New Orleans - Needing some help on things to do and see... if You Please

[aprilchem]

Do you feel its unsafe to walk around during the day? Night? Would it be unsafe for us to walk from Harrahs to the WWII museum during the day? We were thinking about doing a night walking tour, so do you think that we should skip it? going out at night?

New Orleans is fine. I've been there dozens of times for conferences, and was just there with a friend for a conference right before shutdown. You can walk around, even at night, without fearing for your safety. I wouldn't walk alone in the middle of the night, but the two of us (two smallish women) walked around all over the place and I never worried about my safety.

 

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

We were on a cruise out of NOLA and got out of dodge just as Covid 19 was starting to take off. We really enjoyed the WWII museum and could have stayed there all day. The movie there is worth it to pay the extra money (but bring a sweater or jacket as it was freezing in there). We also went to Mardi Gras World (and I believe the owner died not too long ago) and that starts out with a movie and you get a piece of King Cake and then walk through the place and see lots of floats and props. We also did a horse and buggy ride which we caught right outside of Jackson Square and also did the St. Louis Cathedral. Enjoyed the artisans that were drawing and selling their wares on the fence around the cathedral. We were only there 2 days after the cruise and I would have liked to go to the Apothecary museum as my daughter is a pharmacist but it was only open from Tuesday through Sunday and we didn't realize this until too late. We also went to Cafe du Monde and the bar that has a carousel inside it (not sure of the name??). We did have breakfast at the Ruby Slipper and order their pig candy bacon...to die for! We were always aware of our surrounding like in any big city and we stayed at the Mariott (near the Hard Rock hotel)--only drawback was when we looked out our window (and we have a two bedroom suite), we could see the tarp from the Hard Rock from the accident there. The only time we felt a little unsafe is when we were leaving the city..we called an Uber and it was early morning (5:00 a.m.) since our flight was at 7:00 a.m. My daughter took the luggage rack down to wait for the Uber while my husband and I ran to the bathroom and as we were coming out to join her, several men approached her and asked her if she needed anything. She is pretty street smart having gone to Pharmacy school in Boston and she politely said "no" (she is 30) and as soon as they saw us join her, they took off. Not sure if they meant to cause trouble but something to think about. Enjoy NOLA...wish we had more time there to go to the Garden district and ride a trolley!

 

[NotUrsula]

At that time of year, you need to go to a crawfish boil. Because of the pandemic most of the places that do per-person boils are take-out only, but there are a few that have outdoor seating. Ciesi's is probably a good option; they are on Bienville in Mid-City; you can get there via the Canal St. streetcar if you like, get off at Alexander St. (4 blocks past Carrollton), and then walk 2 blocks to the northeast. (You will probably want to take a car back to the CBD after dinner, though.)

Here is a tip if you've never eaten boiled crawfish: before you go, grab that little bottle of hand lotion from the hotel bathroom and take it with you. When you wash your hands after eating, generously "wash" them with lotion before adding soap; making sure to rub thoroughly and get it under your nails as well. The oil in the lotion will bond with the oil from the crawfish drippings, making it possible to easily and completely remove all the pepper oil from your skin. Be especially careful not to touch your eyes until your hands have been thoroughly cleaned; the oil on your fingers will make your eyes sting. (Many people who normally wear contacts will wear glasses to a boil, so as to avoid having to take out the contacts afterward.)

The museum with the Katrina Exhibit and the Mardi Gras exhibits as well is the Presbytere, next to St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. The Cabildo is on the other side of the church. Both buildings are part of the Louisiana State Museum, and I advise touring them both (the Cabildo has a new exhibit on the Battle of New Orleans which I haven't seen yet.) You also might want to consider the exhibition rooms of the Historic New Orleans Collection; they are in the 500 block of Royal St. Pretty much all the museums in the city are requiring patrons to get tickets in advance on their websites so that they can control visitor traffic, so be sure to go online before you leave and book your visit times. The other "Mardi Gras museum" that has been mentioned here is Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World, which is on Algiers Point (take the ferry over.) Kern Studios designs and builds most of the parade floats used during Carnival, and the tour there is primarily about parades and the art of float building, while the one at the Presbytere is more about the Balls and the traditions of the season, including some truly magnificent costumes.

PS: A few directions, because in NOLA they are given a bit differently. All areas of the city at large are defined as being on the East Bank or the West Bank of the Mississippi River, and that designation follows the curve of the river, so it is possible to stand on the West Bank and watch the sun set over the East Bank. Everywhere tourists are likely to go without a car will be on the East Bank except Algiers Point, which is on the West Bank across the river from the CBD. While NOLA has an Uptown (where Tulane and Audubon Park are), there is no downtown; your hotel is in the CBD (Central Business District.) The French Quarter (known to locals as just "The Quarter") is northeast from the CBD across Canal, and the Warehouse District is southwest from the CBD across Poydras. Canal Street is the zero marker for North and South addresses; it runs in a straight line from the River to Lake Ponchartrain, passing through the Mid-City area on the way.

 

[shoney]

We went February 2020 before the craziness. It was fantastic.
Walking tour of the garden district was amazing. Make lunch reservations that day at commanders palace

Night ghost tour was fun ! We had an annoying college kid on it ..but other than that it was worth it.
The Mardi Gras float museum was excellent.

I wasn’t thrilled with the WW2 museum but I am not really interested or knowledgeable about it. Lots of reading not as interactive as I hoped it would be.

I would have loved a plantation tour but we were only there4 nights and didn’t want to leave the city. (That is history that I am interested in!)

we walked all over and enjoyed the city and the food. Would love to go back.

 

[karen4546]

If you have time and are okay driving about an hour... Global Wildlife safari is great-do the VIP tour.

 

[comicguy]

Evening Murder Tour was a lot of fun
WWII museum (if you find that interesting) One of the best museums I have ever visited!
Bus tour around NOLA was fun

Cooking School (New Orleans Cooking School) was a tasty way to spend a Sunday brunch and very informative
Exploring the Farmer's Market (Had an aligator sausage on a stick, was very tasty!)

 

[LovesTimone]

At that time of year, you need to go to a crawfish boil. Because of the pandemic most of the places that do per-person boils are take-out only, but there are a few that have outdoor seating. Ciesi's is probably a good option; they are on Bienville in Mid-City; you can get there via the Canal St. streetcar if you like, get off at Alexander St. (4 blocks past Carrollton), and then walk 2 blocks to the northeast. (You will probably want to take a car back to the CBD after dinner, though.)

Here is a tip if you've never eaten boiled crawfish: before you go, grab that little bottle of hand lotion from the hotel bathroom and take it with you. When you wash your hands after eating, generously "wash" them with lotion before adding soap; making sure to rub thoroughly and get it under your nails as well. The oil in the lotion will bond with the oil from the crawfish drippings, making it possible to easily and completely remove all the pepper oil from your skin. Be especially careful not to touch your eyes until your hands have been thoroughly cleaned; the oil on your fingers will make your eyes sting. (Many people who normally wear contacts will wear glasses to a boil, so as to avoid having to take out the contacts afterward.)

The museum with the Katrina Exhibit and the Mardi Gras exhibits as well is the Presbytere, next to St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. The Cabildo is on the other side of the church. Both buildings are part of the Louisiana State Museum, and I advise touring them both (the Cabildo has a new exhibit on the Battle of New Orleans which I haven't seen yet.) You also might want to consider the exhibition rooms of the Historic New Orleans Collection; they are in the 500 block of Royal St. Pretty much all the museums in the city are requiring patrons to get tickets in advance on their websites so that they can control visitor traffic, so be sure to go online before you leave and book your visit times. The other "Mardi Gras museum" that has been mentioned here is Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World, which is on Algiers Point (take the ferry over.) Kern Studios designs and builds most of the parade floats used during Carnival, and the tour there is primarily about parades and the art of float building, while the one at the Presbytere is more about the Balls and the traditions of the season, including some truly magnificent costumes.

PS: A few directions, because in NOLA they are given a bit differently. All areas of the city at large are defined as being on the East Bank or the West Bank of the Mississippi River, and that designation follows the curve of the river, so it is possible to stand on the West Bank and watch the sun set over the East Bank. Everywhere tourists are likely to go without a car will be on the East Bank except Algiers Point, which is on the West Bank across the river from the CBD. While NOLA has an Uptown (where Tulane and Audubon Park are), there is no downtown; your hotel is in the CBD (Central Business District.) The French Quarter (known to locals as just "The Quarter") is northeast from the CBD across Canal, and the Warehouse District is southwest from the CBD across Poydras. Canal Street is the zero marker for North and South addresses; it runs in a straight line from the River to Lake Ponchartrain, passing through the Mid-City area on the way.

Great tip on clean up after the crawfish boil... Thanks...
DH and I both like crawfish, not crazy about them ..yet... we do like them if they are in a dish, like gumbo or etouffee...

I made a note to myself about the museums tickets and getting them ahead of time...

I trying to decided on what time we want to fly out, its either really early or really late.. DH is leaning to early so we arrive early, and maybe can do somethings on arrival day... I will know this weekend for sure...

Can we walk from Harrahs to the Quarter? to Cafe du Monde?

Last question for now.. is Uber/Lyft up and running? and is it pretty frequent, and easy to get a driver ?

 

[Tigerlulu]

Great tip on clean up after the crawfish boil... Thanks...
DH and I both like crawfish, not crazy about them ..yet... we do like them if they are in a dish, like gumbo or etouffee...

I made a note to myself about the museums tickets and getting them ahead of time...

I trying to decided on what time we want to fly out, its either really early or really late.. DH is leaning to early so we arrive early, and maybe can do somethings on arrival day... I will know this weekend for sure...

Can we walk from Harrahs to the Quarter? to Cafe du Monde?

Last question for now.. is Uber/Lyft up and running? and is it pretty frequent, and easy to get a driver ?

I can’t answer the uber questions. Before the shut down there were no problems with Uber. Shut down has really brought tourism to a halt and it’s just starting to come back. Harrahs is easy walking to the quarter. And cafe du monde is across the street from the cathedral. You are good!

 

[LovesTimone]

I can’t answer the uber questions. Before the shut down there were no problems with Uber. Shut down has really brought tourism to a halt and it’s just starting to come back. Harrahs is easy walking to the quarter. And cafe du monde is across the street from the cathedral. You are good!

Thank you... ⚜

 

[Pooh2]

Do you feel its unsafe to walk around during the day? Night? Would it be unsafe for us to walk from Harrahs to the WWII museum during the day? We were thinking about doing a night walking tour, so do you think that we should skip it? going out at night?

As well what about police patrolling in the tourist areas? or was the police de-funded in New Orleans? I would think that protecting the tourist and tourist area would be important, so that they can spend their money and boost the economy would be a priority for the city... If the tourist don't feel safe coming, things are likely to get alot worse... I know here in Orlando and surrounding areas the police present is visible and they work so hard... We appreciate them...

We are pretty seasoned traveler's, and do take precautions and we are very aware of our surroundings... But if we are going to have to be fearful, and afraid to walk around and enjoy what New Orleans has to offer, it really would not be worth it to go...

Thoughts?

I cannot speak to what is is like this past year but when we went several years ago, we almost got scared off by reading reviews but plowed ahead since NOLA was on my bucket list.
We were only there for two nights and wanted to see the dueling barges on the river on 4th of July.
Our hotel concierge advised us of which streets we should stick to during the day and not to wander down side streets in the dark, cross body bag in front,keep wallet in front pocket, etc.
We got small bills ahead of time to drop in the musicians buckets and kept easily accessible and not with our wallet.
So glad we did not skip this fun city!
It was over 100 degrees while we were there so we did the horse drawn trolley tour for a nice overview, went to Cafe Dumonde, the fireworks of course.
I would not mind going back for a few days in cooler weather to see more of the city!

 

[Gary M]

Most of these have been mentioned before but my favorite things to do in NOLA are. I have stayed in NOLA at least 35 times over the last 50 years. Make reservations ahead of time. We were in NOLA this past December and it wasn't back to normal by any means but we still loved it.

Stay in a hotel in the French Quarter. My favorite is The Omni Royal Orleans. A balcony overlooking St. Louis or Royal Sts. is a must for us.
Attend a cooking demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking. 10 am class.
Paddle wheel boat lunch or dinner cruise.
Brunch at the Court of Two Sisters.
Drinks in Pat O'Briens courtyard.
Lunch at Commander's Palace.
Street car ride on St. Charles Street through the Garden District
Eat at Mother's on Poydras St.
Carriage ride through the French Qt
Take a guided tour that interest you.
Eat at Deanies, Acme Oyster Bar, The Gumbo Shop

I'm not sure if you should pay to ride the Street Car from Riverwalk to the Toulouse St, stop to save some walking to the French Quarter. I'm not sure how close Harrah's is from the Riverwalk stop. You can buy passes for all day or more than one day riding on the Street Car.

The list can go on. The heat could be bad.

Enjoy one of my favorite cities.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm afraid I can't answer Uber questions, either, not something I've done. (I had to give up drinking for health reasons a few years ago, so I don't have to worry about driving under the influence.)

As to walking distances, I'll give you a couple of examples: from Harrah's, depending on the route you take, it is between .6-.8 mile to Cafe du Monde if you are walking. The distance from Harrah's to the WW2 Museum is also about .8 miles, but in the other direction. According to Google, the Canal St. tram stop in front of the Aquarium is 350 feet from the river side entrance to Harrahs.

 

[LovesTimone]

Most of these have been mentioned before but my favorite things to do in NOLA are. I have stayed in NOLA at least 35 times over the last 50 years. Make reservations ahead of time. We were in NOLA this past December and it wasn't back to normal by any means but we still loved it.

Stay in a hotel in the French Quarter. My favorite is The Omni Royal Orleans. A balcony overlooking St. Louis or Royal Sts. is a must for us.
Attend a cooking demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking. 10 am class.
Paddle wheel boat lunch or dinner cruise.
Brunch at the Court of Two Sisters.
Drinks in Pat O'Briens courtyard.
Lunch at Commander's Palace.
Street car ride on St. Charles Street through the Garden District
Eat at Mother's on Poydras St.
Carriage ride through the French Qt
Take a guided tour that interest you.
Eat at Deanies, Acme Oyster Bar, The Gumbo Shop

I'm not sure if you should pay to ride the Street Car from Riverwalk to the Toulouse St, stop to save some walking to the French Quarter. I'm not sure how close Harrah's is from the Riverwalk stop. You can buy passes for all day or more than one day riding on the Street Car.

The list can go on. The heat could be bad.

Enjoy one of my favorite cities.

We are hoping that in April it won't be to bad yet... We live in Florida, Winter Garden, so we are use to heat and humidity...
This is one reason we want to see if Uber is available to ride, instead of walking in the heat and humidity during the mid-day hours...

Are the Street Cars like a Trolley system? and can you pay for and all day pass? or a couple of days if you wanted?

 

[Gary M]

The Street Cars are on rails and you can pay for day or multi day passes. Taking the Street Car from near your hotel along the river to the Toulouse St exit in the French Quarter may be handy. At the Toulouse exit Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square is very close and you are probably 5 or so blocks from Bourbon St.

 

[Gary M]

Information about NOLA streetcars-
https://www.neworleans.com/plan/transportation/streetcars/

 

[LovesTimone]

Information about NOLA streetcars-
https://www.neworleans.com/plan/transportation/streetcars/

Thanks so much, lots of good info....will definitely be using this option...

 

[HopperFan]

One of my favorite things to do, and we go each time now is MARDI GRAS WORLD! They build and warehouse most the parade floats. They also create for others like the CFA cows on billboards and they made the original decor in Port Orleans French Quarter Food Court. While they have many warehouses off site, there are still lots of the floats in the tour building. It is 1.5 miles south of Harrah's. Ask at hotel some of them do a shuttle. Anyone I've sent there loved their tour.

https://www.mardigrasworld.com/

 

[cschaaf]

We’re headed to NO this weekend. It looks like we may not have to worry about crime based on _low_ crowd levels


https://www.wdsu.com/amp/article/almost-like-it-is-mardi-gras-crowds-pack-french-quarter/35905352

 

[Erica Ladd]

We’re headed to NO this weekend. It looks like we may not have to worry about crime based on _low_ crowd levels


https://www.wdsu.com/amp/article/almost-like-it-is-mardi-gras-crowds-pack-french-quarter/35905352

Please share a trip report here to let us know how it goes! I am trying to wait until there are less restrictions but not by breaking rules or being irresponsible!! I’d love to know how it goes ))

 

[Tigerlulu]

You won’t find the heat any worse than in Florida—according to TWC, it’s a 5 degree difference right now which sounds about right. Going to Disney feels exactly the same but the walks around town, even though it’s say half a mile are easy walks. But where there’s a street car, you should go for it. They are easy to navigate but only take a few paths, however those paths are close to paths you will travel a few times. We don’t take them often b/c we prefer to walk. But if we are going uptown we always take them. I hope you have an awesome trip!