Anyone Else Not Like New Orleans?

[Wishing on a star]

My BIL was there for work for quite a while.
My sister got to see the real New Orleans.
The good (she also had a hard time finding it) the bad and the ugly.
The VERY ugly.

Her reaction/opinion...
Never, NEVER, EVER again.

 

[FayeW]

I am going to a conference in NOLA in Sept, and I decided to bring my husband with me and make a mini vacation out of it. He was there with the CDN military helping clean up after Katrina, and he is looking forward to seeing it now.

We are going two days ahead of the conference to do some touristy stuff. I would love to have some recommendations on what the locals consider "must do" and recommendations for restaurants.

 

[minkydog]

DH and I grew up on the gulf coast, so we went to NO regularly. One of the top pleasures of mylife was introducing the kids to the wonders of Louisiana.

 

[Desiree]

I live about 90 minutes away from NO.

I think possibly, to have a good time in NO, you need to approach it the way a first timer needs to approach WDW - with lots of planning and lots and lots of questions to people who know the terrain.

I'm left wondering - did you do a walking tour of the French Quarter? Did you see the 1855 house? St. Louis Cathedral? Do the tour of St. Louis #1? The Presbytre? Did you go to the Aquarium? The Insectarium? The Museum at the US Mint? The WWII museum? Did you ride the riverboat? Why didn't you stop and just sit at Cafe du Monde for a while with beignets and cafe au lait? Did you check the crowd levels before you decided on that particular weekend and realize how many people would be there? Or read up on where the good public restrooms are? (Yes, there are some. You just have to know where they are - they're sort of tucked into the museums and national park stuff.) Did you check the map to find where Bourbon street was so you could make one pass to see the spectacle and then avoid it. (We take first timers through there once for a couple of blocks, and then we're done and do something that's really fun in the Quarter.)

I honestly didn't even recognize any of the restaurants you named - that doesn't mean other people won't, and I could have just missed them, but still, that gave me pause. I and all the other Southeast Louisiana folks would've happily steered you to the best eateries in the city. (These days I am in love with Couchon's for a good sit down meal and Boucherie, which a sandwich shop at the back of Couchon's, for a quick meal.)

I'm really sorry you had a bad time, but NO is a city that does take planning ahead to really enjoy - just like a Disney trip!

^^ this... I have lived in Louisiana my whole life and I can honestly say I have never heard of the places that you mentioned that you went to. I agree that there are a lot of areas that I can see would not be entertaining for lots of folks, but I think you really missed out on a lot more that the city had to offer. Walking tours, The French Market, WW2 Museum, Audubon Zoo, The Garden District are all things that appeal to me and when I bring company down to NOLA those are things that we do.

And besides all that, did you really get a chance to speak with any of the locals? Louisiana has some of the most friendly folks around. And I'm not naive enough to know that there isn't bad down there.. trust me, there is PLENTY of that. But it seems all you found was "bad" without even trying to find the good.

 

[Acklander]

I love new Orleans - the history, the architecture, the music, the food. I always describe it as a city with personality. Just like any city, it has it's good and it's bad. I agree with the others, you have to do your research.

 

[Robbi]

I don't know. Isn't it sort of like people saying they never need to go to brazil because they have seen enough Brazilian behavior from the btg's?

NOT MY POINT OF VIEW, AND I LIKE NEW ORLEANS BUNCHES!!

But, I was in Houston a lot around the time if Katrina, dealing with some Red Cross stuff. Even from the people trying to help, much of what I heard was not good about people scamming systems, playing agencies against one another and harassing locals also in need of services. That doesn't mean everyone from there is like that, just like all brazillians don't crash lines and chant.

A few bad apples after Katrina give NOLA a bad rep? Don't go to the Northeast then because my cousin lives in Tribeca and he has lots of stories to tell about people after Sandy.
Seriously, some people are rotten whether there has been a weather disaster or not. You can go anywhere in this country or in the world and there are bad people. I won't allow those few prevent me from revisiting a place I like or in the case of New Orleans, I love.

 

[Granny square]

A few bad apples after Katrina give NOLA a bad rep? Don't go to the Northeast then because my cousin lives in Tribeca and he has lots of stories to tell about people after Sandy.
Seriously, some people are rotten whether there has been a weather disaster or not. You can go anywhere in this country or in the world and there are bad people. I won't allow those few prevent me from revisiting a place I like or in the case of New Orleans, I love.

True. But if you are the one dealing with the bad apples they leave a bad taste. It is just the way it goes. That poster didnt love New Orleans already so they have no reason to believe it is anything different than what they experienced people wise...thus the btg analogy...

 

[SnowWhite607]

^^ this... I have lived in Louisiana my whole life and I can honestly say I have never heard of the places that you mentioned that you went to. I agree that there are a lot of areas that I can see would not be entertaining for lots of folks, but I think you really missed out on a lot more that the city had to offer. Walking tours, The French Market, WW2 Museum, Audubon Zoo, The Garden District are all things that appeal to me and when I bring company down to NOLA those are things that we do.

And besides all that, did you really get a chance to speak with any of the locals? Louisiana has some of the most friendly folks around. And I'm not naive enough to know that there isn't bad down there.. trust me, there is PLENTY of that. But it seems all you found was "bad" without even trying to find the good.

I would have to agree. Sounds like the OP didnt do anything that a typical tourist would do. Nothing like a jazz riverboat dinner cruise up and down the Mississippi, a ghost tour of the French Quarter, watching the street artists in Jackson Square, riding the streetcar, jazz brunch at the House of Blues.....all those things to me are typical New Orleans. I live about 25 miles north of the city.

And how about next time instead of complaining, you just ask for your salad with no basil.

Oh and as far as the Katrina thing, so sorry if some of us got a bit snarky at times. Like, our houses floated away in case you missed it on the news. I am sure I wasnt the most gracious houseguest all the time but knowing that my house was destroyed, that I would have to go thru months of insurance red tape, years of home remodeling and not knowing if I would have a job when I went home or if I would ever be able to keep my 4 year old safe from things like this can kind of grate on a person's nerves.

 

[SnowWhite607]

I am going to a conference in NOLA in Sept, and I decided to bring my husband with me and make a mini vacation out of it. He was there with the CDN military helping clean up after Katrina, and he is looking forward to seeing it now.

We are going two days ahead of the conference to do some touristy stuff. I would love to have some recommendations on what the locals consider "must do" and recommendations for restaurants.

You can do a cruise on the riverboat. If you go on certain evenings, they do dinner and a jazz band. The zoo and aquarium are fun. I would say definitely try to have a po-boy at Maspero's or Mothers. And beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde. That is a MUST DO for sure!

 

[esk]

DH and I went last year and we were not impressed but not horrified either. We liked Charleston better.

We loved the Garden District (stayed there, jogged it every morning, watch out for those cobblestones!) and did a walking tour, lunch at Commander's Palace, cemetery tour. Visited Frenchman Street (DH loves jazz) but we don't do well with smoke so only visited 2 places. Did not see Cafe du Monde because it was crazy crowded, we skipped it. Liked the trolley, loved Tulane area. French Quarter was nasty at 10 am on a Sunday morning.... we walked it and finally left, it smelled bad and there were drunks passed out on the streets. Thought the market was very touristy.

I would go back for the WWII Museum and to see the parts of the city that are NOT the French Quarter but then, there are many other interesting places I'd like to see, so don't know that we will go back.

But I have traveled to other places that are very popular and not loved them (Prague, Munich, Amsterdam) and loved others (Siena, London, Paris). What works for one doesn't work for all and while it sometimes makes you think "huh, everyone loves that but I didn't really like it" it doesn't make me feel anything other than "where to next?"

 

[Scornelius]

I think this thread should be titled "Anyone else not like basil", because that seems to be much more of an issue than the city itself.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I spent a week in NOLA as a kid and was bored out of my mind. But I was a kid. I would like to give it a try for a few days again someday now that I am adult. However I am not a big drinker so I would do research on other things to do while I'm there. I did enjoy a bayou tour when I was there, and I was dying to go on a Mississipi river boat, so that would be an option.

 

[minkydog]

I'm not a drinker either, but I manage to have an awesome time every time I go. There's waaaay more to NO than bourbon st. My fave is the New Orleans School of Cooking. A couple of hours of cooking and history, then you get toEAT what was cooked. Yum!

 

[EMom]

You can dislike NOLA and still like Louisiana just fine. On the way to NOLA, we stopped in St. Francisville for a few days and enjoyed that immensely.

 

[North of Mouse]

I live about 90 minutes away from NO.

I think possibly, to have a good time in NO, you need to approach it the way a first timer needs to approach WDW - with lots of planning and lots and lots of questions to people who know the terrain.

I'm left wondering - did you do a walking tour of the French Quarter? Did you see the 1855 house? St. Louis Cathedral? Do the tour of St. Louis #1? The Presbytre? Did you go to the Aquarium? The Insectarium? The Museum at the US Mint? The WWII museum? Did you ride the riverboat? Why didn't you stop and just sit at Cafe du Monde for a while with beignets and cafe au lait? Did you check the crowd levels before you decided on that particular weekend and realize how many people would be there? Or read up on where the good public restrooms are? (Yes, there are some. You just have to know where they are - they're sort of tucked into the museums and national park stuff.) Did you check the map to find where Bourbon street was so you could make one pass to see the spectacle and then avoid it. (We take first timers through there once for a couple of blocks, and then we're done and do something that's really fun in the Quarter.)

I honestly didn't even recognize any of the restaurants you named - that doesn't mean other people won't, and I could have just missed them, but still, that gave me pause. I and all the other Southeast Louisiana folks would've happily steered you to the best eateries in the city. (These days I am in love with Couchon's for a good sit down meal and Boucherie, which a sandwich shop at the back of Couchon's, for a quick meal.)

I'm really sorry you had a bad time, but NO is a city that does take planning ahead to really enjoy - just like a Disney trip!

Agree!!

Did the OP not even get our famous beignets and coffee??
Not walk on the Miss. Riverwalk, shop the mall there, take the Garden District streetcar, one of the riverboats, tour a lovely plantation home, eat some delicious crawfish gumbo?? I could go on and on.

I'm from Hammond, which is north about 45+ miles. I *love* going there, though even I never desired to live there. But, you can't just drop in out of nowhere without some advance planning and expect to know just where to go, where to eat, what to see.

New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the USA as far as I'm concerned. Bourbon St. makes no secret of what it becomes at night, so just don't go there Guess it's not for everyone, but it's part of home, sweet home to us south LA. folks. The food, for sure, is the best

 

[izzy]

I always remember an episode of Designing Women when the gals went to New Orleans for a convention and they all seemed to throw their inhibitions out of the window. They described New Orleans as "Disneyland for adults." Very appropriate from what I've seen on Bourbon Street!

Having said that, I love the beignets from Cafe du Monde, pralines from anywhere, and a little eating establishment called Mothers.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

Now that my kids are almost grown and out of the house, I've been planning my bucket list of places I want to visit. And this thread had pushed New Orleans to the top if the list (it was previously behind Memphis, Austin, Alaska and Boston). All of the suggestions of great places the OP might have missed have me longing to visit it even more. New Orleans sounds amazing, even for a non partier like me.
NOLA pros, how far does one have to venture from the city to visit a historic plantation. I've always wanted to visit one.

 

[momof1princess]

we spent December 30th - January 2nd in NOLA for the sugar bowl. DD15's high school marching band performed in the halftime show, and if i never seen NOLA again, it'll be too soon. everywhere we went, strangers followed our group, giving the girls skeevy looks and making vulgar, profanity-filled comments-even in broad daylight. i heard the "F" word more in my first 24 hours in NOLA than i've heard it my entire 41 years. even when the kids were wearing their band uniforms, they got vulgar comments. it was really appalling.

to be fair, EVERY restaurant we went to had GREAT service-the staff was awesome. we especially enjoyed the hard rock cafe (which had JUST opened at its new location that day), and i made sure i told the manager what a great time we had. the beignets and hot chocolate at cafe du monde were AMAZING, and the riverboat cruise, although VERY disorganized (and the food wasn't very good), gave us a lovely view of the city at night. we also had a great time at the sugar bowl-there was never a moment when i felt unsafe.

i realize my experience is unique, having been with a group of high schoolers, and it is JMHO. i do highly recommend the hard rock cafe, the WWII museum, michaul's, and a stop by the riverwalk mall. there is a fudge store, i can't remember the name, at the riverwalk, where they put on a show while they make the fudge-VERY entertaining. the food is VERY expensive-DD and i each got a chicken sandwich, fries, and a drink for her, and it was $20.69.

 

[themilesfamily]

My husband and I went many years back. We loved it. We stayed in a really neat little hotel -- The Hotel St. Helene -- in the French Quarter. Our room was a suite and had really beautiful furniture. It overlooked a courtyard.

We loved the New Orleans ghost tour. The tour guide was so fun and had a drink with us afterward. We enjoyed the voodoo museum. We loved Pat O'Brien's, the piano bar. We had a traditional New Orleans Sunday brunch.

Now my best friend went and she actively LOATHED it. For religious/personal reasons, she wouldn't have done almost any of the things we did. (ghost stuff, voodoo stuff, etc.) So I'm not sure what she did there. (I think she went with her husband who was there for a medical conference.) But she came back hating it.

To each his or her own.

 

[Desiree]

Now that my kids are almost grown and out of the house, I've been planning my bucket list of places I want to visit. And this thread had pushed New Orleans to the top if the list (it was previously behind Memphis, Austin, Alaska and Boston). All of the suggestions of great places the OP might have missed have me longing to visit it even more. New Orleans sounds amazing, even for a non partier like me.
NOLA pros, how far does one have to venture from the city to visit a historic plantation. I've always wanted to visit one.

I'd recommend Houmas House, Nottaway or Oak Alley. If you are willing to travel a bit further, I'd HIGHLY recommend a trip to Saint Francisville. Tons of plantations there, plus the most haunted house in America, The Myrtles.