Planning a trip in December for a week. Going to stay a few nites in the Big Easy heard that it can get rough around the waterfront. I'll be packing as is the 24-7 norm, the wife will likely packing as well, if not, I'll be carrying her gun for backup/New York reload. Any advice as to what areas to totally avoid in N.O. as well as other parts of south Lousiana? Probably wear my Royal Robbin vest, carry my Z-2 Surfire, extra mags & clip folder go without saying. I'm sure greatest danger is from West Nile virus. Probably keep vehicle parked at Hotel and travel mostly on foot & ocassionally public transportation.
Did a short stay in Savanah, GA and was glad I was carrying, gets a little spooky at night with the winos & vagrants yelling at ya because ya didn't cough up some change.

ya just might want to bring a boat, it didn't look good from the quick glimpse I saw on tv.

rustyolddog-
New Orleans is one of the most historic and fun places on the Gulf Coast. I would recommend packing if that is an option for you. New Orleans is known for its high crime rate. One or two blocks off the French Quarter area will put you in the hood, and these are very dangerous areas filled with poverty and violence.  Ask the concierge what directions to avoid. Not trying to scare you but keep alert to your surroundings and avoid those dangerous areas and you should have a very educational(arts, history) and romantic time , not to mention some of the best food in the South. Check with the local PD about CCW.
Have a blast!!
Gemologist[x]
BLOAT
If you need advice on restaurants or lodging please feel free to contact me.

Stay in the Quarter and you'll do just fine!

If you travel outside the Quarter, get a cab to take you wherever you're headed.

If you want to get outside the Quarter, do it in the daylight.

Want to visit a cemetery? Well there's only one that you tourists can reasonably visit -
the Lafayette Cemetery #1. It's located in the Garden District (Do not, repeat, do not go to any of the 'St Louis Cemeteries' you will get yourself killed!)

To get to Lafayette Cemetery #1:

Catch the St. Charles Streetcar off Canal Street. Get off at the Washington Ave. or Sixth St. stops (the Grocery Cafe at
Sixth is a convenient landmark and pitstop). Walk one block towards the river and enter at either the Washington Ave. or Sixth St. gates.

You will note that Commanders Palace is right across the street! Now that's an excellent place to eat, for certain! The Brennans Family been operating that restaurant for years and it's damn well worth the visit! Located at 1403 Washington Avenue!

But, really, since you only have a week, you may not need to leave the Quarter much at all.

Everything you need is there.

Skip [i][b]Antoine's Restaurant[/b][/i] completely. [i][b]Arnaud's Restaurant[/b][/i] is much better and less expensive.  

Go to Brennan's for breakfast or lunch. Lunch is really great. And order the Bananas Foster for dessert. It was invented there.

I personally love [i][b]Galatoire's Restaurant [/b][/i] on Bourbon Street, but you gotta wear a coat and tie, so....

[i][b]La Louisiane[/b][/i] is great, Emeril's is also great, but it's outside the Quarter. So take a cab to Emeril's, if you want to kick it up a notch!

Go down to Decatur Street which parallels the River.  Central Grocery is the Home of the Muffaletta sandwich - just walking into the store makes you think you've gone back 100 years or so.

Get some of Aunt Salley's Pralines while you are on Decatur.

Stop by the Cafe du Monde for some beignets and cafe au lait. It's on Decatur at Jackson Square.

Go to the Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, and the Presbytere, for some good history. They are the three buildings at the top of Jackson Square.

Oh, and don't forget to stop by Pat O'Briens on St Peter Street to sit in the courtyard and drink a couple of Hurricanes!

That building was constructed in the second year of George Washington's [u]first[/u] term as President!

Go to the regular New Orleans websites for more. You will [u]not[/u] be disappointed.

Any questions?

Eric The(FormerTourGuideForLSU!)Hun[>]:)]

...souns like ETH knows more about this place than i do...when were you planning on visiting?

My wifa and I were down there for Mardi gras 2000 (actually, we went on the Monday before Fat Tuesday) during the day. I agree w/ Eric the Hun on where to go...but try the restaurant on the opposite corner of Jackson Square from Cafe du Monde...on Decatur and (I believe) St Peter. It's a corner restaurant on the street level. Best damned jambalaya and gumbo around...reasonable prices. Also try Commander's Palace...quite the culinary experience.

I second Pat O'Briens...after two hurricanes and a mint julip...I was primed and ready to party!

Cafe du Monde is a great remedy for a hangover....a few fresh, hot, beignet (ben-yay) and some strong coffe ( I prefer expresso) and sit back and watch the freak show.

New Orleans (especially the French Quarter) is a dirty and sometimes smelly town...but there is an energy that you feel when you are there that is almost surreal...It keeps you going when you would normally have been long gone.

NO is my favorite vacation place. The history, the architecture, the food, music and atmosphere are second to none.

Yeah ain't Galatoire's the best!...  black and white plain and so damn good...  If you call a day or so early and ask, they'll do an off-menu pompano papillotte cooked in an oiled paper bag with roux, shrimp, oysters etc... outstanding.  Back in the 60's I worked tables while poor-boying it thru Tulane.  The only white boy in the joint.  It was great!

[url]http://www.nola.com/[/url]

Thanks EH for the good advice, I've printed a copy & tucked it in the guide. I'll be packing for certain, just have to plan ahead accordingly for any bars I might visit.
We likely won't stay in N.O. for the entire week, probably go visit the low country some.

We like to eat in the little back ally dives where the locals eat, thanks for the recommendations on those.
How about Jazz club recommendations?

I hate to tell you, but I try to avoid jazz like the plague, even in New Orleans.

You can always go to [b]Preservation Hall[/b], which is right next door to [b]Pat O'Brien's[/b].

Be prepared for a very spartan interior with the sort of jazz only an true afficianado can handle.

But if you really want to see a New Orleans landmark - go to [b]Tipitinas[/b]!

It was featured in the Dennis Quaid movie, 'The Big Easy.'

Here's the website for it: [url]http://www.tipitinas.com/[/url]

It has a calendar so that you can see which night you'd like to go there.

It's located in the Warehouse District along the Riverfront - [b]take a cab!!![/b]

The club was created in the mid-1970's by a group of local music enthusiasts, and quickly became home to dozens of New Orleans rhythm and blues artists.

It's on the corner of Tchoupitoulas and Napoleon Ave, Tipitina's Uptown offers a wide variety of great local and national acts.

BTW, Tchoupitoulas Street is pronounced:

[b]Chop - puh - too - lah[/b]

It's a Indian word meaning 'the people who live by the River.'

Glad to be of help! [:D]

Ask me about the Napoleon House!

Eric The(N'awlinsWasMyMama'sHome)Hun[>]:)]

[b][size=6]ROAD TRIP!!!?[/b][/size=6]

I really enjoy N'awlins.

There's a casino down by the bridge and convention center. I accidentally discovered the gay bars are on Bourbon street up past the streetlights. I was wandering around with a friend, saw that one of those bars had balcony space open, and went in. I had two or three drinks before noticing the guys making out at the bar. Yeech.

Didn't make it to Chef Paul's. heard it's good. Pat O'Brien's is fun, and there are some fun bars with live music along Bourbon street.

Got lost in the rental car and wound up on the east side of the river. Looked damn scary; you know you're in a bad part of town when there's a billboard featuring the local pastor urging the locals not to kill each other. I kept the doors locked and drove away when the local crack addict approached the vehicle while I was looking at the map.

Zen navigation sometimes has its downsides.

Y'all ain't been to N'awlins, less y'all been to N'awlins with the Hun!

[b]mcgredo[/b], sounds like you ended up in [b]Algiers[/b]!

The police don't even go to Algiers! Ever!

They just collect the dead bodies in dumpsters located conveniently on the outskirts of the city.

Eric The(BeenThere,LeftQuickly!)Hun[>]:)]

Well, the wife had picked the Hotel Dauphine 415 Dauphine Street, any comment on this or the street it's on? We like to walk whenever possible, she has plans to do one of the guided ghost tours @ night, not my thing exactly, but she doesn't complain when I spend a week at gun training. Haven't decided whether to carry the Glock 19 or the Sig 220, leaning towards the Sig.

Enjoy the city that reeks of piss.  I was there last March, it was fithy and stuck like garbage. The french quarter was neat, go see the D-day museum and hit Borbon street.  It was so nasty I watched a guy drop a five dollar bill in a puddle and leave it rather than picking it up.  I also watched a girl suck some guy off on a balcony in front of 500 people.

Mostly pick-pockets,pan handling brothers who love "guess where your shoes are from"  for money. Have fun but remember these folks are scumbags and love ripping you off,,,,,,you stupid tourist. hahahahaha   :)

I've never been to New Orleans, but a swing/hot jazz band that I love to listen to plays every Tuesday and Wednesday at the Ritz Carlton from 7:30-11:30pm.

Try [url]http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/new_orleans/default.html[/url].  There's a phone number there where you can get more information, I'm sure.

The band is called "Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos," and they can be found on the web at [url]http://flyingneutrinos.com/[/url].  You can get music samples from their web page.

Note:  the only reason I know this is because I'm a swing junkie.

edited to add:
check out [url]http://www.jitterbuzz.com/souwes.html#NORL[/url], too.  Its kinda old, so it may be somewhat out of date, but here's something interesting to note that corroborates an above post:


I hope this helps, and isn't just senseless background noise.

Dinner and music at Snug Harbor... great music, good food, reasonable prices.

Avoid the cemeteries, even in broad daylight.

DO NOT ask locals for directions, they don't know.  Get a street map and navigate it yourself.

CCW with permit (or LEO's) is legal, open carry is legal without a permit, but will get you arrested for "disturbing the peace" even if there is no complaint.

Toy Train Museum on Williams Blvd in Kenner.

You MUST visit the D-Day Museum.

The kiddies will love the Aquarium of the Americas, and you may, too.