What part of town is the best place to stay in New Orleans? What area has the most "stuff" to do? What kind of "stuff" is there to do?

I need some suggestions, as Mrs relaxedPax and I are going to be there for a weekend. Any ideas would be great.

relaxedPax

Two words: French Quarter. All you have to do is show up, and "stuff" will happen. Search the FT Community threads from back in January--there was a "Do" there and you should be able to glean a few ideas. The Quarter can be quite noisy at night, so if you're looking for a good night's sleep you may want to stay a few blocks away. NO is a good walking city, and cabs are fairly cheap.

A few recommendations for a classic New Orleans weekend. Have coffee & beignets at the Cafe du Monde. Try lunch at the Acme Oyster House. Ride the streetcar to the Garden District. Have a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's. Visit the D-Day Museum (not quite a classic, but . . .). There are also casinos if you're into that.

Just be careful about the beignets at the Cafe du Monde. I may be speaking as a skeptic here, since I was down there for Mardi Gras. But, I stood in line for almost an hour to get a "beignet"....it turns out they are nothing more than what we call funnel cakes back home.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by warmsnickers:
A few recommendations for a classic New Orleans weekend. Have coffee & beignets at the Cafe du Monde. Try lunch at the Acme Oyster House. Ride the streetcar to the Garden District. Have a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's. </font>

Good suggestions!

Cafe du Monde coffee is great, the fried dough can be passed up. We like to take our coffee to the levy and watch the boats.

Acme is good, but I prefer Felix's Oyster house (across the street) for more of a "broken in" feel. They'll yell "Belly Up!" when you walk in so you'll come up to the stand up oyster bar and get your raws. There is sit down as well. Muffaletta's from Central Grocery. Po' Boy sandwiches from a variety of places.

Take the street car! and also take a walking tour of the area.

I'm glad Warmsnickers said "A" hurricane, more than that and you may have to assist your wife home like I did http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

I also VERY highly suggest renting a car for a day and driving west of New Orleans into Plantation country along the Mississippi. There are two plantations well worth visiting and taking the tours offered. The first is Oak Alley which is a traditional English style plantation

http://www.oakalleyplantation.com

The second is not as well known, Laura Plantation

http://www.frenchheritagesociety.org/laura%20plantation.htm

Laura Plantation is a Creole style plantation which is VERY VERY different from the English.

Both these can be done in one day w/o stretching yourself. Plus you get to see some neat bayou country on your drive out there.

Be sure to check out the Flyertalk Dining forum for more New Orleans eats suggestions.

edited to add, to answer your question "New Orleans - What's it all about?" is tough, but IMO it is about experiencing a unique culture/way of life that is no where else in the US.


[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 09-06-2002).]

There are many things to do in New Orleans.
Some of the things that I did during my summer trip to New Orleans:
• Ride the Streetcar up and down historic St.
Charles Avenue.
• A Riverboat Cruise on the Mississippi River (Steamboat Natchez).
• Walk through the French Quarter and browse
the French Market.
• Visit St. Louis Cathedral and Jackon Square.
• Visit Bourbon Street, with blocks of jazz
and other kind of music clubs, restaurants,
souvenir shops, etc.
• Eat Beignets at Cafe Du Monde.
• Eat at Mulate's Restaurant- Cajun food and
music.
• Take a stroll by the riverwalk.
• Garden District Walking Tour.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

I will let you know after we return how it was.


relaxedPax

Go to Mother's (the restaurant) and have lunch! Po boys, red beans and rice are both worth having. They have a web site for exact location. It's near Canal st downtown. Dookie Chase is another N.O. tradition. Other side of I-10 from Superdome area. Just take a cab cause you'll never find it on your own. Great Creole cuisine.

Having lived there 2 years, I miss it daily. Visit the French Quarter, the Garden district, Aubodon park, etc. The food's good just about anywhere. Just try to get away from the obvious tourist places, its all good! Just don't fall for the "I bet you I know where you got your shoes" trick!

Bump (since I'm planning to go to NO for a long weekend next month)

Anyone else have any ideas?

Having just spent the past six days in New Orleans I can say a few things.

Dooky Chase is great (definitely cab it, the neighborhood is a bit dicey) and enjoy Leah Chase's amazing art collection. She is amazing.

Mother's is a concept, like the Pantry in LA, its a place that quite memorable. Having said that, I didn't like the food, but I am glad to have gone. Beware, if there is a convention at the Hyatt or the convention center, don't even try to go at lunch.

I loved Stella! a great restaurant right next the hotel provincial (where we stayed). The best food we had the whole six days. I was seriously craving vegetables by then.

I thought NOLA was over rated, overhyped and way too loud. Maybe I'm jaded due to all the great food we eat when we travel, but it didn't do anything for me. okay, the coffee creme brulee was divine. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

I liked the cafe du monde beignets and my pants are rather unforgiving right now.

Take the NPS architectural tour if your schedule allows. Go to Jean Lafitte park (on decatur) and enjoy the Park Service interpretation. The cemetery tours are also pretty interesting from what I've heard.

The streets are fantastic in the morning, go for a walk and see NOLA as a community.

I am soo bummed I missed the garden district, I will have to return just to see the housing there.

Great housing and commercial stock if you are into architectural history. I was swooning.

lala

I've always had great meals at K Pauls (Paul Prudhomme's restaurant). My last visit, I stayed at a Marriott that was convenient to the French Quarter; no major problems or noise that I remember.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by richabk:
Just be careful about the beignets at the Cafe du Monde. I may be speaking as a skeptic here, since I was down there for Mardi Gras. But, I stood in line for almost an hour to get a "beignet"....it turns out they are nothing more than what we call funnel cakes back home.

</font>


I have no idea where you went but I have never waited an hour at Cafe Du Monde and a funnel cake is a completely different beast than a beignet and if absolutely delicious. Enjoy it with a steaming cup of cafe au lait.

One of the better values in the city is the Sunday brunch at Court of Two Sisters. If the weather is nice request a table on the patio.

I find K-Pauls to be overrated. Last I checked they didn't take reservations which I find extremely annoying.

If you don't mind a cab ride Pascal's Manale has the best BBQ shrimp you have ever tasted.

Don't forget to take in a performance of the Jazz Band at Preservation Hall. You'll get to hear dixieland jazz played at its best in an authentic setting and pay only a pittance for a ticket. A must see....