Heading to Bourbon Street! Where to go/what to do?

[G35stilez]

I'm heading to Bourbon Street, LA from 7/28 - 7/31 for a Fraternity Convention. While we have a nice lineup of stuff to accomplish, we would like to check out some sites and scenes.


Any input on where to go or what to do would be greatly appreciated .


Thanks in advance.

[Setec Astronomy]

Holy crap! There is someone on here who goes to school in 'Nawlins, he ought to be able to help you out.

EDIT: It's Intel486.

[throttlethumb]

Cant help you here. The only Bourbon Street I know is in Sayerville NJ and is a strip joint

[MSOsr]

Go to breakfast at Brennans.........cost is like going to Ruth's Chris, but is a real experience that you'll talk about for years!

[Tasty]

You have to go eat at Cafe Du Monde! The beignets are totally awesome. If you don't know what a beignet is, just go and order one and eat it. OMG! There's a Brennan's here in Houston, and I believe the only thing awesome is the cost (I don't know if it's connected with the one in New Orleans though).

[chml17l]

My wife used to live in New Orleans and is about as Cajun as you could get. Here are her dining recommendations...

Take the St. Charles street car for breakfast at the Camilla Grill. If you go there on a weekend go early or expect a line.

Poboy sandwiches and muffalettas at Cafe Maspero across from Jackson Brewery.

Arnauds in the French Quarter for a dress-up dinner. Reservations recommended and a jacket is required.

I second Tasty's recommendation for the coffe and beignets at Cafe duMonde.

[Intel486]

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

Holy crap! There is someone on here who goes to school in 'Nawlins, he ought to be able to help you out.

EDIT: It's Intel486.

I go to school in Baton Rouge but I've lived in New Orleans for like 14 years. lol.

What are you looking to do? Go drinking? Finding a bar is easy... Just walk down Bourbon Street. LOL...

Breakfast at Brennans is a good suggestion. They've got some good food. And Bananas Foster. mmmm...

Arnaud's is another great place to eat but it's expensive. Their Jazz room also overlooks Bourbon street and they'll usually have a small jazz group in there playing during dinner. http://www.arnauds.com/

Commander's Palace is another famous resturant and equally as expensive as Arnaud's but they have some really great Bread Pudding. I believe Emeril use to cook their.

Most stuff in the French Quarter is within Walking distance... if you have the time and want to enjoy our heat and humidity. Say the French Market is an interesting experience. Cafe Du Monde is a must. New Orleans Cigar Factory if you like that kind of stuff

[Totoland Mach]

Lots of good food in the Quarter...Ralph & Kakoo's (spell check on that one). One word of caution: I go to N.O. 2-3 times per year (New Orleans Police is my account)...don't stray off the French Quarter. It's dangerous territory just a few blocks off the quarter and you could find yourself in serious need of help...word to the wise.

Cafe Mespara has the best sandwiches going, Cafe Du Monde is outstanding, the wierdness of Bourbon Street kicks in after 11:00pm...Have fun.

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Take your camera and share with us upon your return !!

[Autoeng]

From a friend of mine who lives in N.O.. I asked him for this a while back and give it to friends visiting there.

There are tours of the "City of the Dead" - cemeteries with above-ground vaults ('cause we have such low water table.) Several tour lines handle that. They will also take you on rides through the historic "Old" garden district along St. Charles Ave. - true mansions and ante-bellum homes.

The places to visit if you are near the French Quarter anyway would include Tipitina's or take a streetcar (rail trolley) down St. Charles STREET (Not Ave as noted above...) to find Michaul's. Either one is noted for Cajun/Creole food and Cajun music.

Most of the French Quarter shops are tourist traps, to be honest. A few of them sell decent trinkets and souvenirs. Try the Riverwalk Shopping Center, which has a couple of up-scale shops that might give better value for the money, not to mention a nice view of the river from the food court.

AVOID K-Paul's and Antoine's - long lines, no reservations, frustrating waits. Food is good but, IMHO, not worth the wait.

Your Father's Moustache is still open, still plays Dixieland jazz. I believe Preservation Hall is also still operating. Haven't been to either in a couple of years. My wife and I can't handle smoke too well and those places are very smokey at times.

Depending on interests, there are some really neat attractions:
- Aquarium of the Americas - considered world-class
- Audubon Zoo - a habitat of considerable size
- any of several music clubs, but be open-minded. In particular, if the sign on the club says something about IMPERSONATORS, don't try to make a date (even from among the audience) unless you are sure of the anatomy of the person who attracted you. Trust me, it will take more than a second look to be sure. And besides, those places rarely have live music. But that isn't to say that they won't put on a good show.
- Central Grocery (on Decatur, which is on the edge of the French Quarter and near Jackson Square) - for the Muffaletta (muff-ah-lett'-ah) sandwich, a diet-killer all by itself and easily a meal for two or three unless you have a world-class tapeworm. Italian cold-cuts and olive salad on an Italian sesame-seed round-top bun about a foot across and it ain't thin, either. Usually toasted and best eaten when warm.

Whatever you do, DO NOT take up anyone on a bet "I bet I know where you got your shoes." (Answer: You got your shoes on your feet - now pay up!) The French Quarter hustler kids will try that in a heartbeat.

With a longer time line and some help in finding the place, the D-Day museum will really sober you up. Tours can find it for you, or a taxi can do so. I don't recall a good bus line passing by there, but I never take public transportation when I'm going there anyway. (My grandson LOVES the place 'cause he's a WW2 nut.)

N'Awlins, if you have the time, is also a rarity - the site of a battlefield in which the USA was invaded - at the Chalmette (shall-met) battlefield. Where Andy Jackson routed the British invasion in 1814. (No offense intended to our friends from the UK - it is just a fact of history.) Like all old battlefields, there isn't much left to see now. Too much has rotted or rusted away, but the old Villere (vill'-er-ray) plantation home is the site of the visitor center. They have some nice displays.

[Gonzo]

IGNORE the street husstlers on Bourbon Street - over-expensive and WAY under-good.

Put your wallet in your front pants pocket.

DO NOT go any farther away from the river than Bourbon Street - it can get very dangerous very quickly.

Take a single use camera, not anything of value.

Park at the JAX brewery and walk. The parking lot there is secure.

Now go and enjoy yourself!

"Bugs" and gumbo are an excellent choice at any meal! You DO like spicy food, right?

[mgm121499]

Sean, beware of the extreme humidity -it's a killer!

I worked in LA for a few months during a bank conversion project. I'd tell you a few places to hit, but the hurricanes wiped away my short term memory 

You'll have fun, that's for sure!