Future New Orleanian visiting for 15 days (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: renting, houses, neighborhoods)

[H1ghlander]

I guess I want to introduce myself and ask for advice. New to the boards. I'll be moving to New Orleans from Tampa next year, hopefully. In less than two weeks, I'll be in NO for a 15-day trip.

I'll be taking in two Saints games. One of them is the Monday night game. I know most of the touristy things to do, can anybody here offer some things that are off the beaten path? Out of the ordinary? I don't know. I'm big on history and architecture.

Perhaps the real category you could help me out in is eating. Where are the best places to eat? I have yet to look up on the food there. Preferably not the fancy restaurants as I'll be by myself, but the good local places.

Look forward to talking with all of you on here in the future. Thanks.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Will you have a car? Makes a difference on what you can do. The riverboat cruises are fun and you see a different side of things.

[miserylovesco.]

Hang out uptown and in the marigny

[Bluesbabe]

I have a couple of restaurant suggestions.

Since you'll be in the French Quarter area, anyway, you may as well stop in at the Napoleon House to rest up and have a cheap but GOOD meal! Great muffalettas and jambalaya, and you could eat BOTH affordably.

I love Oceana on Conti off Bourbon. It isn't cheap but watch out for the "specials" posted on the A-frame sidewalk sign, because they don't post prices, and Specials don't always mean cheaper. (Believe me!) But it's great food, and the atmosphere is FAR from romantic, so you won't feel "alone" eating there. (Pssst! Some of the BEST bread-pudding with rum sauce. And their BBQ shrimp is marvelous!)

[H1ghlander]

No car. To answer your question. Thanks for the tips thus far. Appreciate it.

[Bluesbabe]

St. Louis Cemetery #1, off Rampart, is the oldest cemetery, it has history, and it makes for great pictures. Be cautious, although there are usually tourists groups there to make it safer.

On St. Claude, the Backstreet Museum is small well worth the $10 to learn about the Mardi Gras Indians. Superb display of costuming, and Sylvester (the proprieter) gives you a personal "tour" of the store.

Take the ferry to Mardi Gras World den in Algiers. Plan several hours. It's a museum of Mardi Gras decorations and a couple of floats, some of which are still used. Very colorful pictures.

But the Mardi Gras Museum next to the St. Louis Cathedral is a wonderful explanatory museum on the HISTORY of Mardi Gras. Very extensive. I highly recommend it.

If it's open, please step inside the St. Louis Cathedral. You'll get blown over by the beauty of it.

Take the St. Charles Streetcar to the end and circle back, but you should get off at some point in the Garden District and walk around. Great variety of houses.

The Marigny has great music at night along Frenchman Street. Look online on NOLA.com for listings. It's a very extensive website.

You could consider renting a car to take a River Road drive. This will take you a day. You'll see several plantation houses, some of which are open to tourists.

Drive to the cemeteries in Metairie where you can actually drive through it and capture some of the most awesome pictures!

Swamp tours are fun, I'm told (I haven't done one yet).

Haven't seen the zoo yet, either, but it's supposed to be a very nice one (off St. Charles).

There's more. Like I said, NOLA.com will give you a lot of good info.

[MidCityBrady]

Napoleon House was a good recommendation. However, if you are looking for amazing food, you've got to check out Dick & Jenny's at the corner of Jena and Napoleon uptown!
It's absolutely wonderful for a funky New Orleans experience. Dick & Jenny’s You will have to splurge a bit - but it is totally worth it. There is a no-reservation policy, but there's a comfortable area to hang out inside with sofas, chairs & cocktail service.
People will probably also recommend Jacques-Imo's in Carrolton, though the wait is usually ridiculous. Whenever we want to show someone a good time, we take them here and ask for Mike to be your waiter.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Take one of the riverboat cruises from the Qtr. They're fun and you see a lot of N.O. that you can't see otherwise. One used to stop at the Chalmette battlefield. One goes through the bayous and you see swamps up close. Other suggestions posted above are great.

[Drouzin]

Check out The New Orleans Menu Restaurant Index for a list of restaurants in different neighborhoods, (they're also rated although I don't always agree with the ratings).

Inexpensive places to eat in the Quarter are Coop's and Cafe Masparo, (have cash for Cafe Masparo), Jack Dempsey's (love the staff there) in Bywater, and we're currently frequenting The Joint (BBQ place practically across the street from Dempsey's).

Aw heck I'll do a plug for Theo's Pizza (for my niece's friend) and Domilise's (Miss Dot is Dad's cousin).

I don't think you're ready for Rocky and Carlos yet, then again who is?

[MetroBTR]

If you have time you should definitely check out some River Road plantation houses. There are many between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, including Destrehan, Oak Alley, San Francisco, and Evergreen, and Nottaway (largest plantation home in the south). Oak Alley is a must. Nottaway is a pretty good drive from New Orleans but it is worth it.