Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nola

Looking for awesome restaurants,bars and fun things to do in New Orleans

Afroblanco — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:37:59 -0800

My girlfriend and I are going to New Orleans for Jazz Fest later this month. Although we'll spend a fair amount of time at the festival, we'd like to spend some time exploring NOLA itself. Looking for awesome restaurants, bars and fun things to do in New Orleans First on the agenda is food. We already have plans to visit Commander's Palace, Central Grocery, Cafe DuMonde, and Brannan's. But for the rest of our meals, we're looking for delicious, authentic food that any local would be proud of. Totally down w/ "hole in the wall" places and dives. Cajun, Creole, Soul Food, BBQ, seafood, it's all good.

Definitely on the lookout for quality, non-touristy bars and hangout spots. Any place that I could only find in New Orleans and nowhere else.

Also just looking for cool things to do in general. We plan on doing a walk around the Garden District, checking out some jazz at Preservation Hall and touring some of the historic graveyards. What are some other cool things to check out? We're really into taking long walks, and we'll probably want to piece together a walking tour of sorts. Any areas (other than the French Quarter and Frenchmen St.) we should include?

Finally, any advice for Jazz Fest or visiting New Orleans in general will be welcome. For example, we'd like to get around by foot and public transportation. Is this a bad idea? (we've got shuttle tickets to get to/from the festival) We're staying in the French Quarter, dunno if it makes a difference.

Visiting New Orleans with an infant

arcticwoman — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:25:57 -0800

My wife and I will be visiting New Orleans at the end of this month with our almost 1-year old son. Having the baby with us has required two contingencies: we are renting a car, and our days will have to end by 6:30 or 7 pm-ish (although they do start at 6:30-7am). We will also need to find a quiet place for him to nap during the day, or else sit in the car/return to our lodging for an hour or so. I am hoping he'll nap in the stroller as we wander the city, but can't take this for granted. Given this, and the fact that we only have two days (Friday-22 and Monday-25, the weekend is taken up by the wedding we are travelling for) how best to organize our time? Any advice on travelling with an infant? I have read previous travel New Orleans threads and have a decent idea of some of the things I want to do/see. On the 22nd we'll be staying in Gretna, so I was thinking we could drive to the ferry, take the ferry over, and spend the day in the French Quarter. On the 25th we'll be Mid-city near Canal st., so we'll do City Park, Garden district, Magazine st, ???. Is that reasonable? With an infant?

We want to see the sights/eat the food. We aren't going to bother with museums and art galleries, as I doubt the child will have the patience. We are happy taking public transportation but will have a car and are happy to drive it around as well, depending on how easy driving/parking is. We will have a babysitter for one night, and want to make the most of it (a nice meal, some music).

Mostly I'm really stressed about the whole travelling with a baby thing. I would rather do fewer things and be relaxed and comfortable than cram in everything but do it with a screaming and unhappy child. Is NOLA easy to get around? Is it reasonable to think of returning to the hotel/BnB partway through the day for a nap? Should we ditch the car and take public transit everywhere? How did you deal with naps when you travelled with your infant? Where should we go to eat OYSTERS?

Bonus question: We're in Hammond for a day and night, anything we NEED to see/eat there?

Mail-order pralines

wenestvedt — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:23:55 -0800

Can anyone recommend a mail-order source for New Orleans pralines? I would like to find a source that's not ruinously expensive nor gross-tasting, in order to send as a gift. I am many, many miles from the city, so I can't just pick up a box myself. :7) And while I find a lot of online stores (whether in NOLA or elsewhere), I am hopeful that someone has a firsthand experience that they can share.

Thank you for any recommendations!

Looking for a care package for a medical student in New Orleans

filthy light thief — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:56:53 -0800

I'm looking for nice gift(s) for my brother who is about to take a major test, except the test in on Thursday, and he lives 1,800 miles away. What could I order or have delivered in New Orleans for a stressed out med student?

WWII Museum and dodging Final Four fans

wenestvedt — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:10:48 -0800

Can anyone comment on the "Behind the Lines" tour at the National WWII Museum? And also, we'll be there on Final Four weekend, but care nothing for basketball; any ideas for what to do and what not to try to do? My best friend and I are headed to New Orleans for a weekend of relaxation. On Saturday we're booked to do the "Behind the Lines" tour at the WWII Museum, in which you get three hours with a docent climbing on their tank and seeing stuff that's not on display, &c. Can anyone comment on this tour? Are there any items in the collection that we should be sure to see (or to skip)?

Also, we had no idea that the weekend we're going is the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament finals. (What can I say? I'm an idi0t!) We'll be staying on the edge of the French Quarter. Will we be miserable by trying to avoid drunken hoops fans, or should we be OK -- I mean, can the city absorb this many visitors plus the usual tourists?

There are so many good AskMe threads about New Orleans, and I have been reading them all. Thanks to everyone who's posted!

How best to experience the Crescent City on St Pat's?

1f2frfbf — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:30:57 -0800

Yet another New Orleans travel question, with a twist: We're going to be in New Orleans on St. Patrick's Day, what should we expect? I've been to NOLA ten or so times, my wife once. We're going for a conference and after having a tough time getting a hotel room, we suddenly realized we're going to be there over St. Pat's. This is new territory for me, as I generally avoid festivals when I travel.

So what happens in NOLA on St. Pat's? Does it go crazy(ier)? Where do the crowds tend to be? Will we still be able to get around or does the city shut down like it does for Mardi Gras and the Jazz Fest? Were can we go to get food and drinks away from the crowds?

Can two pseudo introverts have a good time in NOLA?

two lights above the sea — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:05:30 -0800

My husband and I would like to go to New Orleans, LA in March, 2012. We're fairly laid back and not huge into the tourism craziness that I tend to associate with NOLA. It is possible to go to The Big Easy and, well, have a chill time? We're mainly interested in New Orleans as a foodie vacation. As far as our tastes are concerned, we would be more likely to splurge on a few fancy cocktails than to find the cheapest bar and drink all night. Culture is definitely important to us (movies, music, theater, art, etc). Sports, not so much. We would do some low-key tourism, depending on how crazy the attraction is. We're not huge on waiting in long lines or being in big crowds. As a traveling couple, we're fairly introverted; we aren't out meeting new people and drinking with them.

Where should we stay in NOLA that satisfies our need for good food/drink and culture, and our slight anti-tourism tastes? Should we avoid certain travel weeks? (I checked, Mardi Gras is in February!) Should we do anything in particular? See certain shows, visit certain neighborhoods? What's going on there in March?

Relevant details: We're traveling from Philadelphia, PA, and we're in our late 20s. Thanks in advance!

What to do in NOLA that isn't a tourist destination?

terezaakarenin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:20:59 -0800

I am considering taking a trip to NOLA in December... however, in looking at hostel listings, I realized that I do not know what is a good location to book a hostel. This is because I am not familiar with the city and I am not certain where the interesting parts are located. I also do not know much about the transit options available for accessing different places. It seems there are some trolley lines, but again, without knowledge of where I want to go, I don't know if they will be helpful or not. I do not care about hitting up every one of the top-ten tourist sites. To be cliche, I am more interested in experiencing the actual New Orleans rather than the tourist version of the city. Suggestions?

What should I do this weekend in New Orleans?

ben242 — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:58:44 -0800

What should I do this weekend in New Orleans? I'm taking my girlfriend this weekend for her 30th birthday. We land tonight at about 6pm and depart on Sunday at about 6pm. We've already got dinner reservations (NOLA and Commander's Palace), but beyond that I don't have anything specific planned. The weather this weekend looks fantastic, so outdoor/active things are welcome.

I've heard a recommendation for some kind of graveyard tour. Not quite sure what to make of that.

Some of my friends have mentioned Frenchman Street, but I imagine that sort of like saying "Check out west 4th street" to someone visiting NYC; its good advice, but not specific enough to be useful.

What does MeFi know about New Orleans that I should know this weekend?

(I know there are previous AskMe threads on this, but I figure New Orleans probably doesn't stay exactly the same year to year; I thought it would be okay to re-ask.)

Thanks!

The Big Easy.

blackcatcuriouser — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 11:55:37 -0800

I'm going to New Orleans for a long weekend in November. I know I can search Yelp and the rest of the internet for recommendations (I've found plenty) but I want to know from you, MeFites... Where is YOUR favorite place to go in New Orleans?

It can be a restaurant, bar, shop, neighborhood, or just a tiny secret street that you think is special. Anything. Just tell me what your favorite place is and why.

Treme-style music?

n'muakolo — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:11:11 -0800

Loving (HBO's new show) Treme's music. Where can I sample the best of the best? My honey's birthday is coming up and he has a new obsession with the kind of New Orleans jazzy music featured in Treme. I know nothing about this kind of music. He has been streaming the radio station featured in Treme, but I would like to get him a CD for his birthday. Which should I buy?

Did Ignatius ever live here?

umbú — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:31:09 -0800

Where can I learn about the history of the house we're soon to own in New Orleans? So luazinha and I are in the process of buying a house in New Orleans (don't worry, it's on high ground; the neighborhood didn't flood during Katrina). It's a pre-1920s house, so it has a lot of history to it. What are the best resources to help me find out as much as I can about its history?

In search of a NOLA photographer.

mostlymartha — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:58:09 -0800

Round three of help us plan our NOLA wedding: Know any great New Orleans area wedding photographers? Especially any who charge less than $3k? That's the number we keep seeing and it's quite high in relation to out budget. Potentially relevant info: It's a small wedding with about 25 guests and we're having dinner at a restaurant after the ceremony instead of a traditional reception. I really, really don't want any pictures of me and my bridesmaids in our robes and hair curlers getting ready before the ceremony because they totally squick me out.

Why are we planning New Year's Eve this early?

unexpected — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:27:53 -0800

My friends and I trying to plan New Year's Eve. Help us figure out if New Orleans or Miami would be better... Hey everyone,

Even though it's August, my friends want to plan New Year's Eve. We've narrowed it down to two choices: Miami or New Orleans, and we're having trouble deciding.

If you have any experience with either of these two cities (especially around New Year's) I'd appreciate your input.

New Orleans:

Pros:

1) We'd stay on Bourbon St. All the action is centrally located here.

2) Sugar Bowl is going on. It would have lots and lots of people

3) We feel like drinks/entertainment would be cheaper here.

Cons:

1) NO seems to be a lot more "dirty" - especially Post-Katrina

2) There doesn't seem to be much to do besides drinking.

3) Potentially colder

Miami (South Beach)

Pros:

1) BEACH! (Though weather seems to be hit or miss)

2) More glamorous

3) Seems to have more non-drinking activities

4) Potentially warmer

Cons: (Basically the NO Pros)

1) We're a pack of 7 guys. I feel like we'd have an easier time getting into places in NO than Miami

2) Miami nightlife is going to be more expensive

3) Everything is more spread out in Miami - a lot of time in cabs traveling to and fro, no central location like vegas.

So HiveMind, I turn to you. If anyone has experience with either of this two cities (especially on NYE), I'd appreciate the input.

Let me know if you want more info about us, and our tastes.

Looking Not to Melt in New Orleans in August

extraheavymarcellus — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:33:05 -0800

My erstwhile traveling companion and I are going to visit The Big Easy in the dead of August, specifically the 13th - 18th. What would be some activities we could do during the daylight hours to keep cool and out of the sun and are there still any Goth nights or the like to entertain us after dark? We are pale, Gothy types who have been to NOLA a few times but never this time of year.

New Orleans wedding officiants for the not-so-religiously-inclined?

Mayor West — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:41:09 -0800

New Orleans wedding officiants for the not-so-religiously-inclined? My fiancée and I are getting married in April of next year. Yay! We've got most of the planning done, but since we're planning from afar (the wedding is in New Orleans, and we're in Boston), there are some parts that we can't do very well. Notably, we're scratching our heads on finding an officiant that we'd both be happy with.

Our requirements are pretty simple, and I'd love to hear any recommendations that y'all might have for anyone in the greater NOLA area. We're going to be down there for a few days in two weeks, and can briefly interview any candidates then.

Our criteria:

This will be an outdoor, Saturday-afternoon wedding in Jackson Square.

She's a lapsed Catholic, and I'm an atheist who is willing to put up with some degree of spirituality in a wedding to make some interested parties happy. Any mentions of Jesus will make me unhappy, and a complete paucity of religious sentiment will probably upset these interested parties, and generally make her unhappy

My first inclination is to split the difference and find a Unitarian
officiant, but this is by no means requisite

We've talked about writing our own vows, but that's not firm yet. Ideally, I'd love to find someone who has done some really beautiful ceremonies before, and who would be willing to talk with us to figure out what themes we'd like to have in our ceremony.

Does anyone here have any recommendations for us? Thanks in advance!

Travel package recommendations to NoLa

iamabot — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:01:42 -0800

Does anyone have any experience with book it . com ? More specifically their travel packages to New Orleans? So Mrs. Iamabot is looking to fly in to New Orleans from the bay area April 5th to 8th, we've looked around a bit and the best deals seem to be from the site mentioned above so far, but we're hesitant to use an unknown name at this point. We've checked out the BBB rating (A+) and looked around for anecdotal evidence which has been mixed, but the hive mind may have some opinions as well.

Any recommendations for tour companies, swamp tours (airboats), city tours, etc ? Hotel recommendations and anecdotal do THIS, but never do THAT, or go here and make sure you see this, eat that, and experience this are also welcome.

Hive mind, help my wife have a great trip!

Where to get hitched in NOLA?

mostlymartha — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:11:30 -0800

Where should we get married in New Orleans? Next fall (October or November) the boy and I want to get married in New Orleans. It's just about our favorite city in the world, and since we want fun rather than formal, seems ideal. We're planning sort of a low key destination wedding-type deal.

We're foodies, so the bit that's most important to us is the dinner afterward (we're thinking a private dining thing at Restaurant August). We don't really want a traditional reception with a band and cake and whatnot, that just isn't our thing.

So the question is, what kind of venue for the ceremony itself. We'll be in NOLA in January to do some reconnaissance, and we'd love suggestions for places to check out. Here are our requirements:

-Holds 25-35 people.
-Indoors or outdoors is fine, but it needs to be pretty enough that it won't require piles of expensive flowers (we'd rather spend the money on food). We like the idea of interesting courtyards or spaces in historical houses.
-This is important: won't require us to do some kind of package with a catered reception there afterward. We'd be cool doing a little champagne toast thing, but we'd mostly be in a hurry to get to the dinner portion of the evening.
-Won't cost a huge pile of cash.

American South Road Trip?

The Whelk — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:57:11 -0800

Road Tripfilter! Is it feasible to drive from NYC to New Orleans, hitting stops along the way, without going insane? The Boyfriend and I are thinking of driving from NYC to DC to Ashevillie to Savannah to New Orleans this winter over the course of 2 weeks. Any route recommendations? Things to see and do and eat along the way? Is NOLA in any shape to be visited?

Side Note, The Boyfriend is British and never been south of D.C and is convinced we'll be killed by rednecks. What should we see/do to convince him otherwise?

We wont be killed by rednecks, right?

Gift for the New Orleans-bound?

MaddyRex — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:19:27 -0800

NewOrleansFilter: What should I get for my girlfriend, who is going to New Orleans for the summer? My girlfriend is going to take a summer job working for a public defender in New Orleans. She's a law student and this will be her first time in New Orleans. I want to get her a present that's appropriate to the setting.

Difficulty: She doesn't like jazz.

Friendly accommodations in NOLA for a hospital patient?

greatgefilte — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:57:19 -0800

Short-term accommodations in New Orleans, preferably home-stay or something budget-friendly? Not your average story. It's a bit of a complicated situation. A dear friend of mine traveled from home (Toronto) to NOLA for inpatient treatment at a specialized program for eating disorders at a New Orleans hospital. She's been there for about a month now, doing well in the program, and the nice doctors are encouraging her to think about a partial-hospitalization plan, where she'd spend her days in hospital, but spend nights elsewhere. For patients who live in New Orleans (at least, before Katrina), this probably wouldn't be so bad, but she's totally new to the city, and is anxious about staying alone in a hotel (and rooms are expensive and/or difficult to come by, it seems). She agrees that some kind of home- or apartment-stay situation would probably be better for her well-being, not quite a supportive housing gig, but not shacking up with a total stranger either a la Craigslist.

What's our best bet? Would something like CouchSurfing work in this case, or is there any kind of resource for non-evacuees seeking temporary housing? She would probably need to stay for one to three months, and could certainly pay rent, though nothing exorbitant.

The hospital in question is located in the Harahan/River Ridge area, and the girl in question is the sweetest, most unintrusive thing alive. Any advice?

Why would one snipe a medical convoy?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 14:09:45 -0800

KatrinaFilter: I don't understand most kinds of violence, but seldom am I as baffled as in this case: why would one fire at a medical convoy performing rescue work, as has reportedly happened in New Orleans? The report gets copied everywhere, but I haven't seen any news source offer some kind of background as to the motivation of the shooter(s). Discussion is fine, links are welcome too.

New Years in New Orleans

AlisonM — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:40:20 -0800

New Orleans. I'm going next week with a couple of friends to celebrate New Year's. While we plan on doing some of the typical touristy stuff (Cafe du Monde, Bourbon St., Preservation Hall, etc...), I was wondering if there was anything some locals (or non-locals familiar with the city) can recommend that's off the beaten path. [MI] It's our third time there, and I while consider myself familiar with the French Quarter, unfortunately we didn't venture out of the Quarter that much. Are there any must-sees outside of the Quarter (or in the Quarter that a tourist may have missed the first couple times around)? We'll be there Dec 28th through Jan 1. We won't have a car, but I'm very comfortable with mass transit and seem to be able to find my way anywhere without too much trouble (as long as I grab a map, of course).

For the record, I did check older threads, but the most recent (tourism related) post was back in April. Just wondering if anyone had anything new to add.