New Orleans, the heart of Louisiana, the city of jazz, plantations and swamps is a place like no other. A few moments after landing, in the taxi taking me to my hostel, the driver told me “there is a vibe here you won’t find anywhere else”. I had no idea how true this would turn out to be until I’d spent two months living in the Crescent City.
It is a city of contrast. It’s both beautiful and spooky, scorching and freezing, welcoming and threatening, but most of all, it’s a city of truth. There’s no hiding from reality there, whatever reality means to you. New Orleans will make you feel it all, the love, the anger, the amazement, the sadness, the quiet and the busyness. It’s a crazy place I’m grateful I had the chance to call home.
New Orleans, I love you.
Clem.
#1 Listen to live music on Frenchmen Street
If there’s one place you need to be at night in New Orleans, it’s Frenchmen Street. Imagine an entire street filled with bars where you’ll see the most amazing jazz and funk bands, for free (please tip the bands!). Every spot in the street is worth going to, any day of the week, there is always something going on. Start at The Maison, continue to 30/90 (they have an upstairs club and balcony on weekends), make sure to stop at Café Negril and the Spotted Cat.
Every night, they have an Art market right before the Spotted Cat entrance, called The Art Garden & Floating Gallery, where you’ll find local photographs, illustrators, and other craftsmen!
If you want to have some fun, ask one the street poets to write you one and bring back home a unique souvenir from New Orleans.
#2 Saunter along Bywater
Bywater is the next neighborhood after the French Quarter and Marigny, and it is filled with cute houses and bright colors. Rent a bike and stroll along Royal Street to Studio Be, a warehouse turned into art.
Then have a glass of wine and a plate of cheese at Bacchanal, while listening to live music under the colorful lanterns.
#3 Go for a walk in the French Quarter
The French Quarter takes its name from the French colony settling there when arriving in New Orleans, and it’s actually the only neighborhood in the city to be above sea level. Although the architecture is now mostly Spanish, due to two fires destroying most of the area, it is now a mix of history, cultures, and ghost stories!
Start in Jackson Square, visit the Saint Louis Cathedral, then get a peek of the Mississippi River before heading to Café du Monde and try their infamous beignets (no, there’s no way to eat those properly). Make a quick stop at the 1850 House, a great way to picture how life was in New Orleans at the time, and to learn about the story of the Pontalba buildings surrounding Jackson Square. Then head to the Joan of Arc Statue and continue to the French Market, before strolling the streets towards the Covent, the Keyes-Beauregard House and the Lalaurie Mansion, the most haunted house in the city!
#4 Get some nature in the swamps
Swamp tours are infamous in New Orleans, yet not always ethical; they’ll feed alligators whatever they can to make sure tourists can have an Instagram-worthy picture. If you can, rent a car and go on your own.
Favorite spot: Lake Martin, near Lafayette. Get there for the sunrise and witness nature waking up slowly. Then hop in one of the local’s small boats for a more authentic swamp tour.
Closest to New Orleans: Jean Laffite National Park. This free-entrance park allows you to go deep in the swamps and see frogs, snakes, and alligators thanks to almost 2 miles of wooden paths built over water. Make sure to come early as it is longer than it looks (and the ranger closes the parking lot at 5pm), walk silently and open your eyes!
#5 Go to a festival
New Orleans sure knows how to party, gather gender, ages and skin colors. Any excuse is good to create a festival: Jazz, Carnival, but also Fried Chicken, Beignets and Mac n'Cheese! Yes, make sure to check out the calendar when you're there and do not miss an opportunity for outdoor music and great food.
#6 Visit the Museum of Art and City Park
City Park is the biggest park in New Orleans, and is even 50% bigger than Central Park in NYC!
Start your discovering with the Museum of Art, which exhibits artifacts from Pre-Columbian eras all the way to modern photography.
Make sure to visit the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, free and open seven days a week!
New Orleans Museum of Art, 15$, closed Mondays.
#7 Get fancy and enjoy NOLA’s skyline from a rooftop
The Ponchartrain Hotel on St Charles Av. has an open rooftop from where you’ll get a view on the entire skyline while listening to live chill music.
Tip: ask one of the employee to show you Lil’Wayne lounge on floor level!
When the sun is out, take your swimsuit and order a refreshing cocktail at the NOPSI rooftop, one of the only to have a pool.
#8 Get spooky on a Ghost Tour in the French Quarter
New Orleans is filled with ghost stories, voodoo cultures and spooky vibes. Whether you believe in these things or not, it’s really fun to walk around the French Quarter while hearing stories of haunted hotels, vampires living in convents and horrors happening at the Lalaurie Mansion. And if your guide offers a break during the tour, make sure to grab a Hurricane (Rhum-based local cocktail) and the oldest bar in New Orleans, the Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop.
Haunted History Tours, every day at 6pm or 8pm, tours last two hours, 25$.
#9 Visit Django Unchained’s plantation
There are a lot of plantations you can visit around the city, and a lot of tours that will take you to the most famous ones: Oak Alley, Laura, Whitney.
I’d recommend you rent a car and visit a different one: the Evergreen Plantation, one of the scenes in Tarantino’s famous Django Unchained. To me, it is the most outstanding in terms of architecture, and since you have to book a tour in advance, there are way fewer tourists on site.
Full disclosure, plantations are beautiful, but their history is still one of horrible slavery, exploitation of a minority to make sure sugarcane can bring wealth to the white owners. Get ready for uneasy moments, especially if you’re French.
Evergreen Plantation, small group guided tour, 20$, make sure to book on their website.
#10 Catch the sunset on Pontchartrain Lake
Arriving in front of the lake will make your mind wonder whether you’re actually looking at the sea. Drive-up West Boulevard to reach Lakeshore Drive, take out your stack line and enjoy the sky turning pink as another day has passed.
#11 Go shopping on Magazine Street
Magazine Street, crossing the Lower Garden District neighborhood, is one of the higher-range areas of New Orleans. You’ll find nice cute shops, little restaurants and bars, terraces and balconies.
Make sure to stop at Buffalo Exchange, a thrift shop that always has something you need – and give them some clothes if you want to reduce your backpack’s weight.
To eat, stop at Juan’s Flying Burrito or Lily’s Café!
The bus 11 will take you all the way down on Magazine Street, and you can hop on the St Charles streetcar to come back, as the houses (no wait, mansions) on St Charles are a must-see.
#12 Explore the African American history of Treme
Treme might be the neighborhood with the most interesting history and culture. Located North of the French Quarter, its core resides in Congo Square.
“Although the Code Noir was implemented in 1724, giving enslaved Africans the day off on Sundays, there were no laws in place giving them the right to congregate. In 1817, the mayor of New Orleans issued a city ordinance that restricted any kind of gathering of enslaved Africans to the one location of Congo Square. They were allowed to gather in the "Place des Nègres", "Place Publique", later "Circus Square" or informally "Place Congo" at the "back of town, where the enslaved would set up a market, sing, dance, and play music. At the time the enslaved could purchase their freedom and could freely buy and sell goods in the square in order to raise money to escape slavery.” - source
The best way to learn more about Treme’s history is a walking tour: New Orleans Tour Company, available Saturday, Sunday & Mondays, 10:30am, 22$.
#13 Dance all night long on Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is a crazy place, animated day and night, filled with tourists who haven’t the intention to stay sober. Get ready for it, but if you’re in the mood for a wild party, make sure to stroll this street a drink in hand. My favorite spot (after the Pizza Slices’ Willies) would be the Famous Door and Razzoo Bar and Patio (the only patio where smoking is allowed).
#14 Get some peace and quiet in Audubon Park
Audubon Park, full of lakes and fountains and lovely paths, is a nice park to spend the afternoon and get some rest from the city’s busyness. Surrounded by typical houses, you’ll meet golfers, runners, families and cute animals. Make a stop at the Tree of Life, one of the most impressive oaks I’ve seen. Sit down in its shade and take a few seconds to breathe. Then walk all the way down to Riverview Drive to witness a sunset on the Mississippi River.
The street car line on St Charles Avenue will take you directly to the park.
#15 Catch a university football game for 5$
New Orleans’ universities don’t joke around when it comes to football games! Catch a game of Tulane University's team, the Green Wave, for just a few dollars, and feel like in a movie. Buy some popcorn, hot dogs, and try to figure out who the quarterback is!
Website and info: Tulane Green Wave
Bonus: FOOD!
Food in New Orleans is not what’s missing! Some of my favorite spots:
- Killer Po Boys, in the French Quarter, hidden inside the Erin Rose bar
- Surrey’s Café, on Magazine Street, for their amazing breakfasts
- The Green Goddess, in the French Quarter, for a veggie diet
- Cake Café and Bakery, in Bywater, to support locals and eat healthier
Thanks to Marc and Cruz for the Frenchmen and Bourbon photos.
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