One afternoon in Louisiana... Any ideas?
 

My friend and I fly into NO arriving at 1230 on Saturday afternoon, Jan 29th, 2010. We will be staying at the Courtyard, Convention center. We leave on a cruise the next afternoon. Any ideas on what we can do in that short time would be appreciated. We'd like information on the Port, is it like the port in Seatle or San Fran where there are shops and restaurants, or like the Miami port with nothing. Also, Riverfront,,, A lot to do there? We will not have a vehicle so will need public transportation. We are two 40 year old single women in good shape who love to shop and explore.

Sorry if this is a bit vague, newbie on Fodor's. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Brenda

I spent about 20 hours in New Orleans a few years ago as a stopover during a trip. As my time there was so short I simply wandered around the French Quarter, taking pictures and looking at all of the architecture. It was an interesting experience but not one I'd look to repeat. I was with a tour group and we stayed in the French Quarter. The hotel was so dingy and gross that I slept with the lights on for fear that roaches would carry my away if the lights were off.

I know there are a lot of people on here who love New Orleans but I was extremely unimpressed with the French Quarter as the streets smell like a mixture of urine and bleach (this wasn't during Mardi Gras, either). A local told me that this is because they have to wash the streets down every morning to clean up after all of the people who party at night. There is also a very high number of homeless people which was depressing to see and was a constant reminder of Katrina. Here's a tip, by the way - the homeless and poor in New Orleans are more inventive than most in how they ask for your money. They will do things like make you a flower out of balloons or tell you a joke in exchange for money. If you get caught at a red light with one of them they will go ahead and make a flower, tell a joke, etc. whether you've consented to it or not and then they'll proceed to shame you into giving them money. I actually do a lot of charity work with local homeless shelters in MI so I was happy to help them out but if it's not in your budget (or in your nature) to do so, then be aware of the situation.

The most interesting thing in New Orleans was their old cemeteries but you do not want to visit one of them without a tour guide as the cemeteries are a prime spot for crime. Every local I encountered warned me about keeping a close watch on all of my belongings as pickpocketing/theft is extremely common. If you can arrange to go with a tour guide, though, the cemeteries are fascinating.

I haven't shared all of this to scare you off of New Orleans, just to make you aware that you need to be cautious while you're there, especially if you end up making your way to the French Quarter. I've traveled throughout much of the US and have spent a lot of time in areas like Detroit inside of abandoned buildings but New Orleans was the place where I felt the most uncomfortable. Not because of the possibility of crime but because of the overall grimy/dirty feel of the French Quarter. Even our tour bus got roaches while we were visiting New Orleans.

My favorite place to visit in Louisiana is Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville (http://www.myrtlesplantation.com/). The grounds are beautiful and as the place is reported to be amongst the most haunted in the US so the stories and folklore they tell are very entertaining. It's about 2 hours from New Orleans, though, so it probably won't fit into your tight time frame.

With only one day, I'd second the suggestion to walk around the French Quarter. The architecture is unusual and enjoyable, and there are plenty of antique shops, bars, restaurants, art galleries, and tourist trinket places. There are several small (and a few large) museums to visit and historic houses to pop in and do a tour if you like. Except for some restaurants, not much opens before 10 AM.

For a green tourist's safety sake, would not recommend walking above Dauphine Street or beyond Esplanade Avenue during the day without a definite destination, pretty much limited to the Tourist Center or Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel (and be very aware of your surroundings even with a destination), things go downhill in a hurry above Dauphine, especially once you reach Rampart Street; would avoid going much above Bourbon Street after dark. Note that Bourbon Street is a madhouse from early evening on and not for everyone -- I had firecrackers thrown at me by drunks there, which was not fun. When in doubt anywhere, trust your instincts and take a cab. Royal Street is a good mix of after-dark non-craziness and decent level of pedestrian traffic. And after dark, avoid pretty much any alleyways or deserted streets anywhere in the Quarter.

Regarding beggars and homeless folks there, yes they can be aggressive, hustling sorts. If so, just walk past and strictly ignore them -- if you talk to or make eye contact with them, it just opens up the door to them. And yes, the city is dirty and ragged around the edges -- depending on how you see it, this can be quaint or off-putting.

And yes, if you go to St. Louis #1 or Lafayette #1 cemeteries, do so on a tour, as safety is an issue at both. St. Louis #2 is from all reports very dangerous -- do not go here unless in a large tour led by a trusted guide, and good luck finding any that will. St. Louis #3, Cypress Grove, Greenwood, and Metarie are further out, well worth visiting, and can be seen without a tour -- just keep an eye out.

But despite all this -- and its rather weak tourist infrastructure in general -- NOLA is worth seeing. It's unlike any other city I've ever experienced, and the best restaurants are fantastic.

Agree with the above but wanted to clarify that the cruise terminal is on the river very close to French Quarter, etc. So there's plenty to do and see. If you don't want to walk, take the Riverfront steetcar (think it's still $1.25). And yes I'm one of those that thinks NO is well worth a visit, despite all its warts.

I think the comments here have somewhat of a macabre tone. If you go to New Orleans expecting to see Disneyland, then you'll be disappointed. However, if you go there expecting to see an historical port city with lots of culture and a rich cuisine, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The focus of your attention should be the French Quarter, especially for a newbie. It is blocks and blocks of historical buildings, many if not most on the National Registrar of Historical Buildings. Walking around the French Quarter is like stepping into a mix of European and Caribbean sensibilities in the Gulf South. So, no you won't see sterile buildings built a year ago but well preserved historical structures several hundred years old that exist like in no other city in the US.

This is not suburban strip malls and big box retailers, this is a real living, walkable city like no other.

Enjoy and make sure you get reservations at one of the city's great restaurants...

bkluvsNola - I would have loved New Orleans without the roaches, smell of urine & bleach throughout the streets and the overwhelmingly large quantity of homeless people (because it made me really sad to see so many people in that position). Everything you said about the buildings is true, the architecture is the real gem of New Orleans. It's just a shame that some of the other issues can't (or won't?) be taken care of. New Orleans would lose none of its historical charm or credibility if it didn't smell and wasn't full of roaches...

I don't know where you are from or when you visited, but roaches are just a fact of life in Louisiana. They are actually called water bugs, and don't forget that New Orleans is under seawater. the water table is just a few feet under the ground, New Orleans is just the perfect habitat for water bugs.

As far as the homeless are concerned, even 5 years later, New Orleans is still recovering from Katrina.

And I think New Orleans might loose some of its charms if it were glisteningly clean. If you want sanitized go to Disneyworld.

tru_echo,

So which one did it smell like, bleach or urine? I think the two are mutually exclusive of each other...

tru_echo,

Let me guess, I presume you didn't like Paris either? There's quite a few "ripe" smells there too if I remember correctly. Ditto with London, NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, and every other city I've been to.

I guess having a negative opinion of New Orleans makes me a bit of an outcast here, eh? For the record, I love NYC & Chicago and also had an enjoyable trip to San Francisco and I used to live (quite happily) just outside of Los Angeles. All of them are quite different from New Orleans, though. I don't like sanitized places (Disneyworld is nightmarish in my opinion and if you knew anything about me and what I usually like you'd think that I'd be destined to love New Orleans) but the overall feeling of New Orleans was just not a good one to me. The best way to describe it would be to say that it was depressing. This is perhaps due to the fact that it was a few years ago and therefore not that long after Katrina.

Yes, I'm well aware that roaches are a fact of life in New Orleans but that doesn't mean I have to like it. As to the bleach and urine smell, they wash the streets down with bleach and water every morning to try and sanitize the streets from the urine that is freely expelled onto the sidewalks from people who party all night (this is what at least 2 locals told me and I also saw one person washing down the sidewalk in front of their shop). The bleach doesn't cover up all of the urine odor, probably because they don't use enough in some spots.

I can appreciate those of you who've come to the defense of a city that you clearly love but it doesn't make my opinions any less valid (just as my opinions don't make yours any less valid). I hope the OP of this thread is able to make the most of her very short time in the New Orleans area. As I mentioned a couple of times, the architecture is the highlight and well worth seeing. Even with all of what I consider to be negatives I'm glad I went even though I don't plan to return.

You aren't an outcast, tru, and I think the other poster's remark about Paris was a little bratty.

DH loved New Orleans but I found it sad and this was before Katrina. We were there for a little over a week. Saw some of the plantations Jackson's home, but mostly explored French Quarter and Garden District. We ate like kings and enjoyed some good music but, again, I was overwhelmed with a sense of sadness that the wonderful things couldn't quite overcome.

So Brenda, where did you go?

Hi Brenda,

In answer to your question, there's a lot to do in New Orleans. With one late afternoon and evening and a subsequent morning, I'd probably just stick to the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny (quite walkable and plenty of shopping opportunities), have a few nice meals somewhere, admire the goings-on at Jackson Square (try one of the museums there if you like)...

I really enjoyed New Orleans and hope you do too!

Best wishes, Daniel

TDudette, you are entitled to your opinion about me, but I think it's fair enough to point out smells in other cities as someone brought up smells. The metro in Paris reaked of B.O. and Haight Ashbury in SF reaked of weed.

Personally, most smells don't bother me much, probably because my sinuses are clogged most of the time, but I think the smells in a city do define what it is.

To me, I have memories of long sultry nights dancing in the French Quarter in courtyards with past loves, so all the smells bring back some pretty fond memories. The smells after a rain in New Orleans are wonderful.

Maybe if I visited the first time now I might have a different opinion, but I am instantly relaxed and at home in New Orleans. I'll be there next weekend to be with fellow Who Dats watching the Saints win the Superbowl (hopefully)!