New Orleans
Nola is one of the most unique places in the United States. It’s been under Spanish, French, and English rule, and its rich blend of cultures can still be felt through the city’s architecture, cuisine, and personality.
The Basics
* New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport is about 25 minutes from the French Quarter by taxi. The fare is a flat rate of $36 for the first two passengers, plus a $15 surcharge for each additional person. Airport shuttles are slightly more—$24 for a one-way ticket, $44 round-trip—and run every half-hour or so to hotels and other locations.
*The French Quarter is easily navigated on foot, and the city’s streetcars can be useful if you’re planning to explore busy parts of the city like the Garden District, City Park, and the Superdome; a day pass costs $3. For everywhere else, taxis are readily available.
*The RTA GoMobile app allows you to prepay for public transit
*Nola has open container laws—meaning you can take your cocktails out of the bars and into the streets
Neighborhoods
*French Quarter: Between the Central Business District and the Marigny, this is where you'll find some of the best restaurants and nightlife in New Orleans. It’s one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods, home to the French Market and beautiful houses with decorative facades.
*Marigny: Full of ornate historic buildings, lowkey jazz clubs, and cute local shops. Adjacent to the French Quarter, it's an easy walk to find the artsy heart of the city and the Frenchmen Palace Market.
*Garden District: South of the French Quarter and Marigny area and slightly farther inland, you'll find NOLA's Garden District, home to the iconic Commander's Palace and lush, oak tree-lined streets. The district, which dates back to the 19th century, exudes Southern charm with its opulent mansions.
*Bywater: Sitting on the Mississippi River and bordering the Marigny is this boho-chic neighborhood. It's slightly quieter than the Marigny and significantly quieter than the French Quarter, but is bursting with arts and culture. Some of the city’s best galleries and vintage shopping is here.
*Central Business District: Also thought of as New Orleans' downtown, the bustling CBD is home to some of the city's most renowned restaurants and high-end hotels.
*Treme: Bordering the French Quarter, this area was founded in the 18th century, and is known for African American history, authentic Creole food, parades, jazz funerals, and the Backstreet Cultural Museum.
THINGS TO DO
Audubon Park
This beautiful park sits on the site of a former sugar plantation. You can take a street car through the Garden District to get there, a scenic 25-minute ride from downtown. Walk under the shade of live oaks hung with Spanish moss, and take in the park’s lagoons where you’ll spot egrets, herons, ibises, and ducks.
The National WWII Museum
This expansive museum tells the story of the second great war. There are exhibits on life at home—with old magazines, freedom gardens, and patriotic music. Life on the war front is thoroughly covered as well, one section of the building recreates Nazi-controlled Europe, while the other has visitors stepping through the jungles of the Pacific. It’s a fascinating museum.
Listen to jazz on Frenchman Street
While Bourbon Street brings the wild party vibe, Frenchman Street is less about drinking, and more about local music. Plan to spend an evening along a three-block stretch of small, informal clubs where there’s often no cover (so be generous when the tip bucket comes around). Notable clubs include the Spotted Cat, the Maison, Blue Nile, D.B.A., the Apple Barrel, and Snug Harbor. There’s often an impromptu brass band at the corner of Chartres and Frenchmen.
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Here is the largest collection of Southern art in the world. Visitors can explore exhibits that look at the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature, and culinary heritage to get a comprehensive story of the American South.
Tour a swamp
While it will take up a big chunk of the day, this experience is so worth it. I took a swamp tour through Cajun Encounters. A bus picks you up from the French Quarter and the ride takes just under an hour. You drive through bayous where people live in boat houses and shacks just off the water and are almost completely self-sufficient. Our bus driver told us all about how Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, but people still live there to be off the grid. Once we arrived at Honey Island Swamp, it was time for our tour. The boat glided through lush wetlands lined with trees draped in Spanish moss. It was both beautiful and eerie. We saw so many alligators. They came right up to the boat and the driver tossed them chunks of sausage. We also saw several adorable raccoons, who peeked at us curiously through the tall grass. It was a wonderful experience.
Le Vampyre Cabaret
Spooky and sexy meet in New Orleans, so it only makes sense that there’d be a vampire-themed cabaret at the Allways Lounge. Burlesque performers donning fangs sensually stripped to music, some also performing special talents. One performer sang a classic French Edith Piaf song and another dripped hot wax on her naked body under UV light. It was wild and utterly entertaining.
Other activities:
*Explore City Park
*Tour the Beauregard-Keyes House
*The New Orleans Museum of Art
*Backstreet Cultural Museum
*New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
*New Orleans Jazz Museum
*The Museum of Death
THINGS TO EAT
Commander’s Palace
Sitting inside a famous Victorian mansion, the Commander’s Palace has been serving haute Creole cuisine since 1893. It is probably the most iconic restaurant in New Orleans, and one of the fanciest. I ate there to celebrate my 30th birthday and it did not disappoint. To start, I got a tasting of all three soups they offer: turtle soup au sherry, creole gumbo, and their soup du jour. My entree was a BBQ pork chop served with bacon fat confit sweet potato and sweet corn miso crème fraîche. We got two desserts, the creole bread pudding souffle and the creole cream cheese cheesecake. And when we needed leftovers packed up, they came wrapped in an aluminum swan. Earlier in the day, we had all gotten tattoos and one of the artists had a girlfriend who served at the restaurant. We requested her, and after our meal she gave us a private tour of the restaurant, including the kitchen!
Cafe du Monde
Is this a bit of a tourist trap? Yes. Are the lines abysmal?Also, yes. But these beignets are popular for a reason. The coffee stand has been a staple since 1862. And if you’re visiting in the fall or winter, waiting in line isn’t even that bad, as there’s usually live street jazz performances going on. It can be pretty brutal in the summer, because of the oppressive heat. I wouldn’t recommend it in the summer anyway because there are tons of flies and the beignets feel way too heavy. But when I went in October, it was just perfect. Order a plate of beignets and they’ll come hot and piled with powdered sugar. Wash it down with a cafe au lait, their chicory coffee is delicious.
Bourbon House
My favorite Nola restaurant. It’s beautiful inside, and their charbroiled oysters are incredible, served in a creole bourdelaise butter. Those are a must-try. Non-negotiable! Any Louisiana staple will be great here: gumbo, shrimp remoulade, catfish—you can’t go wrong. My friend still talks about the alligator and crawfish rigatoni she had there. I also had one of my favorite N’awlins cocktails there—bourbon milk punch. It's made from housemade vanilla gelato, benchmark bourbon, and a sprinkle of nutmeg and is so damn good.
Other great restaurants:
*Willie Mae’s Scotch House
*Arnaud’s
*Addis NOLA
*Peche
*Booty’s
*Galatoire’s
*Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar
*Acme Oyster House
*Cochon
*The New Orleans Vampire Cafe
*Dooky Chase
*Mosquito Supper Club
*Degas
*Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
*Heard Dat Kitchen
THINGS TO BUY
M.S. Rau
An incredible antique shop in the French Quarter. There are countless ornate clocks, automaton animals, cabinets of autoplaying musical instruments, jewelry of the famous, and paintings by renowned artists like Monet, Renoir, Norman Rockwell, and more. You’ll also find furniture inspired by palaces around the world. Unless you’re well-off, this is more fun for looking than actual shopping.
Palace Market
An open-air market on Frenchmen Street. It’s only open at night, and it’s full of local art and artisan wares.
French Market
A popular open-air market and food hall where you can try local étouffée, char-broiled oysters, crawfish, and more.
Shops at the Colonnade
Another market full of local stores selling everything from souvenirs and pralines to tarot cards and vintage threads.
Louisiana Music Factory
A music shop selling records, CDs, and sheet music in a variety of genres, along with posters and t-shirts.
Nadeau
An interesting and unique collection of vintage furniture and accessories, mostly locally-sourced.
Faulkner House Books
This tiny, charming bookstore was once the home of famous author William Faulkner (it’s rumored to be haunted by him as well). A historical plaque outside the building states that Faulkner wrote his first novel, Soldiers’ Pay, while living there in 1925. The shop has a good selection of fiction and many books about New Orleans and local culture.
Tattoo Temple
Every time I travel somewhere, I like to get a souvenir tattoo. This time, I went to tattoo temple where Rachel Robinson gave me a tat of an oyster with a skull-pearl. She did a remarkable job!
THINGS TO DRINK
New Orleans is known for its open container laws and many famous bars. Here are a few I recommend:
Sazerac House
This art deco bar sits inside The Roosevelt Hotel and is named after America’s first cocktail, the Sazarac, which was invented in New Orleans. Another great drink to dry here is the gin fizz, a favorite of former Louisiana Governor Huey Long. Sip one while listening to the live piano music.
Carousel Bar
This merry-go-round bar has been slowly spinning since 1949. It may seem kind of gimmicky, but it’s actually so classy and beautiful. The bar also invented the Vieux Carré cocktail. Just plan ahead, because it fills up quickly.
Napoleon House
Tucked away deep into the French Quarter is this dimly-lit gem. Originally built as a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte, this 200-year-old landmark feels frozen in time, with its peeling plaster walls, exposed beams, classic polished bar, and opera arias playing in the background.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
If you are working your way down Bourbon Street, definitely stop here. The building is over 300 years old, possibly the oldest building in the country used as a bar. According to local lore, it was once the storehouse of Jean Lafitte, a Nola pirate. Today it’s best experienced at the candle-lit piano bar. If you tip the player, he’ll play whatever song you want.
Old Absinthe House
Ahhh, the Green Fairy. Some people love it, others think it tastes like laundry detergent. I am in the latter. This 200-year-old spot is definitely worth checking out, even if you aren’t a fan of absinthe. If you’ve never tried it, this would be the place to go! And you’d be joining a long litany of famous writers, artists, and historical figures.
Beach Bum Berry’s Latitude 29
Opened by tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in 2014, this is one of the best bars in the city with a menu full of classic tiki cocktails
New Orleans is a truly special place, where anyone can have a great time. Lovers of history will see it all over the place. Those looking to party won’t have to look far. And anyone interested in the supernatural will have plenty to discover. And, of course, beignets. I did mention beignets, right?
⁺˚⋆。°✩₊✩°。⋆˚⁺