on bourbon street is my favorite. If you don't want to drop the money to go to Bouchon, go to The Butcher next door. It's really good.

We braved the line for Neyow's this last trip, and it was very good.

Know going in that you probably won't have the world's best Cajun food there, but Creole is what's more available there. Willie Mae's Scotch House is very well known for the fried chicken. Bahn Mi Boys was a fun twist on southern seafood influenced Vietnamese.
Potcake
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Agree Cafe Beignet is better than Cafe du Monde but understand why people may want to go to CdM. We like the Royal Street Cafe Beignet.
Ag CPA
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Just make sure you don't end up in a bathtub full of ice the next morning.
fire09
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If you are flying and renting a car, save an extra 30 minutes each way for the MSY tour bus ride.
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