New Orleans Things to Do Tips by jadedmuse Top 5 Page for this destination

Check out the Garden District Garden District Review

Whereas the French Quarter is a bit garish though not without its flavor and charm, the Garden District embodies the aristocratic "gentile" of the Old South. It is one of the 2 most prestigious New Orleans neighborhoods (the other is the University section near Tulane). Ironically it is noted for its gorgeous antebellum mansions and homes - not for any gardens.

Developed mainly between 1840 and 1900, the Garden District runs from Magazine Street to St. Charles Avenue and from Jackson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue. It comprises one of the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the South -- if not the entire country.

The tacit rivalry between the Garden District and the French Quarter began shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, when the Americans moved into this Uptown area to settle - the gentrified Creoles and French living in the French Quarter area looked down their noses at the more recent upstarts...and thus the concept of "Downtown" and "Uptown" was born.

Directions: Uptown

Garden District/Lafayette Cemetery Walking Tour Lafayette Cemetery Review

Offered by Historic New Orleans Walking Tours - no reservations are required for this tour, and the times are 11:00 am and 1:45 pm daily - but it's important to remember that the Lafayette Cemetery is closed on Sundays so if you plan on doing this tour on Sunday, you'll only be able to stand outside the gates of the cemetery while your guide shares all the juicy gossip surrounding some of the more colorful inhabitants.

I much prefer things up close and personal (er, not too close and personal if you know what I mean! But I am a real cemetery fan and this one is full of interesting info).

In addition to learning about the peculiar burial rights and traditions that characterize New Orleans (i.e. entire families share a burial mausoleum or sometimes a drawer in a wall if there's not enough money to pay for a plot; the bones are simply shifted over and the new body introduced into the confines -creepy!) and of course the headstones and actual burial crypts themselves are all above ground because New Orleans itself is below sea-level and one too many a time bodies were unearthed and found floating through the city years ago...shiver!), this tour is especially edifying for those who are interested in the antebellum society that formed this area - the background behind the architectural styles and the history behind the design of some of the more famous homes.

The tour lasts about 2 hours and carries on whether it's sunny or rainy. It's always a good idea to bring a raincoat or umbrella when you go out in New Orleans.

Directions: Meeting place is at the Garden District Book Shop in the small center called "The Rink" on the corner of Washington St. and Prytania. (if you're riding the streetcar from Downtown, get off at the Washington exit).

Other Contact: Cost: $15 per adult, $7 child

Phone: 504-947-2120

Website: http://www.tourneworleans.com/garden_set.html

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Jazz Fest Review

aka JazzFest....This annual event takes place over a two weekend period, usually around the end of April/beginning of May. It's next scheduled for April 22-May 1, 2005. What started back in the 1970s as a relatively small scale tribute to honor the city's cultural and musical heritage has grown into an international festival of distinction today.

I've attended several JazzFests over the years, and whereas the earlier ones really showcased local talents like Mahalia Jackson, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, and a personal favorite band - The Meters - my favorite one included a great performance by an older, wizened Bob Dylan back in the early 90s.

What adds even more character and nuance to this program are the "cultural" aspects, as well as the logistics of the layout. With stages spread out across the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course, there are musical performances happening concurrently - you can move from one stage to the other and spend the whole day intermittently jamming to gospel, zydeco, blues, jazz, folk as well as some popular artists, while visiting crafts and cultural booths depicting Acadian (Cajun) activities and history - and equally important, there are food booths set up everywhere.

This is not your average Carnival Food Court - this is a Food Festival Extravaganza where you can eat anything from alligator to shrimp etouffee...I could go on and on about the food here but it's probably better that you go directly to the jazzfest website and check things out for yourself!

Address: 1751 Gentilly Blvd.

Directions: New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course, about 3 miles northeast from the French Quarter.

Website: http://www.nojazzfest.com

Mardi Gras -2 Mardi Gras Review

Mardi Gras officially begins on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday, and basically continues non-stop until midnight on Fat Tuesday, when - if you're partying in the Quarter and happen to be stumbling around the streets - you'll be spotted like Cinderella at midnight with her carriage turning into a pumpkin...you'll want to get yourself inside an establishment QUICKLY, as the police and clean-up crew line up on each street and a whistle blows, signaling them to move forward and brush all pedestrians aside off the street - "Mardi Gras is OVER. Move OFF the street NOW!".

It's almost a shock to the system to experience this eerie, sober interlude after you've been partying for hours (days, even). It's a true Gotham City moment - one you try to include in your Mardi Gras repertoire of experiences, if possible.

That is, if you dare...

Riverwalk next to Cafe Du Monde Riverwalk Review

aka, the Woldenberg Riverfront Park - the wooden promenade here provides perfect photo shots of St. Louis Cathedral, while affording a nice stroll along the Missisippi River, or just a respite to sit down and enjoy some eats. There are usually impromptu musicians or performers in the area as well. They're happy if you throw a dollar into their milk jug.

Lately, there's been a guy who has a huge telescope that he positions next to Cafe Du Monde. We clearly saw one of the polar ice caps on the planet Mars last year (August 2003) when I was visiting New Orleans for a few days.

Directions: Other side of Jackson Square, opposite St. Louis Cathedral (French Quarter)

Upper and Lower Pontalba Buildings Pontalba Buildings Review

Located in Jackson Square, this land and former buildings around it were originally designed for use by the general public, but somehow back in the early 1800s, the Pontalba family acquired it.

Long story short - the Baroness Pontalba designed the beautifully crafted buildings that still stand like they did over 150 years ago. It took nearly 2 years to construct the Pontalba buildings, their design reflecting Madame Pontalba's taste for combining Creole, Parisian and Greek arthitechtural styles.

Today the Pontalba buildings are owned by the city and the state and are considered historical landmarks. There are several floors and doors leading to passageways instead of stair halls. At the end of the passageways, stairs curve gently to the private residences on the second and third floors.

One of my college professors lived in an apartment there...we were always hoping he'd invite us in to see it! Maybe if I'd attended class more often...

Address: St. Peter and St. Ann streets

Directions: Jackson Square (French Quarter)

Pirates Alley Pirate's Alley Review

Legend surrounds this narrow street next to the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter, named after Jean Lafitte and his Baratarian pirates who helped Andrew Jackson defeat the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans.

Today it is mostly reknown for its other historically famous resident, American author and Nobel Laureate, William Faulkner.

Directions: Next to the St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square (French Quarter)

St. Louis Cathedral St. Louis Cathedral Review

As the oldest continuously active cathedral in the United States, this structure was originally established as a small basilica back in 1720, under French control. After a catastrophic fire left it in ruins, it was rebuilt and re-dedicated in 1851, and remains the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Since New Orleans is largely and historically a Catholic city, there's usually a long waiting list for marriages to be performed here...a very popular place. For visitors, it's free to enter - though a small donation is appreciated. It's lovely inside.

In more sociologically relevant terms and bearing my personal witness, the St. Louis Cathedral is also the scene of many a slouched over and slowly shuffling local reveler doing penance on Ash Wednesday, as is the New Orleans custom after the culmination of all excess the previous day (Mardi Gras).

Address: 615 Pere Antoine Alley

Directions: Jackson Square (French Quarter)

Look for hidden courtyards in the French Quarter

If you can swing it, try to catch a glimpse into an actual residential courtyard. This is not easy to do, and the buildings themselves are so often deceiving from the outside. But if you catch a resident opening up the gate, ask if you can take a peek inside - you'll be stunned to see a fountain with running water and lush vegetation and bougainvillea spilling out from every balcony facing into the interior courtyard - it's like something out of a movie, and everything you'd secretly imagined a French Quarter courtyard to be.

A friend of mine was renting one such apartment on Royal Street, and I had the privilege of watching it while he was on vacation one time. It was a thrill to turn the key in the gate and open it up to a secret garden inside...I felt transported back in time! My mother and sister were visiting me during that summer and I brought them there to see for themselves how charming life in the French Quarter could be, once you get past the lewdness of the superficial.

Address: French Quarter

Directions: Downtown

Appreciate the French Quarter by day

Established in 1718 by the French as a military outpost, the French Quarter passed into Spanish hands about half way through the 18th century. Soon thereafter, the Americans took over (thanks to the Louisiana Purchase, mon dieu, what a bargain for us!!!)

One of the most ironic things about the French Quarter is that it is (architecturally speaking), more Spanish and American than it is French! It is also one of the most widely recognized places simply by seeing a photograph of one of its narrow streets. The architecture is reknown for its colorful and close-knit buildings with wooden doors, shuttered windows and the beautiful iron balconies, many with plants spilling out over the grillwork to add to its charm.

The city gives a respectful nod to this trifecta inheritance by maintaining attractive stone and cast iron signs which you'll find on the street corners, inlaid into the buildings themselves - some in Spanish, French and English.

Address: French Quarter

Directions: Downtown