Tourist Traps
Go ahead. Get it out of your system. The obligatory Hand Grenade and Hurricane on Bourbon Street. Beignets at Café du Monde. Steamboat ride down the Mississippi River. The Riverwalk. I won’t judge you (Maybe just a little). All tourists do it. Just don’t make an entire trip out of it. I promise you this city has way more to offer than all of this. Most locals don’t even step foot on Bourbon Street (unless they’re underage and trying to buy a drink). In fact, the only time I seem to find myself close to Bourbon Street is when I attend French Quarter Fest or I’m at the Royal Sonesta for Christmas brunch. But if you want to experience the real Nola and make the most of your vacation, you’ll want to avoid these tourist traps.
Transportation
New Orleans probably has the worst public transportation of any major US city. While most major US cities have some sort of subway/metro system, New Orleans has the street car. A combination of using the street car and walking can get you to most places. IMO, I don’t think a rental car is necessary, and what the street car and walking can’t get you to, an Uber can. Check out this website for street car fair prices and where they operate.
Where to Stay?
If you’re visiting for the first time, you should stay in a hotel in the CBD, which is central to all of the neighborhoods. If you’ve already visited and want do more exploring in a certain neighborhood, I would get an Airbnb Uptown, Mid-City, or in the Bywater/Marigny neighborhoods.
Things You Can Only Do In Nola
Here are some of the unique things that you can only do in New Orleans or rather, New Orleans does better than any other city:
- Drink a Sazerac in the bar it was created, the Sazerac Bar, which is located inside the Roosevelt Hotel. Sip on a glass of Sazerac Rye Whiskey while you’re lounging on a couch and you’ll feel like you’ve time traveled back to another century.
- Enjoy a cocktail at the spinning Carousel Bar located in the Hotel Monteleone. No, you’re not drunk. The Carousel Bar slowly rotates around while the bartenders serve you classic cocktails.
- Take your drink outside! If you want to leave a bar but haven’t finished your drink yet, don’t worry. Ask the bartender for a to-go cup.
- Not getting ticketed by police for public consumption of alcohol. I’ve caught myself quite a few times about to drink a beer in public in other cities before I was like wait, can I do this? Oh, that’s right, this city is stuck in archaic times. I can’t. Drinking outside is perfectly legal in Nola, just as long as you’re not drinking from a glass bottle. Hence the to-go cups.
- I promise all of these don’t involve alcohol but if you want to drink all day and night here, there’s nothing stopping you. In a lot of cities, bars close as early as 2am on the weekend. During the week it’s rarely past midnight. Not here. Some bars never close. You can always find a bar here to keep the party going.
- Witness and join in on a second line. TIL, a second line is a neighborhood parade that was founded by the New Orleans Freedmen’s Aid Association in 1865. This New Orleans tradition is really unlike any other. These neighborhood parades typically include a brass band and dancing in the street. It can occur in any neighborhood with any amount of people, at any time. There was even one for a cat that electrocuted itself a few summers ago and knocked out the power in part of the city lol!
- Experience Mardi Gras and attend some of my favorite parades – Muses, Tucks, Endymion, & Bacchus.
- Listen to talented musicians throughout the French Quarter and on Frenchmen Street
- Not really a tip but more of a fun fact, all medians of New Orleans streets are called the neutral ground. The French Quarter was inhabited by the Creoles in the early 1800’s. After the Louisiana Purchase, more Americans from other areas of the country moved into the city and settled uptown. The Quarter was more colonial and Uptown/present day CBD was considered the new American sector. Due to the cultural differences, these two neighborhoods tended to clash. As a result, a canal was planned to be built to divide the two neighborhoods. The canal was never built, and the street that took its place received the name, Canal Street. The median of Canal Street became known as the neutral ground.
- Attend a local crawfish boil at one of the local bars (Bayou Beer Garden weekend crawfish boils and Mid-City Yacht Club Friday night crawfish boils) if you’re in town between February & May. If you’ve never tried crawfish (Never call them crayfish or crawdads) and you like seafood, give it a try. If you don’t like seafood, give them a try. And I’ll help you out so it’s not completely obvious you’re not from here. To eat a crawfish, first take off its head. Then pinch the back end of the tail and pull the meat out with your teeth. And if you want to get the most out of the flavor, suck on the head of the crawfish. That’s where most of the spice is located.
Family Friendly Spots
New Orleans is not just a city for adults. Despite its reputation, there’s more to New Orleans and the city offers plenty of family friendly attractions, including Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Butterfly Garden & Insectarium, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Mardi Gras World, Storyland Amusement Park at City Park , City Putt Miniature Golf Course, Swamp Tours, National WWII Museum, Pelicans games, Saints games, Nola Gold games (rugby), and The Art of Dr. Seuss Museum. If you want to see your child light up like it’s Christmas morning then take them to the Louisiana Children’s museum. One of my fondest childhood memories was going on field trips to this museum.
New Orleans Loves Dogs
The city really has a soft spot for canines. There are plenty of bars that allow dogs. Bulldog Midcity & Uptown, Urban South Brewery, Mid-City Yacht Club, Tchoup Yard, Bayou Beer Garden, Nola Brewery, Pepp’s Pub, and many more. I actually think there are more dog friendly bars in Nola than non-friendly ones. Not to mention there are numerous dog parks in the city as well. So if you’re wondering who to get to look after your dogs, bring them along!
Traffic Cameras
Unfortunately, we have them. They’ve caught me twice. And the tickets are not cheap ($135). For those that are renting a car, do yourself a favor and check out this list of traffic cameras in the city.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
I tell this to everyone I know who visits the city for the first time. Do NOT wander away from your group in the middle of the night and walk down some random street by yourself. That’s how you end up being mugged or worse, making the news. Even if you’re in a group walking down the street in the day or night, be aware of your surroundings. Stay with the crowds, especially in the French Quarter. There are some areas however that I would avoid altogether: Lower 9th Ward, 7th Ward, Desire, Hollygrove, South Claiborne, parts of Central City, & parts of Treme close to the I-10 interstate.
Weather
The only thing predictable about New Orleans’ weather is that it will be hot and humid during the summer. The average temperature in the summer months is 90 degrees, and the 75%+ humidity will make you sweat like a whore in church. During a summer afternoon a storm can come out of nowhere so you’ll want to always have an umbrella. And be careful if you’re planning a trip here during August and September. This is peak hurricane season. If you drove here, you don’t want to get caught in contraflow trying to evacuate the city. And we really only have two seasons – hot and less hot. Seriously, we usually do not get our first cool front until mid-late October.
Neighborhoods
Central Business District:
The Central Business District is the only area of Nola that has a true city feel – it’s the downtown area of New Orleans where you’ll find the hotels, office buildings, the Superdome, and Smoothie King Arena. But hidden within this city life you can find some gems such as Willa Jean, Bearcat, and Luke.
French Quarter:
The French Quarter is New Orleans’ best-known neighborhood. Filled with NOLA highlights like Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Jackson Square, Café du Monde, and more… there’s a why reason it’s so famous.
Garden District (Uptown):
One of my favorite neighborhoods filled with so much history and character. The Garden District is truly a mix of historic mansions, parks, universities, bars, restaurants, shops, and one of my favorite streets, Magazine. Filled with plenty of attractions but far fewer crowds and tourists and has a much slower pace of life than the tourist dominated French Quarter.
Irish Channel:
Another favorite of mine, this neighborhood is situated along the Mississippi River adjacent to the Garden District. Here you can find plenty of breweries: Urban South, Port Orleans, Nola Brewery, and Miel.
Bywater:
A recent favorite of mine since I’ve moved 5 mins away is the Bywater neighborhood. Located east of the French Quarter and on the outskirts of the city, this neck of the woods is hipster heaven. During the day, take a walk in Crescent Park along the river for the best view of the New Orleans skyline. Bike around the St. Claude Arts District and get the perfect photograph of the colorful shotgun homes. Grab a slice of pizza at Pizza Delicious or Chinese food with a southern twist at Red’s. At night, check out one of the many dive bars such as Markey’s or stumble upon a popup block party featuring live music and great drinks.
Mid-City:
Mid-City has really transformed into one of the better neighborhoods in the last few years. Home of City Park and two of my favorite bars, Wrong Iron and Bayou Beer Garden. You can also find some of the best food in this area such as Blue Oak BBQ and Parkway Poboys. If you’re looking for a fun way to get to this neighborhood, ride bikes and hop onto the Lafitte Greenway, which starts on the outskirts of the French Quarter at the Basin St. Station.
Warehouse District:
It’s trendy, artsy, and thriving – the New Orleans Arts District is the place to be if you’re looking for a day of gallery hopping and great food. Walk along Julia Street in this neighborhood for a combination of both. It’s also home to one of the best happy hours, Meril.
