So I have 3 days in the beginning of March on a trip to meet an Army buddy in New Orleans. 3 full days, not travel days. Looking for advice on things to see.

I've been there before years ago, and will definitely visit the WW2 Museum, and spend a day or two meandering through the French Quarter.

I was last there 1 year before Katrina, while preparing to head over to Baghdad with the good old boys of the 256th Louisiana Infantry Brigade. I'll be looking into if the JRB Naval Base there has any quarters available, I don't know if such things are available to vets (not a retiree).  If it saves me renting a car, I may get a hotel downtown or at least within streetcar travel distance.

If anyone has any advice, I'm partial to historic areas, interesting parks and musuems, good restaurants or cafes,  and similar. No club scene for me, but I would consider renting a car and driving for an afternoon if there was an interesting town within an hour drive or so. I also know enough to avoid areas I should not be in, I've traveled around alot and like to walk most places.

Advice appreciated!

update:
OK, will get a moderate place just a bit outside the French Quarter. For those that have been there, which neighborhood would be more interesting - Marigny or the Garden District (just off St. Charles)?   Thanks

Not to go.....New Orleans

If you like live music head over to Frenchmen street in the Marigny.  Wander down magazine street for some interesting shops and bars.  There's a lot to do outside the quarter if you look around

The wife and I enjoyed the aquarium and the insectorium.

How is car service or something like Uber there? Seems like places right in town are (obviously) more expensive, but I can find a hotel 6 miles from the French Quarter for around $80 a night, versus twice that in town. That should easily pay for a car service down town I imagine.

 
Most fail-filled first post I've ever seen.


Brennan's.

Cafe du Monde.

World War II Museum.

Hit up Crescent City Cigars, grab a Grenade at Tropical Isle and take in the Bourbon St spectacle.

World War II museum.  Check out Mothers's Restaurant.  Get the Ralph!

WWII museum is a must see.
Mother's sucks and in over rated.
Ralph?

Pretty much this.

Thanks for the information so far. First post did not nail it this time. There are some nice spots in New Orleans.

Drago's for the chargrilled oysters.

and FPNI



 

I agree, Mother's is over rated!

ACME Oyster House is decent

Willie Mays Scotch House

Emeril's restaurant is pretty good

The Marigny is closer, but most of the places there are B&Bs, which means the accomodations may be a bit sparse.  The Garden District is nicer and safer, but not within walking distance of the Quarter.  Personally, I would go with the Marigny since it's right next to Frenchman St. and St. Claude (which is quickly turning into the next "cool" street); lots to do and eat, and prices aren't as  insane as in the Quarter.  As long as you maintain SA and don't act the complete fool you should be fine.

Pro tip: go to Siberia and enjoy the great Polish food and horrible music; bring ear plugs.


ETA: WTF is wrong with people from Arizona? Is everybody there afraid of their shadows and live sad, boring lives?

Thanks again for the continued info. I'll probably get a place in the Garden District. I like the area, and I looked up the street car schedule: it's a 20 minute trip and they leave every 10-15 minutes. The St. Charles street car will get me walking distance to where I want to go.

I'm older and wiser now. Here's my story from Mardi Gras 20 years ago when there with a bunch of young college buddies. We had a tag-a-long "friend", an obnoxious loudmouth from New Jersey. I was the designated moderately sober guy in our group. We worked our way back home at some ungodly hour in the morning, and walked back to our place in the Garden, in the middle of the street. A local pickup truck beeped the horn to get us out of the way, and the obnoxious guy from New Jersey gets upset at this and starts to curse out the pickup, as well as hitting his truck with his hand as it passed by.

I'm in the front of our group, and the truck stops and a similarly drunkish local guy gets out and wants to know what our problem is. I apologized for our "friend" and the local is still agitated and pulls out a 45 Govt. model. Now I start to really apologize, and point out that he's just a drunk fool, we really don't like him much either, but we're stuck with him, so no need for trouble. After a few more words, the guy tucks his gun away and advised me to get my friend under control, since he don't like people hitting his truck.  

My buddies were back behind me, watching this go down, and thought I was about to get shot. I came back and told them the story. The drunk fool, he says: "You're a real wimp. I'd never let some redneck pull a gun on me... I would kick his ass just for trying..."

At that point, my buddies then tried to hail down the pick up to come back and shoot the guy from Jersey.  No offence to the decent guys from New Jersey, my brother lives there now, this guy was just a loud mouth, obnoxious crap-talker.

I look forward to a more relaxed trip this time.

Edited to be more polite.

You're in luck -- Louisiana honors CCW permits issued by Pennsylvania. Bring at least two Glocks, with spare mags.

You're welcome.

Was at a conference several years back.....in fact it was the same time as the LA Riots.
Asked a local tour guide what sites should I visit.

One thing the tour guide said, and confirmed by the hotel personnel at the Hyatt ........"Do NOT go into the unlighted portions of Bourbon Street.....do NOT venture off into the side streets"

This was advice well given and well taken.

NOLA blows the wife's family is from there. It's a shit hole.

If you will be riding the streetcars a lot then look into a "Jazzy Pass". It is pass that can cover all streetcar fares for a 3 days. Check into them before you go down as I don't know if you can buy them from the streetcar operator. You may have buy in advance.

Garden District is quieter then the French Quarter but still has bars and restaurants. Easy streetcar ride with one transfer to the Quarter.  The WWII museum is awesome. The Aquarium and insectarium are cool. People watching on Bourbon can be entertaining. If you are going to Cafe Du Monde plan on getting their early otherwise the line backs into the street. There is a cool museum across Jackson Square from the Cafe that had a 2 story exhibit on the origins and history of Mardi Gras when I was there last April for Jazz Fest.

Listening to the band at preservation hall is cool

Coops place is a pretty good dive restaurant

In the daytime, the new Orleans school of cooking class was surprisingly entertaining

James h Cohen & sons, inc.
Napoleon house
Galatoires
Sazerac bar

Grab a  Bloody Mary at Muriel's in Jackson Square. The balcony view of the square is pretty awesome. Be sure to check out the seance room...

If you go to Preservation Hall to hear music, be sure to get tix ahead of time.

The WWII museum kicks ass. Be sure to visit the Boing exhibit.

Drive over the bridge to Algiers. Just kidding. Don't drive over the bridge.

Ride the ferry over, grab a drink at the Dry Dock and ride the ferry back. $2 a person each way.  Just to say you did.  The area around the ferry landing is fine.

+1

cafe du monde. Pralines from southern candy and muffalettas from central grocery. Barqs in a glass bottle.

I have similar questions.  We are planning to stop there on a road trip next month. The wife is a jazz fan and wants to see some good jazz in an authentic jazz club.  I've read that new orleans isn't exactly the safest place to hang out.  What are the best jazz clubs in less-sketchy parts of town?

Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop in Metarie. Make sure you get the bread pudding!!

OP, there are plenty of people from LA who will give you great advice on what to do in NOLA. My advice is keep driving down south of there to Venice and go fishing.

The Civil War Museum next to the WW2 Museum is the cheapest thing in New Orleans and is a nice little attraction.  Interesting building, as well.

Snug Harbor if you want music and food, Preservation Hall if you just want music.  Buffa's does a nice "jazz" brunch (quoted because it's more ragtime than jazz), but get there early because it's standing room only.  Our Lady of Guadalupe church has a great horn section, if you want to get a little religion with your music (I think they only play Sunday morning, and not every time).

"Do NOT go into the unlighted portions of Bourbon Street.....do NOT venture off into the side streets"

Go find Coop's Place and order the Chicken Tchoupitoulas:  A mouth-watering combination of boneless chicken breast sauteed with cream sauce and flavored with shrimp and tasso. Served over rice with our Creole green beans.

Everything I tried there was great.

in response to the update, I suggest garden district

Cochon Butcher. It's crazy delicious. I am tempted just to go back to Nola just to eat there a few more times. It's a couple blocks south of the WW2 museum.

I will say this.....as me and my (soon to be Mr's, now ex) were strolling thru the city we ran across this place:
http://www.pharmacymuseum.org/

Carry a gun always

Mulates is great food. It's not in the French quarter but close. The best shrimp I've ever had ever. Literally the shrimp in the shrimp and corn bisque fell apart in your mouth. Shrimp Au gratin was awesome. Frog legs, crawfish tails, red beans and rice, boudin were all awesome too.

Mulates is horrible food (well, ok, not horrible, exactly, but certainly sucky).  Shrimp isn't supposed to fall apart in your mouth, it's supposed to be tender and succulent; if it fell apart, it was either very over cooked, or had been frozen... probably both.

I accidentally bumped into Jon Favreau last time I was at Preservation Hall. You never know who you'll bump into in there.

I was there a few months ago and had great luck with Uber. They were everywhere and were the nicest Uber cars I've ever been in. Like the drives actually gave a damn.

 
That makes me hungry thinking about it

 
I'd have figured out a way to ditch that idiot

 
Only place someone has ever tried to mug me in my entire life was on one of those side streets in New Orleans.  He was not successful.

For happy hour the Blind Pelican in the Garden District has .25$ raw oysters that everyone loves.

Cafe Du Monde is overrated to me. Nearly every cafe there has beignets and you don't have to wait an hour. The park there is huge and beautiful and the cafe inside called Morning Call has phenomenal beignets and jumbalaya.



As far as attractions the zoo was cool, the aquarium was kind of a let down. WW2 museum obviously. When I was there with my wife back in November we got a cemetery tour off groupon for like $16 for both of us and it was so worth it. The guy knew his shit and took us to a few cemeteries.

For the best po-boys in the 'city' you'll have to go to old Metairie and eat at Bear's poboys. Mothers sucks, I don't get the lines there. I really like Peche for something nicer.

You won't be far from the NOLA brewery, which is my favorite brewery. Avenue pub has a great selection of beer and whisky.

I'd look into a fishing trip out of Lafitte if I was you. You'd probably have to charter, but fishing is what the locals do when we aren't partying.

Crawfish season is starting up too...

Bump for any additional replies. I'm visiting New Orleans for the very first time at the end of this month, 2/25 to 2/29.  I've read the replies so far.  We're staying in the "downtown" area (so says the hotel, whatever that means, Baronne St near Gravier St. area).

Thanks!

Baronne and Gravier is in the CBD; that area is turning into NY lite.  Lots of restaurants and shops and tall buildings; nothing New Orleans (although the food is still quite good).  You still have to cross Canal to get to the Quarter, and you're a bit far from the river.  It's a long walk to any of the good places mentioned in this thread.