Ever been to New Orleans? What's she like?

Yes, the food is incredible….look for or ask where all the Cops go to eat and dine there and be prepared to be blown away. The Aquarium of the Americas is an amazing place to see. On the outskirts of Bourbon street are some on the coolest shops you will ever set foot in. I don’t know the name but there is a used record store there you have to find….all sort of Zydeco, Dixieland and old blues records to drool over.

Finally, if you like booze, cigarettes and puke, go to Bourbon street and surrender to the drunk parade. Have a Hurricane or 2 or 3 or 4….

Ohhh, go go go. It’s exquisite. I don’t have words in my vocabulary to describe the beauty, I swear.
The architecture, the art, the music, the foliage, the shops, restaurants…. everything is just unique and wonderful. I’ve heard many people over the years point out the crime and how “dirty” it is, but I really haven’t experienced that. The French Quarter and the Garden District, which have different atmospheres, but are equally beautiful. New Orleans is probably the only place that I’ve ever been where I actually felt “home,” aside from my actual home. Maybe it’s just me, but I have always found it breathtaking.

The food is wonderful. Have crayfish etouffe, beignets, a muffaleto. Brunch or dinner at Commander’s Palace.

See an above ground cemetery. Metairie is a good one.

Go and hear some blues.

Walk around the French Quarter. Go to some bars. Napoleon House is a great one.

See the Garden District.

I love New Orleans. She’s like a slightly crazy old aunt; she smells odd, is reminiscent of bygone luxury, and is naughty when under the influence of alcohol.

And if you’re feeling bold, crawl the “fruit loop” late at night (gay bars).

@Jude Please don’t visit N.O. without having a muffuletta at Central Grocery. They are to die for.

Ride the trolly up to the Garden District from Canal Street. Some of the most amazing homes you will ever see are there.

Have a drink at The Colums on St. Charles Ave.

@marinelife had some great ideas like the Cemetery. Don’t forget your camera.

If you have time and are inclined, take a Haunted History Tour. Be prepared to stop at several local bars on the walk.

Another great dining place that is very casual is Acme Oyster House. A lot of fun but the line can be intimidating. Sometimes very long but generally goes fast.

Pat O’s is a must stop. Get your drinks inside the main bar they are cheaper and N.O. is open carry alcohol.

If you are feeling very adventurous and want to take a cab to a “locals only” place, you will be welcomed, try Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club but if you do be quiet on the street. Unless things have changed since Katrina, it is located in a guys garage and is not exactly a “legal” bar! Topless girls drink free but I have never seen anyone do it!

Most of all have fun and be safe. Stay on major roads and always have someone, somewhat sober with you.

How could I have forgotten Lafitte’s.

To add to the above go to K Paul’s in the quarter if they have Prah-leen chicken and waffles, you have to try it!

Also, Magazine St with 6 miles of shopping and food, how can you go wrong? Lots of cool art shops too- kinda pricey but great for window shopping.

For more of a local music scene check out Frenchman St

Also during the day, check out city park and stop in at the free sculpture garden you can also take pics in the pavilion the Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett danced in in the movie Benjamin Button.

My favorite thing about New Orleans is that you don’t have time to wallow or be bored because there is always some sort of festival going on. And the Mardi Gras parades are coming up soon! Mardi gras is nothing like the media portrays unless you are a tourist on bourbon….and that’s definitely not the real thing! The parades, for the most part, are family friendly.

Well, that’s a start, I looove it here and hope you get to experience it! I agree with @syz too.. :D

Definitely go to the Cafe du Monde for a cafe au lait and beignets…they are amazing. When I went to New Orleans we were only in the actual city for one night, so we couldn’t go on any tours or see much of the touristy stuff – we just walked through the streets, and even that was a blast. Taking in the architecture, walking down streets whose names you’ve heard all your life, stopping and listing to jazz bands and blues bands playing on street corners…it’s an amazing experience. If you’re a people watcher, there’s practically no better place than the streets of New Orleans. And, not surprisingly, the food is spectacular…try as many different things as you can.

Have fun!

If you want a local’s coffee and beignets experience, go to Morning Call on Severn across from Lakeside Mall in Metairie—especially on a Sunday.

It was incredible! We mostly stayed in the French Quarter and our hotel was only 3 doors down from smack in the middle of Bourbon Street. Cafe du Monde is a must, as is Pat O’s. We also visited Rev. Zombie’s Voodoo Shop to poke around, and we took the cemetary tour from there and saw the supposed gravesite of Marie Laveau.

We sat on a bench in front of the Saint Louis Cathedral and watched people pass, along with listening to various street musicians. We took a horse drawn carriage ride with a super friendly guide who gave us the names of restaurants that the locals preferred instead of tourist hot spots. One of them was the Gumbo Shop, and their food was to die for! They have this alligator sausage with a type of spicy marmalade to dip it in, mmmmm.

And all three nights, we walked all around the French Quarter, including Bourbon Street to drink hurricanes and catch beads! I’m already itching to go back.

I’ve been to New Orleans twice. The first time was for business. I had a cast on my arm due to a broken wrist, and for the entire time I was there (and maybe a couple of days afterwards) I smelled like everything I ate clumsily with my hands that had dripped down it. Flying back to Dallas in a private 4-seater, we hit a very nasty thunderstorm. I was sitting in the co-pilot seat and, as alarms went off and the plane suddenly lost altitude, never before or since have I seen a pilot who looked so scared.

The second time was for the funeral of a friend’s mother.

Two great experiences going to New Orleans, right?

Viewing the Make it Right NOLA project was interesting as well.

I cant say enough of wonderful things about New Orleans. All the places people mention here. Amazing artisans, the gumbo shop, River Walk, and it is amazing how you can walk down Bourbon Street during the day and notice things and go in places. But when the sun goes down, you walk the same Bourbon Street and it is transformed and makes you think you are on a different street. (How do the do that).
Love it love it love it