Night trip to N.O. - first timer (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: crime, hotels)

[kindafedup]

I live in BR and have driven to Kenner during the day but the only thing stopping me from going to New Orleans is fear.

I don't know the layout. I don't know the hotspots or even the names. I'm horrible with direction. I WANT TO GO! I've been hearing of places like The French Quarter, The Square, Pirates Alley, etc.. Are they all near each other?

I'm afraid of taking a wrong turn and ending up in a ward or some other place I shouldn't be as a solo tourist.

And yes, I will be solo. The friends I have that haven't left La can NEVER make time. They have kids and spouses and priorities and other excuses, so part of me is afraid to 'tackle' it alone and risk looking like a target.

I should add that I am borderline OBSESSED with candle-lit themes. They give me goosebumps and butterflies. I've seen pics of Pirates Alley and other places with the streetlamps lit up like candles and it takes my breath away, so part of the magic of New Orleans for me would have to be after dark.

Ashamed to admit it, but part of me was relieved to read here that most of the crime is drug related and since I don't do drugs, then I feel a little safer. As far as other crimes go, I'm always cautious but bad things happen to random people.

That said, I've read someone on here saying that the officers are corrupt? I have a big respect for officers of the law and feel comfortable knowing they are there to protect me if necessary, should I be worried?

I 'm always worried about safety and because of that I feel like I live in a box! N.O. never had a great rep for low-crime. But I thought about it and neither does B.R. I'm just familiar with my little corner here.


So realistically, if I drove to N.O. alone one day and left well after dark, what could I get into? How could I be sure what turn not to take to stay away from the bad spots? What central location could I tap into my GPS to be sure I'm in the right area? Where would I park? Should I worry about car theft?


Any advice??? I need a vacation and an escape from BR more often. But I have to take the first step there. I feel like Im missing out on something great!

[Prytania]

Really? Its no more worse than any other city really...

Try this...come down off of I-10, get onto US 90 and get off on the St. Charles exit, follow the signs to the Quarter....and turn towards the river and just pay to park in the river lot and go have fun.

If you want to play it extra safe stay between the river and Bourbon and just stay aware (which I would do anywhere, even in Baton Rouge). Hail a cab if you want to check out Magazine Street or Frenchmen.
Please c'mon down and feel free to PM me if you need specific help.

[kindafedup]

I think I will do that. I will be msging you if I have specific questions, Thanks!

[stillkit]

New Orleans is no different than any other large city, including BR. There are places you shouldn't go alone (especially if you are a woman), and places you'll be OK. The visual key to undesirable neighborhoods is always bars on the doors and windows of businesses and homes. If you start to see those, back track.

You can follow the directions above, or you can go into town on I-10 and take the West Bank exit near the Superdome. That's US-90 heading toward the big bridge, the Crescent City Connection. Take the St. Peters/Tchapitoulas exit (the last one before the bridge) and that will take you down onto a surface street. Stay on that until it deadends into Convention Center Blvd and make a left. That will take you up to a couple of Hilton hotels with public parking garages or the Harrah's casino. Park there and walk to the French Quarter or take the trolley. You'll be fine. The area is heavily patrolled and well lit.

Personally, I like to park around there and walk up Canal St. to Peters and make a right. That leads you right into Jackson Square, the center of The Quarter. Within a few blocks of there, you can find anything you're looking for.

Of course, it should go without saying that The Quarter is full of tourists, decent people, plus hucksters, con men and crooks, just like any other tourist area. You have to be aware of your surroundings and never, ever, walk like a "victim:" head down, furtively glancing from side to side and unconciously touching places where your valuables are, such as a hip pocket or purse. Robbers watch for that. They like an easy mark, not someone who might fight back. Instead, walk boldly and confidently, eyes straight ahead, even if you don't feel such confidence. That will pass you right through situations where the "victim's" will get rolled.

When you're ready to leave, (I'd recommend about 10 PM), head up Canal St. to St. Charles and make a left. Be aware, though, that the streets change names as they cross Canal, so the St. Charles street signs will be on the left. On the right, it's marked as Royal St. Turn there and follow it out to the freeway, which will be above you, and follow the signs to I-10 west. Then, scoot on back to BR and treasure your memories.

Have fun. New Orleans is a treat and, once you've been there, you won't be able to stay away.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Ge a GPS! The handheld ones can be carried with you as you walk around.

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Ge a GPS! The handheld ones can be carried with you as you walk around.

NEVER trust a GPS! All it knows is the map, as it's been loaded into its memory. It knows nothing at all about anything specific to any particular area.

At best, it's a general guide, not something to trust.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

But if she knows where she wants to go, it can show her the route. If you update it regularly, it will be accurate for cities, but not the countryside. It can show you if it is too far to walk for ex.

[mhounit]

Originally Posted by stillkit

NEVER trust a GPS! All it knows is the map, as it's been loaded into its memory. It knows nothing at all about anything specific to any particular area.

At best, it's a general guide, not something to trust.

You better tell the U.S. military about that . They trust GPS systems with their lives . Something tells me that you haven't a clue about GPS or it's applications . How do you think those AIR-MED helicopters find the scene of an accident in the dark ? It's not with a map sweetie .

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by mhounit

You better tell the U.S. military about that . They trust GPS systems with their lives . Something tells me that you haven't a clue about GPS or it's applications . How do you think those AIR-MED helicopters find the scene of an accident in the dark ? It's not with a map sweetie .

Personally, I think the Army over-relies on GPS, but that's just me. I'm an old timer who can find something much easier, and quicker, with a good map.

In fact, I do disaster relief missions with the Southern Baptist's and I'm usually among the very first to go into a disaster zone for damage assessment. A good bit of the time the street signs are down, covered by debris or obscured for some reason or another. I've used commercial GPS navigation systems, as well as maps, and still prefer a map for a number of reasons. With a map, I can organize my routes better and avoid a lot of back-tracking and cris-crossing. I have had some success with a blending of good maps and GPS, but I've also gotten completely lost because the navigation system download wasn't up to date.

Just last year, after an Oklahoma ice storm, our whole team spent far, far too much time searching for addresses because the GPS system didn't know the county had changed all the rural roads from names to 911 numbers just a couple of weeks before, which were NOT sequential or applied in anything like a rational order. Once we obtained decent maps (which also didn't include the new numbering system), we could go right to our destination because we had a better, overall view.

To me, the difference between using GPS and a map is sort of like the difference between using a digital clock and one with hands: The digital clock tells you what time it is. The clock with hands tells relative time at a glance. GPS tells me where I am; a map tells me where I am relative to where I want to go.

[mhounit]

The Army over relies on GPS ? Actually , they can't live without it . Example

Military
The military applications of GPS span many purposes:

• Navigation: GPS allows soldiers to find objectives in the dark or in unfamiliar territory, and to coordinate the movement of troops and supplies. The GPS-receivers that commanders and soldiers use are respectively called the Commanders Digital Assistant and the Soldier Digital Assistant.[79][80][81][82]
• Target tracking: Various military weapons systems use GPS to track potential ground and air targets before they are flagged as hostile.[citation needed] These weapon systems pass GPS co-ordinates of targets to precision-guided munitions to allow them to engage the targets accurately. Military aircraft, particularly those used in air-to-ground roles use GPS to find targets (for example, gun camera video from AH-1 Cobras in Iraq show GPS co-ordinates that can be looked up in Google Earth).
• Missile and projectile guidance: GPS allows accurate targeting of various military weapons including ICBMs, cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions. Artillery projectiles with embedded GPS receivers able to withstand accelerations of 12,000g's or about
  117,600 meters/second2 have been developed for use in 155 mm howitzers.[83]
• Search and Rescue: Downed pilots can be located faster if they have a GPS receiver.
• Reconnaissance and Map Creation: The military use GPS extensively to aid mapping and reconnaissance.
• The GPS satellites also carry a set of nuclear detonation detectors consisting of an optical sensor (Y-sensor), an X-ray sensor, a dosimeter, and an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) sensor (W-sensor) which form a major portion of the United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System.[84][85]