NOLAfilter-Travel safety for woman arriving at dawn, on foot in Marigny?
June 4, 2014 5:53 PM Subscribe
My friend is taking a Megabus from Florida to Texas. She's connecting between the two states in New Orleans - where she arrives early tomorrow morning. Can you offer advice about navigating the Marigny safely by foot, or about using Megabus services in New Orleans?
The temporary location the bus drops off at is Elysian Fields Ave between St Claude Ave and N Rampart St. She has a couple of hours before she can pick up her connecting bus. It looks like nothing opens up until 7 AM around there, including the nearby drug store. Because it's Megabus, it does not go to the main bus/train station in the Central Business District (which I know from experience has security guards and early morning places to grab food).
The two closest things I can find that should be open are at least a ten minutes walk away - Checkpoint Charlie's and Horn's on Dauphine Street (where La Peniche was?) - or Cafe du Monde French Market. I've only been to Frenchmen street once (actually, because someone on Metafilter recommended a performer) and I think she's only passed through NOLA before.
NOLA Metafolks, do you have any caveats, suggestions about moving around that part of the city on foot, at that time of day? For example, streets she should use, or avoid? Caveats about Megabus service in New Orleans?
She'll have to come back to the area on the way back as well, but in the nightime, so any suggestions about safe places to wait in the late evening would also be welcome.
She grew up in New York City, and she's roughed it on Greyhound before... so she's not going to be a fainting flower, but if she can avoid annoyances or problems, that would be best.
The temporary location the bus drops off at is Elysian Fields Ave between St Claude Ave and N Rampart St. She has a couple of hours before she can pick up her connecting bus. It looks like nothing opens up until 7 AM around there, including the nearby drug store. Because it's Megabus, it does not go to the main bus/train station in the Central Business District (which I know from experience has security guards and early morning places to grab food).
The two closest things I can find that should be open are at least a ten minutes walk away - Checkpoint Charlie's and Horn's on Dauphine Street (where La Peniche was?) - or Cafe du Monde French Market. I've only been to Frenchmen street once (actually, because someone on Metafilter recommended a performer) and I think she's only passed through NOLA before.
NOLA Metafolks, do you have any caveats, suggestions about moving around that part of the city on foot, at that time of day? For example, streets she should use, or avoid? Caveats about Megabus service in New Orleans?
She'll have to come back to the area on the way back as well, but in the nightime, so any suggestions about safe places to wait in the late evening would also be welcome.
She grew up in New York City, and she's roughed it on Greyhound before... so she's not going to be a fainting flower, but if she can avoid annoyances or problems, that would be best.
Best answer: Shoot, to correct myself -- there are a few other bars right over on St Claude that are closer than the John and better as well -- check out Kajuns (which I believe might be open 24 hours per their website, and I have been there many times for karaoke fun times and cheap drinks). Hi Ho Lounge, Siberia, and Allways Lounge might also be open.
posted by mostly vowels at 6:35 PM on June 4, 2014
posted by mostly vowels at 6:35 PM on June 4, 2014
Best answer: Food at Verti Marte, an actual convenience/grocery open 24/7 at 1201 Royal St. and she might like Clover Grille, food 24/7 catering to the after pub-crawling appetites, 900 Bourbon St. Both are closer than Cafe Du Monde which is really great for late night/early morning coffee and beignets treat and a pretty brisk walk from Elysian Fields at Rampart. Glad she's street savvy and hope she stays safe.
posted by Anitanola at 6:46 PM on June 4, 2014
posted by Anitanola at 6:46 PM on June 4, 2014
Best answer: Verti Mart has exceptional muffaletta and other delicious, cheap sandwiches to-go.
posted by tapir-whorf at 7:00 PM on June 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by tapir-whorf at 7:00 PM on June 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I live about a mile from there and I think she'll be ok. All of the places mentioned above are perfectly good options for places to stop, depending on her tolerance for bars at 6 AM. I would second the description of that area as "mildly sketchy"- the Marigny is pretty hipstery/gentrified, but YMMV as far as what you consider sketchy.
The only thing that might make things uncomfortable for her (although maybe not, if she's used to big cities and Greyhound buses) is that I'd guess that the streets will be pretty much deserted at that hour and the people who are out are more likely to be exceptionally drunk (like even more than usual for New Orleans, which is saying something) and/or gutter punks or Unusual Characters.
As far as streets go, she should probably stay on the river side of St. Claude but any street between Elysian Fields and Esplanade should be similarly safe- they're all pretty residential IIRC and basically feel like a slightly more ramshackle extension of the French Quarter.
posted by MadamM at 7:22 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
The only thing that might make things uncomfortable for her (although maybe not, if she's used to big cities and Greyhound buses) is that I'd guess that the streets will be pretty much deserted at that hour and the people who are out are more likely to be exceptionally drunk (like even more than usual for New Orleans, which is saying something) and/or gutter punks or Unusual Characters.
As far as streets go, she should probably stay on the river side of St. Claude but any street between Elysian Fields and Esplanade should be similarly safe- they're all pretty residential IIRC and basically feel like a slightly more ramshackle extension of the French Quarter.
posted by MadamM at 7:22 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you everyone! We appreciate this very much!
posted by mitschlag at 9:17 PM on June 4, 2014
posted by mitschlag at 9:17 PM on June 4, 2014
Best answer: Gene's Po Boys on Elysian Fields and St. Claude is open 24 hours and they have breakfast options. It's only slightly sketchy.
posted by komara at 7:15 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by komara at 7:15 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
Aaaaaaand I just realized that this was posted yesterday and the event may have already transpired.
posted by komara at 7:16 AM on June 5, 2014
posted by komara at 7:16 AM on June 5, 2014
Best answer: Incidentally, the teeny daiquiri shop next to Gene's (on Elysian Fields) is legit the best daiquiris in NOLA, probably even the universe. So good, so boozy, so cheap. Worth visiting!
posted by mostly vowels at 6:46 PM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mostly vowels at 6:46 PM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you Komara, she checked out Gene's too, after discovering that people line up VERY early in New Orleans for the Houston-bound Megabus. She was looking forward to stopping back again in the area. She's there right now for her return trip (ended up arriving in the dawn hours again), and I will tell her, mostly vowels, to see if she can snag a daiquiri.
For anyone else considering Megabus in the Southern to Southwest I-10 corridor - people take the wait-line very seriously in New Orleans, will save places for one another and so on. Right after she stepped off there was already a new line forming for her trip to Texas, and now on her return trip to Florida. Some people are able to reserve seats with tables for laptops, though I don't remember seeing that on the website. Every seat has two plugs. The wifi is a little slow - you're not going to download a podcast! Nonetheless she had such a good experience, she plans to bring some family down this way again.
In the Houston area, people also start lining up very early. It is located right by a Metrorail station and a major bus depot. We got her there more than half an hour early and there were already about eighty people there.
posted by mitschlag at 8:29 AM on June 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
For anyone else considering Megabus in the Southern to Southwest I-10 corridor - people take the wait-line very seriously in New Orleans, will save places for one another and so on. Right after she stepped off there was already a new line forming for her trip to Texas, and now on her return trip to Florida. Some people are able to reserve seats with tables for laptops, though I don't remember seeing that on the website. Every seat has two plugs. The wifi is a little slow - you're not going to download a podcast! Nonetheless she had such a good experience, she plans to bring some family down this way again.
In the Houston area, people also start lining up very early. It is located right by a Metrorail station and a major bus depot. We got her there more than half an hour early and there were already about eighty people there.
posted by mitschlag at 8:29 AM on June 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
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Bars in NOLA really don't have posted closing times, most of them are "open til" which pretty much just means until whenever they feel like shutting down. There are a few gay bars on Elysian Fields below St Claude, and a few bars over on Frenchmen Street that are closer than Checkpoint Charlie (which is a bit sketchy) or Cafe Du Monde.
posted by mostly vowels at 6:33 PM on June 4, 2014