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Welcome to New Orleans New
Year's Party Guide!
Finding Fun in the Big
Easy
New Orleans explodes
with fun anytime, and particularly on NYE.
New Orleans and New Year's Eve go together
like rum and red drinks.
In fact, it's often difficult to tell New Year's Eve from any other
day of the week on Bourbon Street.
That is, unless one has been to Bourbon Street on New Year's Eve.
This year will be especially lively as fans from Alabama pour into town to watch their #4-ranked Crimson Tide play in the Sugar Bowl. New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl have a special place in the hearts and minds of Bama fans. See why in our Sugar Bowl Fans and Party Guide.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Where's The Party?
It may seem as obvious as drinking a
Hurricane, but the party is all up and down Bourbon Street. The major
madness is around the Cat's Meow. This is where the packed balconies
peak and girls trade peeks of breasts for beads.
The
most popular bar is Pat O'Brien's. By 11, the line stretches around
the block, so if you want to go in, go early (say by 9). The best place
to party in Pat O'Brien's is the back outdoor patio.
At midnight, much of the crowd shuffles over to Jackson Square about
10 minutes away. This is where a ball drops. Don't worry about missing
anything on Bourbon Street – there is no official time for bars
to close in this city, so hearty partiers can go all night.
 The
real beauty of Bourbon is it's openness. Drinking is permitted in the
street – that's the case everywhere in the French Quarter –
and there are dozens of places to purchase all manner of alcohol. This
includes not only bars but small stores with a counter that serves frozen
drinks, jello shots and cheap beer. There's live music everywhere, from
jazz to rock to zyedeco.
Then it's walking up and down the street, stopping along the way to
meet other revelers and traveling in and out of the various bars. Those
bars include the aforementioned Pat O'Brien's, home of the rum-filled
Hurricane; Tropical Isle, renowned for the hand grenade ("New
Orleans' strongest drink!" it proudly proclaims); the Big Bad
Wolfe with rock 'n roll bands and for the young at heart with a
dancing pulse Cat's Meow; Razzoo and Bourbon Street Blues.
There are more bars down the many side streets. Among them are the
Shim Sham Club, which is where locals love to go to dance; the
Gold Mine with it's Flaming Dr. Pepper drink and the appropriately
named Dungeon.
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafe serves up cheeseburgers
and cold draft beer near the French Market and New Orleans veterans
always make a stop at Tipitina's. There are two Tipitina's locations:
the one at 233 N. Peters is the original and the one on Decatur Street
is only open when bands are playing. Tipitina's generally hosts wildly
popular local bands such as The Radiators and The Neville Brothers which
have an almost cult following.
The Sugar Bowl Factor
Revelers from both teams are all over
the French Quarter for days leading up to the game. (This year's event
is Friday, Jan. 2). They are easy to spot – team jerseys, t-shirts
and school colors abound.
As mentioned earlier , this year promises to be extra festive because one of the teams is Alabama and it's been quite a while since the Crimson Tide has been to the game. Add to the fact that New Orleans is a kind of a second home for Bama fans (plus the fact it's impossible to walk down Bourbon Street without hearing a cover band playing "Sweet Home Alabama") and it's a Roll Tide party.
Their presence only adds to the intensity. Certain schools party more
than others, of course (click
here
to see which ones). Yes, Alabama is in that list.
Bourbon Street bars
are as full of energy as they are of people.
Top Tips
• Stick to the same color of drink. In the French
Quarter, there are a rainbow selection of colored cocktails –
blue, red, green, etc. – and the key to avoiding a terrible ending
to the night is to pick a color and stick with it.
• The frozen drink stand next to Pat O'Brien's Bourbon
Street entrance serves jello shots made with everclear.
• Check the weather forecast before the trip. New
Orleans can be warm, wet or chilly this time of the year.
• Secure a room early. New Orleans' legendary party scene
makes it a popular place to spend the New Year and in turn this makes
getting a hotel room early an essential part of the planning. Wait too
long and risk being stuck on the outskirts of town. The Sugar Bowl takes
up many rooms and this adds to the situation.
Overall, expect to pay in the $200 range a night for a room in the
French Quarter. Of course it's most convenient to stay right in the
Quarter. Staying across Canal Street can provide some financial relief;
it's about a 5 minute walk to Bourbon Street.
Key
Links
Releated Articles:
• New
Oleans After Kartina
• The
Bartender in New Orleans
• New Orleans, the #1 NYE Party Place!
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