New Orleans for cheap?!?

Question

I know some things has changed since I last went to New Orleans so even though I have asked this question before ages ago- i wanted to see- any advice for great ways to enjoy new Orleans VERY CHEAPLY. I will be staying 2 blocks off of the French Quarter and likely will not be driving. Will be with friends who like to drink and party, but want to enjoy the culture as well as the fun. Thanks1

Answer 1

Well stay out of the strip clubs yes they tell you it is free to get in but most places have a 2 drink minimum at like 8 bucks per drink.

Answer 2

Some suggestions given are good already. Here are some food suggestions.

Coop's Place

[phone]

1109 Decatur St

New Orleans, LA

http://www.coopsplace.net/

Good new orleans style food options, casual bar and restaurant

or

Liuzza's by the Track

[phone]

1518 N Lopez St, New Orleans, LA

If you want burgers try

Yo-Mama's Bar & Grill

[phone]

727 Saint Peter St

New Orleans, LA

I think they are the best

More well known and very popular (always a wait)

Port of Call

[phone]

838 Esplanade Ave

New Orleans, LA

http://www.portofcallneworleans.com/

For Tapas try this place. Casual local joint, great bar too.

Mimi's In The Marigny

2601 Royal St

New Orleans, LA 70117-7355

Phone: [phone]

For mexican

Juan's Flying Burrito

[phone]

2018 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA

http://www.juansflyingburrito.com/

For pizza

Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

[phone]

95 French Market Pl, New Orleans, LA

http://www.louisianapizzakitchen.com/

For fried chicken and other new orleans style options

Fiorella's

[phone]

45 French Market Pl

New Orleans, LA

Great Poboys

Mother's

[phone]

401 Poydras St

New Orleans, LA

http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/

Answer 3

find little bars off of Bourbon.

if you go to Pat O's remember to cash in your glasses at the end, they are charging you like you are taking them home.

buy some bottles at the grocery store and mix your drinks in your room.

you can drink on the street BUT only out of PLASTIC cups and jugs.

don't expect to bring any drinks into a bar or club.

strip clubs Gold club or Hustler club avoid the rest. go in early.

don't run a tab, pay cash.

don't wear expensive jewelry or watches. put your wallet in the hotel safe just bring your ID and some cash.

don't buy drugs or women on the street, too many undercover cops and rip offs.

be safe have fun, don't let friends wonder off by them self or stay behind for one more drink stay together keep and eye on each other.

Answer 4

Clubs like Razzo's and Bourbon Street Blues Co. always have 3 for 1 beers.  Eat cheap at Maspero's, don't go to the Casino or Strip joints.

The is a grocery store called Rouse's on Royal Street.  Go there and stock up on a few 12 packs for getting your buzz on before hitting the streets

Answer 5

New Orleans is relatively inexpensive compared with citis like NY and LA, but prices for maot things (including food & drink) are about the national average. However, you will pay more at bars in the first 7 blocks of Bourbon Street than you would for the same drink a block away.

Potentially cheap things to do in New Orleans:

Mardi Gras and the Jazz Festival are world famous events, but New Orleans hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout the year:  www.nola.com/festivals

The Saint Charles Streetcar is the oldest continuously operating street railway in the world and is a "tourist attraction" in its own right.  It is part of the public transit system, as are the Canal Street and Riverfront streetcar lines:  www.norta.com

There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.

Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so KNOW THE PRICE before you sit down. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can't be any confusion at the end of the evening.

An incomplete guide to bars & clubs:   http://www.neworleanscheapdrinks.com/

About certain alcoholic beverages:  Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 ½ ounces of alcohol. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 ½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor.  They don’t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge.

Wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, watch the street entertainers (do tip), and visit some of the historic buildings that have been turned into museums (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions).

Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and eat in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or in Jackson Square (a very nice park).

The Riverwalk shopping center has an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com).  The Canal Place shopping center is in the French Quarter and has a cinema and higher-end shopping (Saks 5th Avenue, Brooks Brothers, etc.)

The lobby for the Westin Canal Place Hotel is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack:(www.westin.com).

Cafe du Monde is in the French Quarter and you shouldn't miss having cafe au lait & beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d'Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is open from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food in addition to pastry.

The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, has moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel [phone] (reservations are important and they are not open every day). The Palm Court is closed from about July 25th to about September 25th each year.

Maximo's Italian Grill has great food and atmosphere: 1117 Decatur Street in the French Quarter, [phone].

Cafe Degas is a very French and moderately priced restaurant near City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays (504-945-5635).

The Napoleon House restaurant is at 500 Chartres Street in the FQ, and has a menu of great local dishes:  http://www.napoleonhouse.com/

Preservation Hall has traditional live Jazz, and doesn’t serve alcohol so all ages are welcome:  www.preservationhall.com/

New Orleans has ballet, opera, a symphony orchestra, and theatre:

www.nobadance.com

www.neworleansopera.org

www.lpomusic.com

www.lepetittheatre.com

There is a free ferry across the Mississippi at the "foot" of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/canal_stree...

The Aquarium, Audubon Zoo, and the new Insectarium are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. The Zoo is several miles from downtown. You can drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or take public transit from the French Quarter.

The Louisiana State Museum is in the French Quarter:  http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/  New Orleans is also home to a number of other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is in the central business district but a long walk from the French Quarter. NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but has free parking.  Go to www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on more museums.

Harrah’s Casino is in the Central Business District: www.harrahs.com  (age 21 required for entry)

New Orleans City Park has a variety of attractions + free parking: (www.neworleanscitypark.com).

Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas about other things to do.

Hope you have a great time!

Answer 6

Avoid Bourbon St like the plague.

Some things I like to do are ride the streetcar around, hit up Camellia Grill on Carrollton, pubcrawl on Frenchman St, watch street musicians on Decatur and then get wasted with them and play washtub bass, try to inspect every used bookstore in the Quarter, taking photos in the cemeteries (at night for a challenge), free movie night every Tuesday at the Iron Rail, hitting up the art museum (free for residents but maybe not you, sorry) and the botanical gardens and the parks, exploring abandoned buildings especially Dixie Brewery which is the most awesome view of the city you will ever see. Riding the ferry to Algiers point and walking around, going to hole in the wall bars and diners over there, it's very quaint. Haggle in the French Market. Buy some sequinned mardi gras outfits from Decatur St thrift stores and then mix and match them and wear them out to a transvestite bounce rap show (the chicks love sissy bounce, I promise). Sundays the Hare Krishnas have kirtan (Indian music) and then a big free vegetarian dinner up on Esplanade by the Fairgrounds.

Also, I really like the aquarium, but it's kind of steep. They do sell beer at the IMAX thatre though :)