5 Best Places to Shop in Warehouse District, New Orleans

You don't have to pay admission to enter this part of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the museum shop where you can buy ceramics, glasswork, decorative pieces, books, scarves, and jewelry by southern artists. The museum itself is filled with contemporary and folk paintings, mixed-media artworks, photography, and sculpture.  Live music and after-hours events are held on Thursday.

Mostly local and Gulf Coast artists are represented in this gallery, featuring high-end and reasonably priced contemporary crafts and fine art, including jewelry, blown glass, sculpture, furniture, photography, paintings, ceramics, and decorative accessories.

Built in what was once the International Pavilion for the 1984 World's Fair, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk is an upscale outlet mall with shops such as Neiman Marcus Last Call, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, and outlets for Coach, Forever 21, Croc's, Chico's, and Steve Madden. Outside the mall is Spanish Plaza, the scene of frequent outdoor concerts and special events. In the food court area, check out Mr. Shrimp's Kitchen---the owner Larry Thompson, the local seafood wunderkind, supplies restaurants all over town with fresh crustaceans.

This hybrid institute, best known as "WINO," is part wine school, part wine store, and part high-tech wine-tasting experience. Walk around with a glass and sample this shop's more than 100 wines, available to taste for a fee by the ounce, half glass, or full glass using Enomatic serving systems (the machines resemble a soda fountain or beer taps). Buy the wines you like by the bottle, or just continue to taste to your heart's content—just make sure you keep tabs on your credit card tally, as it's easy to get carried away. Cheeseboards and other small plates are also on offer. The Thursday-evening wine-tasting classes fill up quickly, so plan ahead if you are interested.