Things to do in New Orleans

[jaffies]

Ever been?

Any must-drink, must-eat, must-see places?

I'm headed there from April 15th-18th for the 1st time and am looking to get shit-faced. I'm planning to remain mostly in the French Quarter, unless something really awesome pries me away.

Suggestions???

[CuckingFunt]

I love New Orleans, but I'm the wrong person to ask. Staying in the Quarter and getting drunk is about the most boring way to experience the city.

But, it pretty much exists for tourism. There are ample brochures and tours and related information in every store/lobby you'll go into.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I enjoyed having lunch on Jackson Square (popcorn shrimp... mmmm), and riding the tramcar past Tulane university and through the leafy suburbs full of huge Georgian mansions, but that was back in 1999, and I'm not sure what happened to that area during Katrina.

Bourbon St was a lot of fun at night. ;)

[LnGrrrR]

Ever been?

Any must-drink, must-eat, must-see places?

I'm headed there from April 15th-18th for the 1st time and am looking to get shit-faced. I'm planning to remain mostly in the French Quarter, unless something really awesome pries me away.

Suggestions???

Eh, don't listen to CF... Bourbon St is fun. :) Get a hand grenade from Tropical Isle, then hit up the two-story stripper pole in the Hustler's Club, finish it off with some Krystal's on the corner of Bourbon/Canal.

Park next to the Aquarium, that's the safest place.

Definitely got to visit the Cathedral and the park with all the musicians, the fortune tellers and the mime that's always there.

Magazin Street has some clothing stores and some kick-azz restaraunts... look up Joey K's.

Tons of touristy stuff to do on Decatur street... and if you go far enough, I believe that's the "Goth" club street as well. (Can't remember, I haven't been there in a while.)

Anything in particular you plan on wanting to do besides getting trashed? :D

Oh, the zoo is nice there too, and you can get a one-day pass for the Aquarium/Zoo with a shuttle ride for like.. 30 bucks I think.

[blizz]

I'll be there next week for the french quarter fest. it's a blast. i'm staying in the quarter. i don't really get outside the quarter much. i've been about 20 times. places you've GOT to eat at:

Mother's - Po Boys
Acme - Oysters
Felix's - Cajun food
Cafe DuMonde - beignets and cafe au lait
The Gumbo Shop
Central Market - muffaletta

Places to hang out and drink:
Bourbon st period
Pat O'Brien's
Cat's Meow
Razzoo
HUGE ASS BEERS
countless daiquiri shops
Tropical Isle
LaFitte's Blacksmith shop

Shopping:
Jackson brewery
french market
stores lined up on bourbon

you can't NOT have a good time there. i love it and can't wait to go. i'm going to hit up the national wwii museum this time around. you're really missing out by not going during the FQF..it's like fiesta here. food and drink booths all over....tons of live music...it's a really good time.

[blizz]

you can get a little taste of what it's like by going here....

http://www.earthcam.com/usa/louisiana/neworleans/bourbonstreet/

it picks up at around 8pm and is pretty steady till about 3am....especially on weekends. be sure to check it next week when the festival is going on. it's gonna be packed.

[LnGrrrR]

I LOVE that guy with the Huge Ass Beers sign. It's a staple, like the mime/fortune tellers/artists by the cathedral and the guy playing music on the Bourbon/Canal corner.

And before Katrina, you'd always have the trannies by that "Live Sex Acts" place with the cheesy swing... haven't seen them since though.

[redzero]

What a coincidence--I'm in New Orleans right now!

[blizz]

man i can't wait.....i haven't been in 6 years.....here's what it's like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9oA4TIJmo&feature=related

[word]

Ever been?

Any must-drink, must-eat, must-see places?

I'm headed there from April 15th-18th for the 1st time and am looking to get shit-faced. I'm planning to remain mostly in the French Quarter, unless something really awesome pries me away.

Suggestions???

1) Garden District. Eat at Commanders Palace if you can afford it.

2) The Old Absinthe House, the oldest pub in North America.

3) Cafe du Monde for a Beignet.

4) Have a Hurricane at Pat O'Briens

5) Fat City

6) Preservation Hall for Jazz

7) Acme Oyster House

[Fpoonsie]

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs126.snc3/17360_1350664011238_1370495979_961367_3445384_n.jp g

Pretty much all I did there. And, to echo LnGrrrR's sentiment, Joey K's was delicious. Make sure you try that really hard to pronounce pasta dish.

[JamStone]

Some of these might be really outdated because I haven't lived there since 2000. So you might try to find some of these places and maybe they've closed or changed.

But yeah, definitely go to Cafe du Monde for some beignets. Decatur Street in general is a little underrated compared to Bourbon. It's a little less hectic and some some cool places around there.

If you want some great Spanish/Creole food, find Lola's on Esplanade. The paella is great.

If you're from Texas, this might not be all that necessary. But one of the greatest Mexican restaurants I've ever been to is Tacquiera Corona. What street it's on escapes me right now.

One of my favorite dive restaurants is called Johnny K's. Has great red beans and rice and one of the best fish dishes I've ever had, Tciapatoulis Trout, forgot how to spell it after all these years. Awesome food, very affordable place.

You'll probably want to go to Pat O'Brien's, but that place is kinda touristy. It is cool to hang outside in the courtyard by the fountain area. They sometimes have dueling pianos inside too.

For a younger crowd, like 20-25, you can go to the Balcony Bar. Always some cute college girls there. Or you can go Uptown to this place called Mapleleaf. Different nights in the week they have brass bands playing and it's a lot of fun if you're with friends and you guys like to dance. Right next door is also a seafood restaurant. Forgot it's name. But it has great soft shell crab.

The zoo has long been considered one of the better ones. The white alligators are pretty crazy.

You could literally spend weeks exploring New Orleans find different places that you'd love. So many more local places that tourists don't really find that are really cool. The last place I'd recommend if it's still open and you're having a really good time and don't want the night to end is also Uptown, a little shack bar called Snake and Jakes. It was often an afterhours place I'd go to when I wasn't ready to go home. When I was living down there, that place would be open until 5-6 in the morning, and still serving.

But, whatever you do in New Orleans, it's really hard not to have a good time. You'd have to try not to have a good time. It's a great city with a lot of personality. People are great. The city has always been a little dirty and a little run down. But, it's one of the most unique and most classic cities in the world.

[DPG21920]

1) Get robbed by someone.

2) Then get blackmailed and robbed again by the cops you report it to.

[SpursStalker]

The Zoo was excellent!!!