What are good places to go on my second visit to New Orleans?

Question

On this trip I want to visit some neat places that the common tourist doesn't normally go to, preferrably near the French Quarter.

Answer 1

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: http://www.nola.com/festivals/

There are many sightseeing opportunities in the greater New Orleans area, including carriage rides/tours, plantation tours, swamp tours, ghost tours, and even Katrina disaster tours. The steamboat Natchez also does a harbor tour. There are numerous tour companies and your hotel can help with the arrangements. Try to avoid scheduling an outdoor tour until you know the weather forecast for the day in question.

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

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

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). The first 5 blocks of Bourbon Street (starting at its intersection with Canal Street) are where almost all fo the strip clubs are located. The clubs have outside advertisng that is R-rated and pushes being X-rated. The rest of the FQ is fine, but I wouldn't recommend taking kids to the first 5 blocks of Bourbon Street.

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 (usually closed from late July to sometime in August).

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].

All of the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Commander's Palace, etc.) have reopened. The Pelican Club (on Exchange Alley in the FQ) is not as well known but is the same type experience. Reservations are a good idea, and probably essential on weekends. Tujaques Restaurant (823 Decatur Street) is very traditional and has moderate prices: www.tujaguesrestaurant.com

Cafe Degas is a very French 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: www.napoleonhouse.com

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

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.

New Orleans City Park has a variety of attractions, including an amusement park with rides and attractions for children plus free parking: (www.neworleanscitypark.com).

Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas about other things to do. The website also has an interacitve map.

Hope you have a great time!

Answer 2

Do a Tour of all the famous cementeries

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1:

Founded in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 on Rampart Street is the oldest existing cemetery in the city. There you will find the purported tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. New Orleans Cemetery tours are given by various groups, but an especially knowledgeable one is conducted by the group Save Our Cemeteries on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Meet at 621 Royal Street. The Cemetery is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 2:

St. Louis No. 2, established in 1823, is located in what is presently a more dangerous area of town. It is open the same hours as No. 1. Cemetery tours are available, although difficult to find, but it is highly recommended that visiting this cemetery be done only in guided tour groups.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3:

At 3421 Esplanade, the St. Louis #3 cemetery is probably the most accessible as well as the largest of the St. Louis group. Established in 1854, it contains the outstanding Byzantine tomb of the Hellenic Orthodox Community and the final resting place of Storyville photographer Ernest Belloq. Many tour buses go here, but you can safely wander through alone, and enjoy a self-guided cemetery tour. Take a photo tour.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1:

Lafayette No. 1 is the cemetery most often used in films made in New Orleans, and is across the street from the famed Commander's Palace Restaurant in the Garden District. It was the burial grounds for what was once the City Of Lafayette. Open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Save Our Cemeteries conducts cemetery tours Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Take a photo tour.

St. Roch Cemetery:

At 1725 St. Roch Avenue, this cemetery is off the beaten track. The most famous feature here is the Chapel built by Father Thevis in thanksgiving for deliverance from one of the frequent yellow fever epidemics of the 19th century. Recipients of favors have placed various souvenirs in the chapel, such as old leg braces, or replicas of body parts, to represent favors granted. Guided cemetery tours are recommended. Take a photo tour.

Metairie Cemetery:

Located at 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. and founded in 1872, Metairie is entered in the National Register of Historic Places. It contains diverse cemetery architecture, including a Roman temple, an Egyptian Revival tomb, and the memorials of the Army of Tennessee and the Army of Northern Virginia. Open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, it can be safely toured. Go to the funeral home office for information. Take a photo tour.

Cypress Grove Cemetery:

Sometimes called the Fireman's Cemetery, this cemetery was founded in 1840. Numerous graves and vaults commemorate deceased firemen, and there are several unusual tombs such as that of the Chinese association Soon On Tong. Located at 120 City Park Avenue near the convergence of Canal Street, there are several other cemeteries to tour in the area.

Greenwood Cemetery:

At 5242 Canal Blvd., Greenwood is home to the Protective Order of Elks Society tomb, as well as to other society tombs of varying groups. Writer John Kennedy Toole ("A Confederacy of Dunces") is buried here.

Hebrew Rest Cemetery:

Located at 2100 Pelopidas St., Hebrew Rest was founded in 1872. The beautiful gates were made for the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial in 1884 and are the only existing structures from that event.

Gates of Prayer Cemetery:

The oldest extant Jewish cemetery in New Orleans was founded in 1846. Located at Canal and Bernadotte Streets, it contains many older tombstones with Hebrew inscriptions. There is also a tomb in the form of a lighthouse commemorating a merchant who dedicated his life to the Lighthouse For The Blind.

Answer 3

I've been three times and you should go to the camilla grill.

SO GOOD! and open late  

Answer 4

The zoo. New Orleans has a wondeful zoo. Fishing New Orleans has great fishing. Food it's every where! Stay away from Baton Rouge, a waste of good property.

Answer 5

Umm if you don't want to go where the common tourist goes, I wouldn't recommend the French Quarter.