Lexma90

Lucky for us, DH and I have visited New Orleans a number of times. So this visit is just to go, enjoy the city, eat lots of great food and listen to music. We're not into the Bourbon Street drinking scene, and love history.

We've always stayed in smaller hotels in the F.Q., and have enjoyed the location. We love eating at Cafe du Monde in the morning and walking, walking all day and in the evening. For lunch, we usually eat in the Quarter, and for dinner, have more more often eating at restaurants located throughout the city.

For this trip, I wanted to do something different, and stay in the Garden District. My primary motivations are, to stay in a different, gorgeous part of N.O. Also, I'm a runner, and like running in the mornings while DH sleeps in. In the Quarter, I'm somewhat limited to the Moonwalk, which is nice. But I'd love to run along the streetcar line and in the park (and the thought of taking the streetcar FROM the F.Q. TO the park to go running requires more motivation and time than I'd have in the morning).

SO, I'd love some input on staying one area vs. the other. DH is concerned about safety in the Garden District - the streets there are dim at night, and I'll admit there are fewer people walking around than in the Quarter. And we would be doing more traveling back and forth from the F.Q., but not necessarily for dinner, if we'd eat elsewhere in the city anyway.

Thanks!

Rich

Author: bkluvsNola
Date: 09/20/2008, 10:00 am
Try the Avenue Plaza Hotel:

http://www.avenueplazahotel.com/

Lexma90

Thanks for the link. Have you stayed at this "resort" hotel in the Garden District? If so, what were the advantages (and disadvantages) to you in staying in the Garden District?

Rich

I have not . . but bkluvsNola is the resident NOLA expert

notbob

Lexma - you might want to take a look at this place. It is a bit farther down St Charles away from downtown. I haven't stayed there but it looks more like what you want.

http://www.thecolumns.com/

I have gone by it lots and it always looks nice. It is also in an area that is a bit more residential although the hospital is across the street.

I have stayed at the Avenue Plaza pre-Katrina and it is an older hotel that had been updated. It is located in a bit more commercial area.

bkluvsNola

Did they delete my original link?

I never stayed at Avenue Plaza, but many of my friends have and they all loved it.

I have stayed in the Garden District multiple times, but usually at a friend's house.

Rich

Author: bkluvsNola
Date: 09/21/2008, 12:58 am

Did they delete my original link?


It's here . . .

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...ame=bkluvsNola

bkluvsNola

Oh, I must have posted on the wrong thread. Excuse me

dfr4848

The GD is better if you're more interested in a little more r & r than being close to the activity of the FQ. We love the area and have never felt unsafe. It's got more "old world" charm, beautiful part of the city, and as you noted, very easy to get to/from the Quarter on streetcar or taxi.

Lexma90

Thanks for the extra encouragement -several weeks ago, I booked a room at the Avenue Inn B&B, right on St. Charles.

I have been totally second-guessing myself, though, on the Garden District. Silly, I know, but it's so much easier doing it the way we've always visited N.O. (in the Quarter). I keep reminding myself that we'll enjoy wandering around the neighborhood, looking at the houses. I will also love my morning runs to and in Audobon Park, while DH sleeps in!

ironandsilk

I live in New Orleans and work in the Garden District.It is all usually safe especially St. Charles Avenue.Beware!The roaches come out at night.Do not allow yourself to become too comfortable with this serene setting.Every Saturday there is a Tai Chi class in front the park Which I attended for years.During that time we had wallets and purses stolen while we played.Don't let this ruin your fun.Use the same rules you might follow in Manhattan(don't become isolated)Rent a car theres plenty of parking and it's time to see more of New orleans than just the GD or FQ.By the way I believe you made an excellent choice for accomadations. It is what I would have recommeded. Contact me if you have any questions."Les bon Temps Rolle"

tampatiger

Respectfully I ask: bkluvsNola, do you have a professional association with the hotel that you are recommending? Only asking since I've seen your simple recommendation (and nothing else) and link in at least two different threads, I believe. I've stayed in NOLA hotels about 400 evenings in the past three years and have never even heard of the place you recommend (unless its the one just up the street from the convention center).

tampatiger

Nevermind...I retract the question and realize that someone just cut and pasted your earlier post. If anyone knows anything about that hotel, please post some details. If its the one I'm thinking about, it appears to be very nice, but a too long walk from the FQ. Thanks.

bkluvsNola

tampatiger,

Please read the history of my posts and I think the evidence will prove that I am nothing more than a "tourist".

scapretto

We have only stayed in the Garden District around Magazine and Napolean at Maison Perrier. We love the location. There are incredible restaurants around there. I would recommend the Upperline. We are actually considering staying in the French Quarter and we are nervous about that..the noise, the touristy stuff..fun to visit, but to stay? Anyway,if you haven't already gone..good luck. And, if you have any info on staying in the FQ that would be great.

Lexma90

I'm the OP. We decided to stay in the Garden District, at a wonderful place called the Avenue Inn B&B. (Our trip was in October.)

We enjoyed the B&B, and the area. Every morning, I went for a run down to the park and the zoo, which was great. We ate dinner in the Garden District one night, at Gautreau's. One leisurely morning, we wandered through the zoo; on another, we walked for a long ways down Magazine Street, poking into stores and stopping for coffee at a cafe. We had a great lunch that day at Ignatius' Eatery. On another day, we took a self-guided walking tour (I think out of Frommer's) of the area around Commander's Palace, then had brunch there. I do love the Garden District, and all the lovely houses.

But also, each day we went into the French Quarter, once or twice, which meant a leisurely but somewhat-tedious ride there and back on the streetcar. Two of the three nights of our long weekend, we went to shows at Snug Harbor. So we'd go out to dinner in the Quarter or nearby (CBD), then on to Snug Harbor. If we'd stayed in the Quarter, as we have in the past, we probably would have stopped back at our hotel between dinner and the show. And the one night that we ate in the Garden District, I was feeling too lazy after dinner to do anything other than go back to the B&B! Also, we missed having breakfast at Cafe du Monde every morning.

So, while we enjoyed staying in the Garden District, I think a hotel location in the French Quarter works better for us. We've stayed in several different small hotels (and one big one, for a convention, the Monteleone), the Place d'Armes among them, locations closer to Jackson Square and not real close to Bourbon St. I've never noticed any noise, and have loved the location.

scapretto

As much as we have loved the Garden District, I think what you said was correct. You probably don't venture out as much as in the French Quarter. Thanks for mentioning that. We are thinking of the Bienville House. ANy comments?

bachel73

I'm trying to figure out somewhere pretty unique to stay--I hate the tourist experience wherever I go. I read this findingDulcinea blog [http://is.gd/iVLE] that recommended a bunch of places to stay-one of the spots reviewed was the Warehouse district.

The post also had a list of activities to do there, but I want to make sure that if I choose an offbeat trip, I'm still central.

Any thoughts on this post: http://is.gd/iVLE

?

shormk2

Bachel73- pray tell you aren't advertising, because that's a big no-no here on Fodors.