My New Orleans Experience (Jefferson, Jackson: how much, houses, neighborhoods)
New OrleansNew Orleans - Metairie - Kenner metro area
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Thank you to you all for your suggestions before I was able to visit, I have to say I came away thoroughly impressed.
A few notes:
Any reason why the express bus from Airport doesn't run all the way to the CBD on weekends? I took it on the way back to the airport and it seemed very safe and comfortable and I would recommend it to anyone. Also, the station is literally right next to the New Orleans Public Library, so as long as you keep a schedule handy and get outside a few minutes early, there's no reason to worry about being stuck waiting out there, and it is a great cheap option for the city to have. The extra 20 minutes on the ride can be more productive commute time also. However, I found it disappointing that it only ran to Carrollton during the week, I thought about taking it to there and walking over to the nearest streetcar stop, but the neighborhoods around there did not appear to be the greatest and I was carrying all my luggage, so I ate the bullet and paid for a cab. It did put a bit of dampener on start of trip, as I was on tight budget. I still had a great time though. I'd have to guess Saturday is still a reasonably busy airport day, so it is confusing, that's all.
As far as where I stayed, some of you may remember that I mentioned staying on Baronne a couple blocks north of St. Charles, in the much feared "Central City" area. However, while I saw certain parts of Baronne on a cab ride back one night which suggested I was not too far from trouble, the street I was on myself had some very impressive and pretty looking houses, and seemed to be in the process of rapid gentrification. I do have to admit I was a bit paranoid though, as the owner said there had been a murder a couple blocks over a few weeks earlier, and there was certainly still some signs of blight next to wealth, and so I was on edge and even jogged the couple blocks up/down when going due to my sense of paranoia when I first got there, and was a bit on edge. Overall though, no one even gave me a remote reason to feel threatened while there, and I got a charming New Orleans experience in a great location. Being able to take a quarter mile walk and be at shops on Prytania was pretty neat.
I really enjoyed the streetcar experience. There was one day (Saturday, where I ended up being stuck waiting almost an hour for a car to come and so it took a little over 2 hours to maneuver the streetcar from City Park to the Garden District which was frustrating, but the rest of the time it felt like fortunes were on my side as cars literally arrived right as I was walking up (I didn't have a schedule, so I was guessing). What a unique and cost effective way of traveling.
The WWII Museum: AMAZING. What comprehensive detail. Many other museums should take lessons, I only partially saw a few of the exhibits, and I was there for almost three hours. City Park Sculpture Garden was also a very unique thing. City Park itself was cool, but I was having trouble finding the northern part/Couturie Forest, so I never truly got into the heart of the park. I'd have to think living nearby and kayaking Bayou St. John and all that would be pretty neat. Audubon Park on the other hand was truly "green space gold", likely could hold the claim "Central Park of the South" without any real debate. A few of the things I touched on a little bit but hope to see more next time include (1. Frenchman Street. To get a taste of authentic New Orleans Jazz. 2. Esplanade Avenue. Definitely want to do more than just walk by some of the major African American historic sites and the Degas house next time. 3. French Quarter Museums. Next time I definitely want to tour the Cabildo, and the Convent. Time was just so limited and there are many amazing things within this city.
As far as food, I really had five places that stood out. Juan's Flying Burrito, though I haven't been to some of the legendary west coast spots yet, was definitely the best burrito I've ever had. I'd say that the BBQ/Pulled Pork I had at Cochon tops any I have had. Cafe du Monde is just sort of a classic, but I pulled the trick of ordering at the Riverwalk Shops and walking over and eating it on a park bench overlooking the Mississippi. I had no idea what a Muffaletta was before making this trip, but the one at Central Grocery was on point. May be the first place I go when I get back to New Orleans again. And Red Beans/Rice. I didn't mind Jambalaya, but even though it's mixed in, I'm not the biggest on onions and tomatoes. I personally had mine from Joey K's as the group I was going with wanted to hit that up. I think someone on here said it was bland or something, but at least for me the red beans/rice were pretty decent. I'm already looking to find a good home recipe for those. Oh. And I had a drink at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop with some people from my conference. Dang. NOLA Beer Company (?) has some pretty strong brew. I and others in my group only had one and still had a decent buzz.
Anyways, Thank you again to all for your wonderful suggestions, and I'm envious that you regularly get to enjoy such a fantastic city! Oh, and if any full time student affairs positions are needed at Tulane or Loyola, keep me informed!!
That sounds like you had a great time. Me and my roommate visit Central Grocery all the time to get a muff and yeah, they're so on point. I love Juans. They make a very tasty dish and you'll eat for a while on it that's for sure. Taqueria Guerrero (Carrollton & Canal) would be another good Mexican restaurant to go to imo. Their chimichangas are off the hook.
The river is very soothing isn't it? That point across from Jackson Square is one of my favorite spots I've ever been to anywhere in the world. I've sat there for hours just watching the boats float and thinking about all the history that's come up and down that one spot. People will have their wedding photos taken there, you can talk to some interesting people ... I've talked to people from all over the world on that spot. All of that with the music playing in the background, the birds flock overhead in October... beautiful. You should see it and Jackson Square when it fogs up ... it's a really cool sight.
It really is just a wave of senses with the old boats, industry, greenery , water, bridge, skyline/FQ across. Taking the ferry across is a really neat and cheap way to experience it all!
I also really liked the corner of Jackson Square with all the benches in front of the Presbytere was cool, because there really wasn't a sign of modern ness anywhere, felt like I had been taken and placed in Europe 200 years ago until I saw people on their phones lol.
I definitely will! Esplanade Avenue and Royal Street were particularly beautiful as well. Also I love the way it gets foggy each morning with a bit of a breeze, makes for a pleasant walk to and ride on the streetcar.
Thank you to you all for your suggestions before I was able to visit, I have to say I came away thoroughly impressed.
A few notes:
Any reason why the express bus from Airport doesn't run all the way to the CBD on weekends? I took it on the way back to the airport and it seemed very safe and comfortable and I would recommend it to anyone. Also, the station is literally right next to the New Orleans Public Library, so as long as you keep a schedule handy and get outside a few minutes early, there's no reason to worry about being stuck waiting out there, and it is a great cheap option for the city to have. The extra 20 minutes on the ride can be more productive commute time also. However, I found it disappointing that it only ran to Carrollton during the week, I thought about taking it to there and walking over to the nearest streetcar stop, but the neighborhoods around there did not appear to be the greatest and I was carrying all my luggage, so I ate the bullet and paid for a cab. It did put a bit of dampener on start of trip, as I was on tight budget. I still had a great time though. I'd have to guess Saturday is still a reasonably busy airport day, so it is confusing, that's all.
As far as where I stayed, some of you may remember that I mentioned staying on Baronne a couple blocks north of St. Charles, in the much feared "Central City" area. However, while I saw certain parts of Baronne on a cab ride back one night which suggested I was not too far from trouble, the street I was on myself had some very impressive and pretty looking houses, and seemed to be in the process of rapid gentrification. I do have to admit I was a bit paranoid though, as the owner said there had been a murder a couple blocks over a few weeks earlier, and there was certainly still some signs of blight next to wealth, and so I was on edge and even jogged the couple blocks up/down when going due to my sense of paranoia when I first got there, and was a bit on edge. Overall though, no one even gave me a remote reason to feel threatened while there, and I got a charming New Orleans experience in a great location. Being able to take a quarter mile walk and be at shops on Prytania was pretty neat.
I really enjoyed the streetcar experience. There was one day (Saturday, where I ended up being stuck waiting almost an hour for a car to come and so it took a little over 2 hours to maneuver the streetcar from City Park to the Garden District which was frustrating, but the rest of the time it felt like fortunes were on my side as cars literally arrived right as I was walking up (I didn't have a schedule, so I was guessing). What a unique and cost effective way of traveling.
The WWII Museum: AMAZING. What comprehensive detail. Many other museums should take lessons, I only partially saw a few of the exhibits, and I was there for almost three hours. City Park Sculpture Garden was also a very unique thing. City Park itself was cool, but I was having trouble finding the northern part/Couturie Forest, so I never truly got into the heart of the park. I'd have to think living nearby and kayaking Bayou St. John and all that would be pretty neat. Audubon Park on the other hand was truly "green space gold", likely could hold the claim "Central Park of the South" without any real debate. A few of the things I touched on a little bit but hope to see more next time include (1. Frenchman Street. To get a taste of authentic New Orleans Jazz. 2. Esplanade Avenue. Definitely want to do more than just walk by some of the major African American historic sites and the Degas house next time. 3. French Quarter Museums. Next time I definitely want to tour the Cabildo, and the Convent. Time was just so limited and there are many amazing things within this city.
As far as food, I really had five places that stood out. Juan's Flying Burrito, though I haven't been to some of the legendary west coast spots yet, was definitely the best burrito I've ever had. I'd say that the BBQ/Pulled Pork I had at Cochon tops any I have had. Cafe du Monde is just sort of a classic, but I pulled the trick of ordering at the Riverwalk Shops and walking over and eating it on a park bench overlooking the Mississippi. I had no idea what a Muffaletta was before making this trip, but the one at Central Grocery was on point. May be the first place I go when I get back to New Orleans again. And Red Beans/Rice. I didn't mind Jambalaya, but even though it's mixed in, I'm not the biggest on onions and tomatoes. I personally had mine from Joey K's as the group I was going with wanted to hit that up. I think someone on here said it was bland or something, but at least for me the red beans/rice were pretty decent. I'm already looking to find a good home recipe for those. Oh. And I had a drink at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop with some people from my conference. Dang. NOLA Beer Company (?) has some pretty strong brew. I and others in my group only had one and still had a decent buzz.
Anyways, Thank you again to all for your wonderful suggestions, and I'm envious that you regularly get to enjoy such a fantastic city! Oh, and if any full time student affairs positions are needed at Tulane or Loyola, keep me informed!!
Sounds like a great time. New Orleans offers a feeling like no other city, but remains a hidden gem to those too predispositioned to venture off the beaten path of convenience. Visitors like you are awesome. The next time you're here and want to explore Esplanade Avenue, I highly recommend lunch at Lil Dizzy's Cafe...my favorite gumbo in New Orleans.
Sounds like a great time. New Orleans offers a feeling like no other city, but remains a hidden gem to those too predispositioned to venture off the beaten path of convenience. Visitors like you are awesome. The next time you're here and want to explore Esplanade Avenue, I highly recommend lunch at Lil Dizzy's Cafe...my favorite gumbo in New Orleans.
Definitely... I appreciate that, will have to check it out!!
And I couldn't agree more. On Saturday and Sunday especially, the area around Peters Street and Jackson Square was a literal zoo. I only wish I had more time to experience more neighborhoods. Obviously, the FQ has it's due and the architecture is stunning, but what's sad is that you really could see that most visitors didn't go more than about 5 blocks away from that general area.
I am sure it probably bothers you guys to no end when people visit and say "Oh, all New Orleans has is partying and t shirt stands." Well, perhaps if they hadn't taken things at face value, which unfortunately it seems like most of society tends to do, they would've found otherwise.
One thing I've found is that many people always seem to think that they deserve something better, but they aren't necessarily willing to look and find what that may be. I feel so glad that I did some digging and was able to experience the "Real New Orleans". There is a lot to offer.
You know it's a successful trip when you have more stuff on your list to do next time than you did before leaving to begin with!
That part of Jackson Square is great. It does feel like slipping back a couple hundred years. Wait until you stand on the second floor of the Cabildo and look down on all of the people having fun and playing music - it should leave an imprint. The inside of the Ursulines is very pretty as well and there's a lot of history that went on in that building. I won't spoil it for you but you'll see a lot of really cool artifacts when you visit what you've missed
Glad you enjoyed your trip! To your point about the airport bus not going past Carrollton on the weekends, I'd guess its because the demand isn't there for it. Note, even during the week, the primary purpose of the E-2 airport bus isn't to transport travelers, but rather to transport commuters in and between Jefferson and Orleans Parish; they represent the bulk of the people using the service; many of these people do also work for the airport, though). Still, I've never let that issue keep me from relying largely on public transportation to and from the airport during the weekend. While I've only walked to the street car from Carollton once after departing the E-2 (a big mistake as this was in the middle of summer and I was sweating like a pig by the time I got to the street car), I started taking a cab from Carollton. Doing this (as opposed to just taking a cab from the airport) saved me over $20; and I never had a problem waiting for a cab at Carrollton after departing the bus, although you almost certainly will have such a problem if you're traveling during carnival season. Something to keep in mind for the future.
Glad you enjoyed your trip! To your point about the airport bus not going past Carrollton on the weekends, I'd guess its because the demand isn't there for it. Note, even during the week, the primary purpose of the E-2 airport bus isn't to transport travelers, but rather to transport commuters in and between Jefferson and Orleans Parish; they represent the bulk of the people using the service; many of these people do also work for the airport, though). Still, I've never let that issue keep me from relying largely on public transportation to and from the airport during the weekend. While I've only walked to the street car from Carollton once after departing the E-2 (a big mistake as this was in the middle of summer and I was sweating like a pig by the time I got to the street car), I started taking a cab from Carollton. Doing this (as opposed to just taking a cab from the airport) saved me over $20; and I never had a problem waiting for a cab at Carrollton after departing the bus, although you almost certainly will have such a problem if you're traveling during carnival season. Something to keep in mind for the future.
How much is the trip from the airport to the city these days? Last time I took a cab I think it was a fixed rate of $24. I'm sure it's more now.
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