New Orleans in early March

[WDWorld2003]

We are possibly headed to New Orleans in early March for 6 nights. We have made reservations at the Hampton Inn on St. Charles St. in the Garden District as this is close to the event we may be attending. We have never been there before and would love some advice. We are in our mid 60's and haven't done a city vacation in years. We tend to go on vacations to the mountains or lakes these days.

Best transportation to hotel from airport?
Is hotel in a good, safe location?
Things to do in the Garden District

Thanks!

 

[JLTraveling]

I live in NOLA, so I'm happy to answer your questions. The Hampton on St. Charles is just fine. Nothing fancy, but I've had friends stay there and say it's clean and comfortable. That area is just down the street from the big, fancy Garden District mansions, so you'll definitely want to see those. You can either walk around on your own or take a tour. I recommend Haunted History, they are in my opinion the best-researched tours in the city. That would be their "Homes of the Rich and Famous" tour. https://hauntedhistorytours.com/our-tours/garden-district-tour-new-orleans/ If you have any interested in the ghost/vampire/voodoo history of the city, take a look at their full tour list--ALL of them are worth the time and money, so just take your pick.

You'll also want to visit Lafayette Cemetery, which is just a few easy walking blocks from your hotel. It's currently closed for repairs, but will likely be open by your trip. If not, you can still see quite a bit of it through the gates. We're known for our elaborate above ground cemeteries (Cities of the Dead), and that's one of the most stunning.

You may also want to dine at Commander's Palace, which is across the street from the cemetery. It's been a landmark since 1893 and has launched the careers of innumerable chefs, including Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme.

You'll be on the streetcar line, so DEFINITELY make some time to take the streetcar to the French Quarter. It'll end on Canal Street, and then you just have to cross that street on foot. Bourbon Street is one of those must-see tourist places, but you won't want to spend much time there. Gawk at everything, take a few pictures, and then get off it again. You could easily spend your 6 days just strolling through the French Quarter, so leave plenty of time to explore. If you're into high-end antiques, you'll want to walk down Royal Street. If you're into vintage stuff that hasn't been all polished and shined up, head to Decatur Street around the intersection of Barracks. If you want to visit voodoo row, head down Dumaine Street to the voodoo temple, museum, and shops. Be sure to visit the French Market, which still hosts a produce market on the weekends along with a huge flea market that's open every day.

Also make time to visit Jackson Square, which is the literal and figurative heart of the French Quarter. You'll find visual artists and mimes during the day, and tarot readers at night. There are also three museums along the Square, as well as the St. Louis Cathedral, which is the oldest still operating Catholic cathedral in the US. Be sure to get beignets (French donuts) and cafe au lait (coffee with chicory and milk) at Cafe du Monde across the street.

Otherwise, it just depends on what you're into. We have tons of museums and tourist attractions of every description, incredible food and drinks on every corner, live music in every bar and on the street....

As for transportation from the airport, I'd take Uber/Lyft. It's quick, easy and reliable, and not very expensive. Other than the streetcar, you can get around on foot the rest of the time. The city is very walkable. Use street smarts, stay close to other people, carry cash but don't flash it around, and you should be fine. Oh, and if someone bets they can tell you where you got your shoes, tell them "on my feet right here in New Orleans" and keep walking. It's a common scam.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[leebee]

Hi, we are in our sixties and my sister lives just outside New Orleans; sometimes we stay with her, sometimes we get a hotel because we want to be IN the city. If you are interested in French Quarter hotel, we've stayed at the French Market Inn. The location is great for walking around the Quarter, hitting restaurants, etc. When we stayed out of the Quarter, off St. Charles (Prytania Park Hotel) we found we spent a lot of time traveling in and out of the Quarter, and wished we'd done a split stay (so staying part near the event location and part of our time in the Quarter). That's just our experience, though. One of our favorite things to do is go to the demo cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking- we've done it a couple of times! We also enjoyed the WWII museum and the museums in Jackson Square (the Cabildo, can't think of the other one). We tend to spend a lot of our free time just walking around the Quarter, checking out all the shops and sites!

 

[WDWorld2003]

Wow -thank you to both of you - really great information! Excited about many of the things you both mentioned!

We are going to a wedding in the middle of our visit which is at Southport Hall so probably don't want to take the time to move. I believe that is close to the Garden area - the Hampton St. Charles was one of the hotels they recommended. We could stay at another Hilton property in the French Quarter (we have points to use). I see they have the Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria (not great online reviews), Homewood Suites, another Hampton, and a Hilton Garden Inn. The Hilton Riverside is sold out.

Another possibility for us would be the Westin on the River?

 

[NotUrsula]

I didn't realize that the old Southport Club had become a wedding venue; hard to imagine from it's reputation in my youth, but that was a LONG time (and apparently 3 owners) ago. It still is in a rather industrial area, however, so I can't imagine you'll be spending any time really near the venue except for the wedding itself. (It's right under the levee just across the line into Jefferson Parish).

One thing I can tell you; that particular Hampton Inn is favored by medical travelers; it's very close to Touro Infirmary and some LSU Health Center facilities are nearby as well. If you're staying a week or so and there are no wedding-related events being held Uptown on other days, then I'd put yourself closer to the Quarter (if not the Quarter itself, the CBD or nearby). The wedding will be a bit farther, but not an enormous distance (about 6 miles).

 

[GSDGlitter]

It's not in the Garden District, but something my husband and I love exploring is the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (admission to the garden is free). The museum itself is also fantastic!

 

[NotUrsula]

FYI, NOMA is in City Park, at the opposite end of Canal Street/Blvd from the River. You can take the Canal St. streetcar line out to it from the CBD.

FWIW, New Orleanians base directions on orientation re: major bodies of water; the Mississippi River and/or Lake Ponchartrain. Orleans Parish and the City proper is the East Bank (of the River), Jefferson Parish (mostly suburbs) is primarily the West Bank (except naturally, in this case, the bit of it where you are attending that wedding is on the East Bank as well.) This directional practice results in some oddities, such as being able to stand on the Orleans Parish side of the River and watch the sun rise over the West Bank in some locations.

Anyway, there is no downtown, though there is an Uptown (the area straddling St. Charles Ave near the campuses of Tulane and Loyola). What most people would consider "downtown" is known as the CBD (Central Business District), which is just across Canal Street from the French Quarter (aka The Quarter, or the Vieux Carre). Directly on the other side of the CBD from the Quarter is the Warehouse District, which was revitalized at the time of the 1984 World's Fair, and which houses a lot of popular hotels and restaurants as well. The city is very compact; though the suburbs sprawl quite a bit.

Canal Street is the City's main ground-level thoroughfare, it begins at the river ("The Foot of Canal") and runs straight across the city to jog a little right at Greenwood Cemetary (as Canal Blvd) before continuing to the Lakefront, connecting the two cardinal bodies of water. Near the River, Canal divides the French Quarter from the Central Business District. The NE boundary of the French Quarter is Esplanade Ave, beyond which is the Faubourg Marigny, which has been mentioned in the other thread active right now. The NW boundary of the true tourist district of the old City is Rampart Street; (maybe Loyola/Basin, but that's mostly medical tourism and for visitors to events at the Superdome.)