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New Orleans
City Guide!
Visitor's
Information to the Big Easy
Distinctive buildings
give a look that is unique to New Orleans.
Before racing out to Bourbon Street,
get to know New Orleans with this informative orientation guide. Meet
the people here, lean what to expect, what to wear, how to get around
town and more.
Hurricane Katrina
It is impossible these days to discuss
New Orleans without mentioning Hurricane Katrina. It had such an impact
on the city when it hit in September of 2005 that it left an unforgettable
impression on people around the world and on the Big Easy itself.
And while New Orleans still works to fully recover – some areas
have yet to be rebuilt and the population is only about half its pre-Katrina
level – it is doing just fine in the main visitor areas. In fact,
if the images of the storm were not so vividly recalled, one would be
hard pressed to even know Katrina was even here.
The French Quarter, which hardly had any flooding at all to begin with,
is vibrant. The restaurants are all serving their tremendous uniquely-New
Orleans dishes, bands are playing in the bars on Bourbon Street and
the shops are selling the usual items from outlandish Mardi Gras beads
to fine artwork. The numbers of the crowds are down, to be sure, but
New Orleans is in prime position to flourish once again. For those who
want to get in the spirit of the city, there may be no better time to
visit than to visit right now, before getting a hotel room, a table
in a restaurant or even space at a bar becomes difficult again.
Arrival and Orientation
New Orleans' Louis Armstrong airport is
served my all major airlines. Taxis have a flat rate to downtown/the
French Quarter of $28 for one or two, or $14 each for 3 or 4 people.
The on-site Airport Shuttle is $13 each way. Limos are $35. For those
arriving by car, Interstate 10 is the main East-West thoroughfare running
into town.
It's not necessary to rent a car in New Orleans, as taxis and feet
work fine for transportation.
The first order of business for newcomers is to get a map. It's a simple
city to navigate, though North/South and East/West directions are seldom
used. In fact, one of the few directional symbols is the Robert E. Lee
statue at Lee Circle. Legend has it that he is facing defiantly to the
North (there are legendary stories about just about everything in New
Orleans). Use the Mississippi River as a natural boundry.
Canal Street is the main thoroughfare, and has been for quite some time.
It was originally designed to be a canal but the engineer ran off with
the money and it became a street instead. In the city's early years, it
was the dividing line between the French and the Americans. That's why
the same streets have different names on each side of Canal (Bourbon becomes
Carondlet, Royal is St. Charles, Decatur is Magazine, and so forth). Eventually,
the two sides realized it was better to join together than to fight and
the city became a united mix of people from America, France, Africa and
the Caribbean. New Orleans is a unique melting pot of cultures.
Beside the French Quarter, other parts of town are Uptown and the Garden
District. Uptown is just a few cable stops from Canal Street and contains
some very cool bars and restaurants. The Garden District is home to
the stately mansions of New Orleans lore, in essence an antebellum suburb.
It hugs St. Charles Ave. from Jackson Ave., to Louisiana Ave. Magazine
Street, home of the excellent National D-Day Museum, is an up-and-coming
area.
Where to Stay
The Monteleone and
LeRichelieu represent classic New Orleans properties.
Most people spend most of their time
in and around the French Quarter. There are several hotels – big
and small, chain and mom-and-pop – throughout this area.
When inquiring about accommodations, check and see how far the hotel
is from Bourbon Street. Anything beyond N. Rampart on one side (North)
or Poydras on another (West) is a bit of a hike. It's also not a good
idea venture past N. Rampart for safety reasons (see Crime and Safety,
below).
There are basically two types of hotels in New Orelans: Classic and
upscale. The former really defines the French Quarter, modestly-sized
red brick buildings with iron balconies. There are dozens in the city
and many are 4- and 5-star choices (there are budget choices, as well).
Two excellent choices in this area are the Hotel Montleone and Le Richelieu.
The Hotel
Monteleone dates to 1886 and is still a family-run property.
It features well-appointed singles, doubles, mini-suites and literary
suites,, two restaurants and the famous Carousel Bar that actually rotates
around to provide views of Royal Street, the piano lounge and the beautiful
lobby. It's heritage is built on the famous authors who have stayed
here – Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, William Faulkner, just
to name a few, and provides literary readings over lunch once a month.
Room rates range from $169-399. Reservations: ( 800) 535-9595. Read
our review of this hotel.
On the other end of the Quarter, the
LeRichelieu, is a historic hotel which defines the word
"charming." Located adjacent to the French Quarter on Chartres
Street, its guests have included Jimmy Buffett and Paul McCartney. Each
room is different but they all contain a refrigerator and free local
phone calls. At rates ranging from $85 (summer) to $300 (New Year's
Eve), it's one of the city's best higher-end hotel bargains. Free parking–
a rare luxury in big cities these days – is a huge bonus for
those with rental cars. Reservations:( 800) 535-9653. Read
our review of this hotel.
On the modern scale, it's hard to beat the quality, location and knockout
view of the Mississippi River at the Wyndham at Canal Place.
Reservations: (800) 996-3426 or (504) 566-7006.
Prices vary widely and for accommodations during Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest
or special events, book early.
The French Quarter
The French Quarter
contains a statue to Joan of Ark and artists along Jackson Square.
Bordered by Canal Street, N. Rampart,
the Esplanade and the Mississippi River, the French Quarter – or
simply "the Quarter" – is the heartbeat of New Orleans.
It is in this easily-walkable area that most of the city's bars, restaurants
and landmarks are located. Yes, that includes world-famous Bourbon Street.
But it also includes Jackson Park, Cafe du Monde and all manner of
restaurants, bars and shops.
Bourbon Street is, of course, it's most famous spot and is lined with
bars, balconies and drinkers. Royal Street, just one block over, is
much more stately and contains many of the city's most upscale shops
and galleries. Chartres is a PubClub favorite, a street traveled much
more by locals than by tourists. On it are a couple of cool distinctively
local bars, the Chart Room and Napoleon House. Decatur Street is where
most non-Bourbon tourists patrol, often headed to Jackson Square, Cafe
du Monde, the French Market, the many restaurants or Margaritaville
Cafe.
Getting Around
A comfortable pair of shoes is much more
important than car keys in New Orleans. This is a city made for walking.
In fact, even attempting to drive would invite frustration not only
for the visitors but for the locals, as well.
Not that the locals drive all that well. In fact, they drive like they
party – wild and uninhibited. They seem to get a thrill out of
chasing down pedestrians, forcing them to scramble to the sidewalk just
as the car passes, like a cat that barely makes it inside the door as
it shuts. Just like the cat, everyone seems to make it safely to the
destination.
Taxis are readily available, although the drivers don't exactly possess
"The Knowledge" of the street -savvy London
cabbies. So, if possible, provide at least the general area of a destination
(cross streets work fine).
When out of the French Quarter, don't be afraid to ride the Street
Car. The St. Charles Line goes down one of America's most famous
streets. Get off and tour the Tulane University campus. Use it to hop
from Uptown bar to bar. Or just take it for a leisurely ride. Just be
sure to have the $1.25 exact change ($5 for an all-day pass or $12 for
three days). There is also a line that runs along the Riverfront and
the city is constructing a Canal Street line. For more on the the Street
Car, see our Post
Party section or use it for a very cool pub
crawl to visit the locals' Uptown bars.
The Party Scene/Dress Codes
Bourbon Street balconies,
beads and babes combine to make New Orleans so crazy.
Think casually wild.
That is, dress casually and go wild.
First, the dress code. Shorts, sandals, t-shirts, skirts and other
low-key attire are all acceptable, even in many of the best restaurants.
It's
Key West casual because, like the Conch Republic, the sticky,
hot weather makes comfort much more preferable to style.
As far as the party scene, there are very few rules. For starters,
there is no last call. At some places, the bands don't even begin playing
until 3 a.m. – even on Sundays.
Cocktails of all concoctions are sold everywhere and it's perfectly
legal to drink on the streets. New Orleans has a wonderful "drink-to-go"
policy. Get a drink in a bar and if you don't finish it there, pour
it in a plastic"to go" cup and head someplace else. Most places
even allow people to bring in those drinks. On Bourbon Street, there
are so many bars packed in such a confined area that part of the adventure
is weaving in and out of the places like Jeff Gordon making his way
through lapped traffic at the Daytona 500.
New Orleans takes bar hopping to a whole new level. Not surprisingly,
people become quite intoxicated. Yet nobody seems to care. The police
stand by while people stagger down the street and only step in if there
is a problem. Rarely – amazingly, some might say – the problems
are few and far between. That's because the city has been doing this
for so long, it has created the perfect party environment. Revelers
know this, respect this and leave their bad behavior behind.
The Mardi Gras Beads
It wouldn't be New
Orleans without Mardi Gras beads.
Beads are to New Orleans what leis are
to Hawaii. They are everywhere and people do indeed line the Bourbon
Street balconies either to give them out or to collect them. Girls "earn"
beads by lifting their tops to expose their breasts; there is no shortage
of guys encouraging them to do so. This is a New Orleans tradition that
peaks at Mardi Gras but lasts throughout the year. Tourist Tips:
Locals don't wear beads and while dozens of places sell them on Bourbon
Street, they are cheaper on Decatur and at the French Market.
The People
New Orleans natives
love to party and don't mind sharing the city with visitors.
One of the coolest things about New Orleans
is the people. From waiters and waitresses to hotel doormen, bartenders
to bar patrons, tourists to locals, people here are just plain friendly.
Maybe it's because they either have a drink in their hand or on their
way to get one.
Locals, who speak in kind of a French-accented English with an Old
South spin called "Cajun," are an interesting group. They
seem to weave through life with little worries, absolutely love their
music and have the uncanny ability to party until sunrise and wake up
the next day as if they had spent the previous evening watching "American
Idol." They are as natural in a bar as Tiger Woods on a golf course.
Add a live band and they truly in their element.
There is also no visible evidence of racial tension in the city. There
is no attention paid to anyone's race, religion or origin. Regardless
of one's ethnicity or background, people are friendly to everyone (even
tourists!) and are always smiling. New Orleans sure has it right when
it comes to treating and hosting people.
Nobody Does Voodoo Like You Do/New Orleans Myths & Legends
Few cities anywhere in the World possess
New Orleans' interesting subcultures. On every street corner, it seems,
is one supposedly legendary story about a past life, person or event.
Many involve tales of ghosts and haunted houses and voodoo is no mystery
here.
Then there is the music. New Orleans is King of Music. While there
is some dispute as to what city is the birthplace of Jazz, there can
be no argument that it thrives here. Other types of music also flourish
– zydeco, Cajun bluegrass, brass bands and rock. In New Orleans,
these sounds fill the streets and bars, day and night.
Voodoo, by the way, was born of religion and became part of New Orleans'
culture in the 1830s when a local lady by the name of Marie Laveau began
a series of rituals, which seemed to cure the city's aristocratic women
of their problems.The Voodoo Museum is a good place to learn
more and experience this New Orleans tradition.
Safety and Crime in New Orleans
For the most part, New Orleans is safe.
This is the case even after Katrina. The biggest dangers in the prime
tourist areas have always been and continue to be stumbling drunk into
an oncoming vehicle or a lightpost or simply falling down in the street.
Most crimes involving tourists are pickpockets and petty theft, but
use common sense and stay alert. With many heavily inebriated partiers,
Bourbon Street can indeed present prizes to purse and wallet thiefs.
particularly during big events.If a particularly big parting evening
is planned, leave the purse and wallet behind. Take cash and one credit
card – plus an ID if needed – in a front pants pocket.
However, this is a major American city and one of the bummers of life
in this country is that big cities invite crime. Be aware of the surroundings
while at ATMs. The area just beyond N. Rampart on the French Quarter
side of Canal Street is the ghetto and an unsuspecting tourist –
especially one that has been living it up Bourbon Street – would
make for a tempting target. In the infamous Lower 9th Ward, where the
worst of Katrina flooding occurred, many gangs have set up shop and
drug-related deaths have become somewhat common. But it's so far removed
from the French Quarter in both lifestyle and distance that it's not
at all on the mental map for visitors.
When visiting Uptown, stay to the safety of St. Charles Street at
night. Small groups of girls can be vulnerable.
Weather/When to Go
The party rages nearly year-round in
New Orleans, so anytime is a great time to visit.
The wildest parties are Mardi Gras in late February/early March (depending
on Lint and Fat Tuesday) and Jazz Fest in late April/early May. And,
of course, there is New Year's Eve, which PubClub ranks as the World's
#1 NYE Party Destination. The city also hosts several conventions
and room rates adjust accordingly. Summer months are slow by comparison.
The weather is warm and the humidity is high. In the winter months,
the temperatures are mild, averaging in the mid-60s. There can be days
when it drops to the 30s, but it's just as likely to be 70 the next
day. The summers can be really hot. Hurricane season runs from June
1-Nov. 30, with October traditionally being the most active month.
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Article: First-Person Journal to New Orleans!
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