Hi all!!
I've always wanted to go to the Krewe of Boo parade and I think this year I can finally make it work!
My question is viewing parties. Are they worth it? The Sheraton is sold out but they still have Lucy's, Brewing house and a boil house. If they are worth it..which one?
We are in our 40s so not youngsters. Help a girl out..let me hear the opinions!
Thanks!!
I've never been and we will be staying in the garden district. We are more interested in the history than drinking/crowds. Both seem like decent times to avoid the majority of crowds but wanted to see what was best. Thanks in advance!
Hey y’all! I’m relocating to the New Orleans area soon for a job and I’ve been apartment hunting. I’d love honest opinions from people who ACTUALLY live in these areas/apartments because online reviews are all over the place 😭
I’m mainly looking for:
safe area for a young woman
decent parking/security
not super noisy/sketchy
modern/nice feel if possible
I’m currently considering:
Latitude Apartments (Lake Villa Dr, Metairie)
The Jackson (Lower Garden District)
possibly Warehouse District apartments
Can anyone give REAL experiences with:
safety/day to day living
commute stress
parking/car break-ins
management
flooding/mold issues
whether you’d actually recommend living there?
Thank you .
I’ll be heading to the Cathedral next weekend for an ordination. Looking for best recommendations to park. Don’t want to spend a fortune but in the end money isn’t too much of an issue. I’m coming from Baton Rouge so I’ve been to NOLA but usually with someone else driving
EDIT: My post cut off my day itinerary so I reposted it.
TLDR: 26F Canadian took a 5-night trip to New Orleans, drawn by the city's history, gothic aesthetic, and seafood. Despite a well-researched itinerary, including swamp, plantation, & cemetery tours, and perusing through City Park & Garden District, I left feeling a bit underwhelmed and like the city didn't quite "click" for me. Where did I go wrong?
Hey everyone,
I’m a 26F who just got back from a 5-night trip to New Orleans with my boyfriend (35M). To give you some context, we are from a relatively large, very clean city in Canada and live in the suburbs. We aren’t big partiers, but we enjoy having a drink or two (me more than him!), but we weren't looking for a massive rager. For reference, I am a massive traveller, having taken solo trips to USA/Europe before as well. BF isn't as well travelled as me, but is pretty go-with-the-flow.
I’ve always felt super drawn to NOLA. I love history, I’m obsessed with reptiles/gators, and honestly, seeing the city in movies, shows, and video games like Red Dead Redemption 2 (Saint Denis) made me fascinated by the ghost, vampire, swamp, and southern gothic aesthetic. Also have loved reading Faulkner recently.
I also LOVE spicy food, and seafood, but cannot eat pork. My BF will try absolutely anything and he loves seafood as well and no dietary restrictions lol.
We stayed at a hotel on the lower end of the French Quarter (near Decatur/French Market), which felt like a great location. I meticulously planned our itinerary, with leaving room for breaks/rests, but looking back, I left feeling kind of... underwhelmed?
(EDIT: This was missing Here’s what we did: )
Day 1: Arrived, walked Frenchmen St, did some souvenir shopping, and walked around the lower Quarter. Honestly, it felt a bit unsafe even in the early evening. We went to Coop's Place, had the Shrimp Creole, and sat at the bar. It was really chaotic, but I expected that since it's a dive bar. However, the walk there felt incredibly intense. I've been to Seattle, so I'm used to seeing a large homeless population, but the folks we encountered here felt uniquely aggressive and antagonistic.
Day 2: Did a tour of Oak Alley & Laura Plantation. Seeing the RDR2-inspired oak trees was very cool! Had dinner at MRB afterward, and the char-grilled oysters were REALLY good.
Day 3: Swamp Tour (loved seeing the gators, a huge highlight for me). Got beignets at Cafe Beignet on Decatur, but they were just okay. Visited Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. Checked out Bourbon Street and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop in the evening, and had a muffuletta and a po'boy at Napoleon House. I didn't like the po'boy, and the muffuletta was just... okay? I did like the Purple Drank from Lafitte's, but it wasn't anything mind-blowing. We walked down Bourbon St just to check off the box, but didn't stay long.
Day 4: City & Cemetery bus tour (St. Louis #3). Explored the French Market and got crawfish/crab beignets at Loretta's—these were truly amazing and my absolute favorite beignets of the trip. Later, we had regular beignets at Cafe Du Monde in City Park, which were fine, but nothing special. However, I absolutely loved the atmosphere in City Park during the early afternoon. In the evening, we went to the Orpheum Theatre for the Ethel Cain concert (and took an Uber back to the hotel for safety).
Day 5: Brunch at Brennan's (turtle soup, crispy soft-shell crab, and the Bananas Foster). It was amazing. We had originally planned to take the ferry to Algiers Point, walk the levee, and get tacos at Barracuda, but we ended up skipping it because we just wanted to relax and use our hotel's pool at the end of the trip.
I didn't hate it, but the magical spark I expected just wasn't there, and I’m trying to figure out if it was a mismatch of expectations, if we hit the wrong spots, or if the city just isn't for me...
For reference, I planned the itinerary with downtime and breaks, and it felt like a good balance. We never felt overly exhausted, despite the humidity lol.
Here is a quick breakdown of what we did:
My reflections: The highlights for me were definitely seeing the gators on the swamp tour, and the beignets from Loretta's. I will say, I did get an authentic, laissez-faire vibe here, and felt very welcome by everyone I met (except the homeless... lol). Like, sure, some of the stores in the French Quarter are "spooky vibes", but I didn't feel it was very gimmicky like it has in places like Nashville, Vegas, or even in California. It felt authentic, which was really nice.
But overall, the city just didn't "click" the way I thought it would. Maybe coming from a very clean, suburban Canadian environment made the grit of the city a harder adjustment than I expected?
Disappointed that anything with gator meat had some variation of beef or pork in it, rather than being pure gator. And, on top of it, I just felt that while the cuisine is interesting, it just... didn't seem like anything THAT crazy? Like the shrimp creole was flavorful, but I just don't see how it’s so renowned. I do wish I could try gumbo but everywhere we went had pork in it, which is sad but was expected by me.
I’m posting this with total respect for your city, but I'm genuinely curious: looking at our itinerary, did we approach NOLA the wrong way? Did we spend too much time in the tourist bubbles, or is New Orleans just a vibe that doesn't resonate with everyone?
I will say I really loved the architecture, Loretta's beignets, and the char-grilled oysters, but it just didn't really feel all that crazy to me, like how much people rave about it? I will say, I went to Nashville last year, and to me and my bf, we are not huge fans of live music (to be honest, the bars play it so fucking loud I can't hear myself think and it all just sounds like noise...). I will say I really wanted to go for Jazz Brunch though, but it was already all reserved so no spots for that.
People say that New Orleans will sense your energy and hug you if you're welcome, or not... I presume I did not get a hug lol.
Would love to hear your thoughts or honest feedback!
Hi I hope the weather isn’t too bad down there as we have been delayed in NYC for 3 hours now. on that note I can’t wait to land and grab some food but now I’m afraid it’s going to be too late for some good eats. what do yall recommend for late night (ideally good) food options? might be closer to 11pm-12am at this rate. thanks!
Hi!
Where’s the cutest place I can sit at an upscale bar or restaurant and get good French fries, cute drinks, and dessert?
:)
Thank you.
Hello! This might be a bit of an off-topic post.
I have been a lifelong Arsenal fan, and those who follow soccer would understand what a big deal this is after finally winning the Premier League. Still honestly feels unreal. I have not slept last night!
I am comparatively new to the US, having been living here for around 2 years now. I stay in Baton Rouge, but recently realized there is apparently a supporters group called the "Krewe of Arsenal" based in New Orleans.
Just coming to the point: if any fellow Gooner from NOLA or Louisiana in general is reading this post, how do I reach out to the supportes group in NOLA? Their website is not very informative, so I was wondering if the supporters in this state are having a gathering in some capacity. Are there any plans to meet up and celebrate, maybe after the UCL Final in Budapest?
Would genuinely love to connect with fellow Arsenal fans here in Louisiana. It is such a big deal that it is not fair to celebrate alone!
Thanks in advance for your help!
#COYG
currently visiting new orleans with my boyfriend who grew up here. we were hanging out in congo square earlier and this guy introduced himself to us as "creole boogie" and talked to us for a few mins. he was super nice, but then he offered to give us a "tour" of the park for twenty mins. he said it would be free and we could give a small donation at the end if we liked.
i heard a lot about the amount of hustlers/scammers down here before i visited so i was on edge and assumed it was probably some kind of scam and he would get pushy at the end for the money. i lied and told him we'd come back later and that worked. but my boyfriend said he didn't think it was anything malicious. is anyone familiar with this guy or this trick?
Hi we are a detroit-based soft serve company, our stuff is made from scratch and non dairy. Were looking into popping up or doing a residency in New Orleans. Sort of combination pizza hut taco bell is the thought. Any coffee shops or breweries with extra space would be ideal.
Okay I have really bad driving anxiety and I freak out over stupid things like parking. I am originally from Baton Rouge and this Saturday I will be heading to New Orleans for the day to go to a brunch at Monday to celebrate my best friend’s birthday. As we all know Baton Rouge is not as urban of a place as New Orleans so I’m not really used to having to figure out where to park. Where do you guys usually park when going to that restaurant? I don’t plan on staying in New Orleans long at all, only to go to the restaurant and then I’m going back home.
I am new to the city, only been here about a month. I’m in my 30s, black, gay, typical corporate work and schedule. Where can i go to socialize and meet gay ppl ?
I’m heavily into fitness, i do enjoy random activities, and trying new bars.
DMs open !
I know to avoid AirBNB's, but I'm having trouble finding somewhere to stay in a "suite" (or similar) situation. We'd prefer to stay together with separate bedrooms, and it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. Just somewhere decent, secure, and within walking/uber of TFQ.
She's an older gal, but has no mobility issues. We're also not opposed to staying within TFQ, but we'll be traveling with backpacks and would prefer not to have to carry them everywhere.
Any other recommendations are welcome, for lodging or anything else. We're here for the food and spooky stuff, which could also be my life slogan.
Thank you!
Hello, My fiance and I plan on wanting to get married in NOLA in Aug though nothing crazy we just want to be married at a courthouse. How do you go about doing that? Thanks
Context: We are three couples in our 30’s going to NOLA because we want to have as much fun as possible. Only two of us have been to NOLA before.
I am coordinating the trip, and have been to NOLA five prior times. Every trip, I’ve gone to Mr. B’s. I love it there.
But this trip I was debating doing our “nice dinner” at Galatoire’s. And while I know Galatoire’s is much more traditional, I hear the food is better at Mr. B’s. Plus then we need to pack jackets. But I don’t want to pick Mr. B’s and short the rest of the group on a classic.
What’s the better move?
I have 2 friends coming to visit the state of Louisiana. One from California, and one from Wyoming. I was born and raised in Lafayette Louisiana. Over the course of my life I really have not made it to New Orleans more than a handful of times. I’ve never actually toured the city myself, I just kind of went for small events and immediately headed back home.
We’ll be coming anytime between May 28th - June 4th.
My friends are going to be coming to Lafayette, but obviously you can’t make a Louisiana trip without going to Nola.
My friends are nerds and do genuinely love history so some historical sites other than the French Quarter would be great recommendations.
I’m well versed in Cajun cooking and I know all the right spots to take them in Laffy, but New Orleans? Not a chance.
I know nothing about the good spots or Creole cooking almost at all. Some help there would be great as well.
Also bars, my friends drink like it’s the prohibition, but still always remain polite and respectful. So some good bar recommendations would go a long way.
And obviously, shelter. There’s a good chance that we get way too trashed on Bourbon Street to make the full 2 1/2 hour drive back to Lafayette safely. So if you guys know of any reasonably priced, single night stay, no bedbugs hotels/motels please leave those in the comments as well.
Thank you to anybody who comments on this post!
Yall have a great day!
Here's the details
We were dressed in skeleton outfits, it was apparently a New Orleans staple? I can't remember but I'd love to actually remember. I was 9 at the time so to me I was playing follow the leader.
Has 4 of us on the cover I think, if not 3.
The outfits were black suits with a skeleton painted on the front and back
I think i had a flag I was carrying
1999 to 2000, it's kind of a blur but I was in 4th grade from 1999 to 2000 at Sherwood Forest Elementary so the issue was for that school year so August 99 to June/May 00
I get this is a huge ask to have someone use their time but even if someone could help me access the archive you'd make me crazy happy.
Hey y’all. Me and my fiancé are moving to New Orleans from Cleveland Ohio this August due to my fiancés work relocating him. NOLA has always been a bucket list place to visit, however we’ve never gotten the chance and are now relocating there for the time being!
We already know it’s going to be brutal moving in August, but we unfortunately don’t have any other option. Given that, if anyone has any insight on the rental market in July and August/ best places to live in NOLA we’d appreciate it! We plan on taking a trip mid June to scope out some places, but are essentially going in blind. Our main important want is that we have a dachshund puppy with a ton of energy so homes near parks or walking paths would be best.
Thanks so much (:
Any tips on avoiding the constant surveillance that’s in my face besides leaving the spyPhone at home?
Note: AI bots are downvoting my replies.
Hi! Off the bat, we have done our research on things to do, the wander log is packed. We’re staying in the Warehouse District and definitely checking out the French Quarter.
However, there is SOO MUCH we want to do that are spread amongst multiple areas, where I am worried we are underestimating the amount of time its going to take to explore. We are only here 3 days. Here for our anniversary, we are 30/28 y/o and we like to drink, eat, music (r&b/rap/not active jazz listeners but down to experience) and maybe local art.
Areas: Midtown, Uptown, Magazine St., Jackson Sq., and Garden District
How much time do each of these areas need? Which are a must visit for our first trip and which can be saved for another time?