A plan for New Orleans

Overview

New Orleans is known for a host of attributes like its famous Creole food, abundant alcohol, music of many styles, nearby swamps and plantations, 18th- & 19th-century architecture, antiques, gay pride, streetcars, and museums. Nicknamed the Big Easy, New Orleans has long had a reputation as an adult-oriented city. However, the city also offers many attractions for families with children and those interested in culture and the arts. It is a city with Roman Catholic plurality owing to its French and Spanish origins.

Famous festivals like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest bring in tourists by the millions, and are the two times of the year when you must book well in advance to be sure of a room. The city also hosts many smaller festivals and gatherings like the French Quarter Festival, Creole Tomato Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, the Essence Festival hosted by the magazine, Halloween parading and costume balls, Saint Patrick's Day and Saint Joseph's Day parading, and Southern Decadence. The city takes almost any occasion for an excuse for a parade, a party, and live music, and in New Orleans most events often have a touch of Mardi Gras year round. Like they say, New Orleanians are either planning a party, enjoying one or recovering from one. Party down!

It is a city of great culture with a clash of French, Cajun and some Spanish designs. You may see some voodoo activity at night. The streetcar rides are fun and many of the stores carry exclusive cultural art such as the blue dog collection.

Detailed listings of attractions are mentioned in the Districts sections listed above. Highlights include:

Historic architecture in neighborhoods

Ornate colonial French and Spanish in the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Bywater and Tremé

Victorian mansions Uptown and other historic architecture citywide

Historic cemeteries are in the Uptown, Tremé, and Mid-City areas

the Superdome & Smoothie King Center, in the Central Business District

Aquarium, Central Business District

Museums – museum highlights include: National World War II Museum (formerly D-Day Museum), Central Business District. New Orleans Museum of Art, Mid-City; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Central Business District; French Quarter museum highlights include the Cabildo and Presbytere history museums, the Old Mint, and several house museums. Visit the Lower Ninth Ward Museum to learn about the history of this often under-represented and under-valued neighborhood that suffered some of the worst damage and is least recovered from hurricane Katrina.

Cities of the Dead – Historic cemeteries

Mardi Gras World – with thousands of sensational sculptured props and giant figures—it's the place where Mardi Gras floats are made. A great place to get the Mardi Gras spirit year-round; at the edge of the Central Business District

Audubon Zoo in the Audubon & University District

New Orleans Museum of Art and City Park in Mid-City

the Mississippi River - great views from the French Quarter, the Algiers ferry, and the Audubon Zoo "Butterfly" park Uptown

St. Louis Cathedral. Holds regular celebrations of the Catholic Mass

Special interests

Children's attractions

New Orleans with children

Some top children and family friendly attractions in New Orleans include:

Audubon Zoo, Audubon & University District

Aquarium of the Americas, French Quarter

Louisiana Children's Museum, Mid-City

Storyland Amusement Park, City Park, Mid-City

Streetcar rides—many children from cities without trams find riding on an old streetcar an interesting novelty in itself—and parents can enjoy the scenery and historic architecture.

1 Carousel Gardens Amusement Park. - located in New Orleans

Stroll historic neighborhoods - look at the architecture and businesses, and people watch in the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Faubourg Tremé, Bywater, Esplanade Ridge, Uptown, Algiers Point and Carrollton

Streetcar rides St. Charles Avenue (green cars) is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the United States; the Canal Street route also provides a pleasant ride

Riverboat cruises - short or long cruises, some of which have quite good jazz bands on board. Great way to enjoy 3 attractions-in-one: New Orleans food and music during a cruise down the Mississippi. Aquarium-Zoo Cruise - riverboat cruise package is a great way to see the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Zoo

2 Steamboat Natchez Riverboat Harbor Jazz Sightseeing Cruise, 600 Decatur St., Suite 308 (departs from the Toulouse Street Wharf behind Jax Brewery), ☏ +1 504 586-8777, toll-free: +1-800-365-2628. Daytime cruise daily 11:30AM and 2:30PM, Mon-Sat evening cruise 7PM. Two-hour cruise on a stream-powered paddlewheel boat. Boarding 30 min before departure (1 hour before dinner cruise). Live narration of historical facts and highlights of the port. Bar and gift shop. Snacks and light meals available for purchase if you're not buying a meal. Adult/child 6-13/child under 6: daytime cruise $34/13.50/free; M-Sa cruise with lunch $46/23/9.50; Sunday brunch with cruise $51/27.50/17.50; evening cruise $48/24/free; cruise with dinner $83/38/18.25. (updated Apr 2018)

Individual listings can be found in New Orleans's district articles

OK, so you're hungry. You've come to the right place. New Orleans is a culinary delight, but don't look too hard for healthy food; some would say don't look at all (although those demanding vegetarian, vegan, or kosher food can, with effort, find some). You're on vacation, so take advantage of what they prepare best here. New Orleans has good food for people on any type of budget.

While most places take major credit cards, "cash only" restaurants are perhaps a bit more common here than other places, so plan in advance.

The main culinary tradition in New Orleans is Creole - which means the culture and its cuisine already flourishing when Louisiana was purchased by the U.S. in 1803. The Creoles were the peoples living in New Orleans from its founding. Creole has a mixture of influences, including French, Spanish and Native American, with a strong West African foundation. Creoles cook with roux (a blend of butter and flour) and the "trinity," a popular term for green pepper, onion and celery. These are the base for many savory dishes. 19th-century southern Italian immigrants added increased appreciation for garlic — an old local joke calls garlic the "Pope" to the culinary "Trinity" — along with tomato based sauces and other dishes. (The influences went both ways; some New Orleans "Italian" restaurants have their own take on the Italian tradition, sometimes called "Creole Italian".) Eastern European, Latin American, Vietnamese, and other immigrants have added to the New Orleans mix. Thus New Orleans cuisine is rich in tradition while open to new ideas, and culturally inclusive while still uniquely distinctive.

Individual listings can be found in New Orleans's district articles

The legal drinking age is 21 in Louisiana, as it is across the US. At bars in New Orleans this is strictly enforced, but not as much in restaurants. However, notably unlike the vast majority of US cities, drinking in public is legal everywhere in the city, provided it is within a plastic container (note that outside the French Quarter, there are no container restrictions). New Orleans also has no "blue laws" or mandatory closing times for liquor establishments, which means that any hour of day or night, every day of the year, there is always somewhere to get alcohol.

You can head out the door with an open container of alcohol—but not in a bottle or can; to try to keep broken glass and jagged metal from filling the street, local laws mandate you use a plastic cup while on city streets and sidewalks. These are known locally as "go cups", and every local bar provides them, usually has a stack of them by the door and the bouncer will take your drink from you and pour it into the cup because bars can be held liable if they don't. Use them, because New Orleans Police are watching for it, especially on Bourbon Street.

Some drinks are noted for their potency, such as the tourist favorite "Hurricane" (a fruit punch and rum drink), which originated at Pat O'Brien's bar but now common in the Quarter. However, drinking does not have to be about quantity. Popular refined local cocktails include the "sazerac" and the "Ramos gin fizz". New Orleanians also love wine.

Beer lovers will be happy to learn that local craft brewers have expanded in New Orleans. While Abita was the perennial favorite, newer options include NOLA Brewing Company, Port Orleans Brewing, and Urban South. Smaller brewers include Zony Mash Brewing Company, Courtyard Brewery (which specializes in IPAs), Miel Brewery, and Brieux Carre.

Listings of some top choices of the city's bars, from friendly neighborhood dives to elegant cocktail palaces, can be found in the neighborhood articles.

If you are visiting the French Quarter, casinos, or just the Central Business District, a car may be more of a burden than an asset. Most hotel parking is valet/remote/expensive/difficult at best. New Orleans is ready for visitors, and the rapid transit, trolley cars and buses are plentiful 24/7. Walking is fun and healthy during daylight and early evening. After midnight, you may want to call a taxi, but likely it will be a short trip at reasonable cost. For a great way to see the city, try renting a bike from one of the several bike rental companies in the French Quarter or Marigny. Be very aware when riding a bike; the drivers can be quite aggressive. However, outside the French Quarter or areas served by the streetcar, public transport tends to be unreliable, so renting a car would be the best way to get around.

With a car

Be alert that the streets of much of the city were laid out before the automobile, especially in the older parts of town of most interest to visitors. There are many one way streets. It is common for cars to park on the side of the street causing some of the streets to be too narrow for 2 way traffic. This means someone needs to pull to the side.

Due to consolidation of the underlying soils and a lack of resources, potholes are common and road conditions are often poor for a developed country. Some developing countries even have better roads.

Street signage is sometimes unclear or missing.

Some streets have terrible drainage and will flood nearly every time it rains. Water will drain after but makes for difficult driving .

Parking is often hard to find around many areas of interest to tourists, but there are generally pay lots in the area. Hotel parking can cost over $40/night downtown and in the French Quarter.

Those who don't know how to parallel park may wish to just leave their car in a pay lot when visiting much of the city.

Hurricanes

Katrina alerted the world to the danger of hurricanes in this part of the world. However if one visits a place vulnerable to natural disaster, at least hurricanes give warning. During the height of the hurricane season, from July through October, be sure to check with the weather service before going to New Orleans, and if a large storm is threatening the Gulf Coast, consider a change of plans. If one threatens the city while you're there, play it safe and leave early; don't wait for an evacuation order to head away from the coast. If you cannot get out of the area you should at least be sure to get to a hotel on high ground.

Health

The main health concerns are the same for the rest of the U.S. South: If you're not accustomed to the sub-tropical heat, drink plenty of liquids and pace yourself in the sunshine.

Crime

The majority of the city's notorious crime problem is manifested away from the parts of town of interest to most visitors, but always be aware of your surroundings. The Central City neighborhood has the worst problems, and should be avoided by casual visitors. The "Back of town" sections of the 7th, 8th and 9th Wards have also been having serious problems. Visitors are advised to check on current local conditions before visiting these neighborhoods and take extra care if they go.

Avoid the Iberville project on the other side of N Rampart St, west of Armstrong Park.