There are lots of amazing wonderful things to do and see, taste and hear in New Orelans! here the list of my favorites:
WWOZ – Tune your radio to 90.7 FM YOUR jazz and Heritage station of
New Orleans
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
– big shark tank …. nuff said
Maple Leaf Bar Cambronne Street & Oak |map |
– On Oak street just off Carrolton Go there on a tuesday night and catch
The Rebirth Brass band….. THE hottest bad ass brass in the city
Verti Mart |map |
-On the corner of Gov. Nichols and Royal this place is the best place
to get eats at 3am and if you live in the city they will deliver via
bike
Court Of 2 sisters |map |
– Go to the jazz brunch any sunday!!!!
Dragons Den |map |
– Live jazz/Funk sit on big pillows on the floor always a nice retreat from the street
CheckPoint Charlies |map |
– Live music Laundrymat you can eat at! Across from the dragons den
Cafe Brazil |map |
– World music you can boogie to all night long!
Royal Street in the french quarter
– Antique Heaven
Harbor Seafood |map |
– Just off Willams and West Esplanade in Kenner, Damn Good Seafood!!!
Port O Call |map |
– Best burgers n monsoons(big drink like the hurricane but better 😉
) in the city
Laffitte’s BlackSmith Shop |map |
– Oldest building in the city. Drink Chartuse and hang out in the piano
bar!
Voodoo Nation Fest – Congo Square(louis Armstrong
Park) – see the rituals and culture of voodoo on halloween *starts at
9am* – Family Fun – Dont Stay after dark …. not the best area to be
walking around at night
Cemetery across from Commander’s Palace
| map |
It’s the only one that’s safe to visit by yourself, but
only in the daytime when you can see that other tourists are around.
Fascinating above-ground cemeteries; New Orleans cannot bury its dead
underground because of the water table. New Orleans is below sea level; a complex system of pumps, levees, and
dikes keeps the water from spilling into the city.
Bookshop (the children’s bookstore next door was featured on the
American Express TV commercial.) This jam-packed shop resides in a rambling
old New Orleans shotgun-style house replete with gingerbread gewgaws
outside and richly creaky old wooden floors inside. Authors love this
place; they host lots of book signings with authors from around the
world. New Orleans boasts more than its fair share of writers; just
off the top of my head there’s Anne Rice, Andrei Codresciu, the
late Tennessee Williams, James Lee Burke (actually lives in New Iberia,
but he evokes the contemporary New Orleans atmosphere as well or better
than any other writer, living or dead).
N. Peters Street – Specializes in New Orleans music. Staff is incredibly
knowledgeable. Good selection of New Orleans music-related posters and
T-shirts, too.
Record Ron’s |map |
One of the best places in the city to find rare and collectable LP’s
The Columns Hotel
(504) 899-9308 – If you’re uptown on St. Charles Avenue make sure
to stop in and see the beautiful, elegant bar inside, but the best part
is siting down to have a drink and people-watching on the beautiful
porch of the old hotel. Shaded by the majestic oak tress of the Garden
District, the veranda of this old hotel looks like something from “Gone
With the Wind.” And several nights a week there are jazz groups
performing in an ornate but intimate ballroom.
Crescent CityBrewhouse
Decatur St. – Get a table out in the balcony overlooking the Mississippi,
order a foamy mug of Red Stallion and a plate of boiled crawfish and
potatoes, and ask the waiter to show you how to eat these mouth-watering
shellfish. “You gotta pinch da tails and suck da heads,â€
as New Orleanians are fond of saying.
The Alpine
– If you’re looking for a non-tourist restaurant, but VERY good
food, my dad’s friend owns a great little restaurant in the French
Quarter. Its on Charters Street just one block down from the Cathedral
and Jackson Square.
Central Grocery Store| map |
Decatur Street, a muffelletta at Central Grocery store is essential
to your stay in New Orleans. (Central Grocery is an Italian grocery
store that smells incredible when you walk in there; if it’s too
crowded at Central walk two doors down to Progress Grocery store and
get a muffelletta-its just as good). A muffelleta is a New Orleans Italian
sandwich on incredibly delicious round Italian bread with salami, ham,
provolone cheese, olive salad, and olive oil on the bread, warmed! (One
is plenty enough to split between two people). I wish I was walking
in Central right now on my way to a muffelletta.
Praline Connection
Frenchman Street-Its been discovered, and you’ll probably have
to wait, but if you’re hankering for some great down-home soul-food
cooking, dis here’s da place! In Fabourg Marginy neighborhood,
just a couple of blocks from the French Quarter (which is bounded by
Esplanade on the Fabourg side and by Canal Street on the CBD side).
Bluebird Cafe |map |
Prytania St, college area, Very popular, hip eatery with terrific food.
Always a line, but it moves fast.
OUTDO Fun!!
Mandeville Lakefront – Great Place for sunset
Natchitoches (nak-a-dish) – Quaint northern louisiana
town, great around x-mas time, they do a lights fest on the river there
Homochitto National Forest
– 60mi north of baton rouge in Misssippi – Great Camping, Fishing, and
Hiking
GrandIsle State Park
– SPORTSMANS PARADISE ….. take rt 1 to the gulf, South of Houma
– cute tourist trap *see the alligators!!* Swamp Tours by colorful locals
AveryIsland
– Tabasco Plant and swamp conservatory – ok so its a pepper plant, big
deal right…. well the nature conservatory there is beautiful if you
dont belive me check out the swamp pics on my website, they are all
taken there.
– Great Dayhiking area, RICH in indegenous flora, lots of rolling green
hills, No Overnight camping
– in folsom, la – Feed Animals from a moving tractor, think jurassic
park on a much much smaller scale
Rivertubing on the Bogue chitto
– bring an ice chest and stack it with beer …it will fit nicely in
the extra tube
Mandeville/Covington
MY SPECIAL HOMETOWN PLACES
The Northlake Museum and Nature Center
– On the 190 between Mandeville and Slidell there is a town called Big
Branch. There on the border is a Swamp walk. Boardwalks placed carefully
over the murky water lead you to land untouched inhabited by swamp flora
and fauna.
Fountainbleau State Park
The park is located in a beautiful wooded area of about 50 acres right
on the lake. If you drive through the park all the way to the end of
the parking lot, park, walk towards the lake and turn right, you’ll
Rubys Road House
-Best place for live blues on the northshore… on hwy 190 …. go see
Invisible Cowboy there if you can!
St Johns Coffeehouse |map |
In Downtown Covington it is my second fav coffee shop on the northshore
PJ’s coffee n’ teas
…. while we’re mentioning coffee shops…. anywhere you see a PJ’s
stop n’ grab a latte’ they are probally my 1st choice for coffee (tie
for first with java grotto…. more locations tho… got lots in N.O.)
Three Rivers Art Festival
Prolly one of the best art fest’s on the north shore!! Downtown Covington
closes of the streets and the gallery doors open wide welcoming guests
with wine, cheese, art and music by local artisans… also look for
the spring art openings in may every year those are usually a fun opening
as well
Northshore FOOD
La Caretta’s – 2 locations in hammond and mandeville
– I like the hammond one better…. really good mexican food try the
white cheese dip its DIVINE!!!
Morton’s |map |
– This local favorite sits at the Tchefuncte(cha-funk-ta) river bridge
in madisonville and is HANDS DOWN the best place to have seafood boiled,
broiled, fried, or sauteed’. When the sign is flashing the boiled crawish
are HOT! dont forget to Pinch da Tail and Suck da Head!!! My parents
house is 2 minutes away from the resturant… giv’em a call im sure
theyd ove to meet ya there.
Mandee’s – home of a local band called “the radiators”
you will find breakfast this place at the foot of the Causeway
Abita Brewery
– Ok so you gotta try Turbo Dog, It’s a local favorite Dark Beer brewed
in abita springs (my dad’s office is in abita) just down the road from
mandeville (up hwy59)the brewery has a great resturant and a sampler
– Fancy Smancy italian resturant. Kinda pricey but definetly worth it.
This place was my standard for prom date/impress chic dinner.
La Grill| map |
good casual louisiana lunch place in Mandeville
Elegant provencal french resturant. 14.90 early dining special
Sal & Judys
Lacombe on hwy 190, best scillian food around!!!!, Make reservations
504.882.7167
Salmen fritchie home, off rr ave – elegant creole cuisine in a beautiful
historical house in Slidell
Cappita Italian Bistro |map |
Italian food, casual bistro