I am a woman traveling alone on business and taking my 1st trip to NO in Jan. I plan to stay a few extra days to see the city. Any suggestions on where to stay, eat, etc.?

I recently stayed in a lovely B&B in NO in a neighborhood called Algiers Point, which is directly across the Mississippi from the French Quarter....walking distance to everything via 5 minute free ferry ride! The neighborhood is like a little village with beautiful old homes.
The name of the B&B is, get this, House of the Rising Sun! The hosts are very hospitable and have a great knowledge of NO. Their web address is www.houseoftherisingsunbnb.com.
The best part was I didn't need a car as you can walk to most everything!

I ate at the Wyndam for Sunday Brunch. It has a great view of the M. River, lots of ambiance(Jazz Band) and the food was terrific! I also ate at the Crescent City Brew House on Decatur Street..great Food and Beer with reasonable prices. But the absolute best was...Bayona in the French Quarter. The food was on level above all...very good without being too rich. This place requires reservations well in advance.

Have fun!

My wife & I have just returned from a three night stay in New Orleans which we thoroughly enjoyed. However, I would suggest you definitely do NOT stay in the French Quarter, unless you enjoy lying awake all night ! It is extremely noisy and ' lively ' until the early hours of the morning . We stayed in a lovely hotel called Le Pavillon situated in Poydras Street, only 10 minutes stroll from the French Quarter.
We were recommended to the Intercontinental Hotel for Sunday buffet jazz brunch which we also very much enjoyed and had a lovely dinner at K Paul's Louisiana Kitchen...well worth standing in line if you dont have a reservation.
Preservation Hall was a real treat for some old style jazz and well worth the wait for one of those special experiences.
Enjoy your trip....and best wishes from Scotland !

algiers point is very high crime. I would not recommend this area.

Algiers Point has the LOWEST crime rate in all of New Orleans. Check the crime stats. Get your facts straight!!!!!!!

Jane and Barb, I think you're both incorrect actually. NOPD stats in 1999 showed that like most of New Orleans, Algiers Point has good and bad areas.

I personally would recommend staying on the Quarter side of the river (why fight the ferry every time you want to do anything?) but that's a personal preference. I've met the owners of that particular B&B and they are nice folks. I assume their house/B&B is nice as well.

Wherever you stay, just be "city smart" and you won't have any problems.

Can you recommend restaurants that are friendly to solo diners?

I find most restaurants in New Orleans to be comfortable for solo diners, particularly if you don't mind dining at the bar. It's fun peoplewatching and you can usually chat a little with the bartender.

I eat lunch by myself every so often at Cafe Marigny, just outside the Quarter. Great little bistro and they're fine if you sit and read while enjoying your meal...just don't take a table if someone's waiting, of course!

Enjoy your visit.

Thanks. I do like sitting at the bar & watching the scene. Do most restaurants in NO serve dinner in the lounge as well? Are there any restaurants where you can sit & watch the goings on in the kitchen?
PS - are you from NO or a frequent visitor?

Stay on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain and drive 40 minutes to New Orleans. See www.woodsholeinn.com for a quite and secluded place to stay. Mandeville and Covington had great places to dine also.

We always stay in the Quarter & we are lovers of peace & quiet. Just get a hotel away from Bourbon Street. (We stay at hotels on Chatres Street.)
It's so convenient to stay in the Quarter.
We always felt perfectly safe at night. We avoided Bourbon Street, which is quite noisy (& raunchy).

Correction: that's "Chartres Street" in the Quarter. We've stayed at both the Provincial (rooms on the front are quieter & nicer) & Le Richelieu (very nice, quiet, free parking).
Would recommend two nearby restaurants: Midnight Express and Mona Lisa (right next door to each other - restful atmosphere, good food, reasonably priced - no problem being alone).

For your first visit, I'd recommend staying in the Quarter or in the Garden District. There are quiet places in the Quarter as long as you avoid hotels/rooms directly on Bourbon, Chartres or Decatur. For a solo female, I'd recommend Place d'Armes - nice place, but not outrageously expensive in a location that would be convenient for you to walk to and from alone - even at night. It's just off Jackson Square. The Richelieu and Provincial both get good reviews on this board. I've had friends stay at both and were pleased. They are both in the lower end of the Quarter (towards Esplanade) which is more residential than commercial (no neon, no t-shirt shops, less bars, less tourists). It's a great area in which to stay, but you may not be comfortable walking in the area alone at night. Once tourists pass Dumaine or St. Philip, it gets really quiet and can be creepy. If you give some more info about your preferences (price range, B&B, big hotel, etc.), I'm sure you'll get some great advice.

Mona Lisa and Bayona are both great restaurants. Emeril's has a chef's bar where you can watch the goings on - maybe NOLA as well.

P.S. - John is a local and gives great advice. I am also a local and live in the Quarter.