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With the hits of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, New Orleans is, rebuilding. However, the areas of interest to tourists such as the French Quarter, the shopping district on Magazine, and Downtown are open for business as these areas are naturally on higher ground and therefore sustained less damage. Water, air and land tests in these areas have also proven that it is safe. New Orleans is still a destination that should be considered and sought after. The spirit in the city is unlike ever before. This spirit teamed with its reknown reputation for being fun and free makes it a great place to visit.
Practically everything in New Orleans is different and special. It's a city that never ceases to amaze its visitors as well as its inhabitants.
Start your visit by taking the streetcar to the French Quarter. A walk through the street gives you the opportunity to admire the lacy, wrought-iron balconies or to be mesmerized by a street musician playing on the Moonwalk across from Jackson Square. One of the main attractions of the area is the Old U.S. Mint. Here you can tour a world-renown exhibit that will take you back to the days when jazz was bornThere's always a party on Bourbon Street, an antique you can't live without on Royal or Chartres. The list of must-dos here is as long as the main parade route on Mardi Gras day. You can check out the always-changing exhibits at the Aquarium of the Americas, visit Louis Armstrong at the wax museum, or you can just park yourself on a bench in Woldenberg Park and watch the river roll by. It's the Big Easy, dawlin'. You have to do nothing sometime.
Don't make the mistake of thinking there's no reason to venture outside the French Quarter-we can think of several. A tour of the Louisiana Superdome is always a winner. The home of the New Orleans Saints has hosted five Super Bowls-more than any other facility. Or how about a visit to the Degas House? In the 1870s, the French impressionist Edgar Degas resided in this elegant mansion where he created at least seventeen works of art, including one of the most significant paintings of modern times, Portraits in an Office: The New Orleans Cotton Exchange (1873). This was the first painting by a member of the Impressionists ever to be purchased by a museum.
Feel like shopping? Head toward the Warehouse District, famous for its chic art galleries. At the Louisiana Children's Museum you can take a seat and let your kids serve you some plastic bacon and eggs at the cafe. Afterwards, let them fill up a cart and then check themselves out at a mini grocery store.
From the Warehouse District, get on the St. Charles Streetcar and head for the Garden District and the Uptown area. Some of the most opulent homes in the country are here in every color and with every kind of curlicue imaginable. This is the way to the Tulane and Loyola university campuses, which are across the street from Audubon Park. Behind the park is Audubon Zoo, with an updated Louisiana Swamp Exhibit and two new white tigers. It's one of the top zoos in the country. On the way back to town, go down Magazine Street, where you'll find six miles of antique and gift shops, art galleries, restaurants and more. be sure to stop at mignon faget, on magazine street for a new ring or necklace.
As far as dining goes, you might wish to consider avoiding the French Quarter. While it's true that some of the nicest restaurants are there (Court of Two Sisters, Stella, and others), outside of these high-class (and high-cost) locations, the businesses are largely targetted at tourists, which means that since they're not hoping for repeat business anyway, food and service are put second to location and atmosphere. Instead, you might try a few of the other culinary hot-spots of the city. The aforementioned Magazine Street area has a number of excellent restaurants, as does St. Charles St. If you're staying in or around the French Quarter and are looking for something closer, Tchoupitoulas, which intersects Poydras near Harrah's Casino, has restaurants ranging from pricey upscale Emeril's to a place called "Lucy's Retired Surfers' Bar & Grill," as well as hosting nightlife options for those who prefer something a bit more subdued than raucous Bourbon St. Lastly, just because you're in New Orleans doesn't mean you should stick to Cajun and Creole! Some of the best places around serve foreign cuisine: Sweet Ginger (Camp St. near Canal) is excellent Thai, the SakeCafe (Japanese) on Magazine St. is expensive but well worth it, and there are small but worth-seeking-out Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cafes sprinkled liberally throughout the city, such as Lebanon's on South Carrollton.
One of the things that fascinates tourists most in New Orleans is the "Cities of the Dead," the above-ground cemeteries. They had to inspire vampire writer Anne Rice, who lives in the Garden District (and, by the way, sleeps in a bed). Visitors are also impressed by the dueling oaks in City Park where many an argument was "settled like gentlemen" in the old days. City Park is also home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Botanical Gardens, Storyland (for little ones), and a much-beloved carousel. Out this way, you'll also find the historic New Orleans Fair Grounds, site of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every spring.
Want to see a plantation but don't have time to go too far? Why not visit Longue Vue House and Gardens, a Greek Revival style mansion surrounded by enchanting gardens with a variety of themes?
Can't get enough of Mardi Gras? Take a ferry to the West Bank of New Orleans and tour Mardi Gras World, where you can try on elaborate costumes and see the famous floats close up. Also on the West Bank is Gretna, where you can tour the David Crockett Fire Museum. Bayou Segnette State Park has a great wavepool. And in Harvey, Boomtown Belle Casino offers gaming fun with a Western flavor.
In New Orleans East, Jazzland was replaced by Six Flags New Orleans in 2003. The amusement park offers the Looney Tunes and Batman rides among many others. Six Flags New Orleans opens on weekends beginning at the end of March 2005.
If you're a history buff, head for Chalmette, where the Battle of New Orleans was fought by a future president (Andrew Jackson) and a patriotic pirate (Jean Lafitte). At the southernmost point of this region is Venice-a great spot to get in a little charter fishing on the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jackson is also down here. It was built in 1822 under the command of General Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Woodland Plantation, featured on the label of Southern Comfort® blended whiskey, is open for overnight guests.
The Big Easy is very comforting because it allows you to be yourself. Note: If you are freaked out about large crowds, avoid Mardi Gras. New Years eve is crazy down there as well. The most important thing I can say about New Orleans is that there is no ordinance for open alcohol containers: the most frequently visible sign in the Vieux Carre is probably "Cocktails to go!"
Sorry, no tips were foundPractically everything in New Orleans is different and special. It's a city that never ceases to amaze its visitors as well as its inhabitants.
Start your visit by taking the streetcar to the French Quarter. A walk through the street gives you the opportunity to admire the lacy, wrought-iron balconies or to be mesmerized by a street musician playing on the Moonwalk across from Jackson Square. One of the main attractions of the area is the Old U.S. Mint. Here you can tour a world-renown exhibit that will take you back to the days when jazz was bornThere's always a party on Bourbon Street, an antique you can't live without on Royal or Chartres. The list of must-dos here is as long as the main parade route on Mardi Gras day. You can check out the always-changing exhibits at the Aquarium of the Americas, visit Louis Armstrong at the wax museum, or you can just park yourself on a bench in Woldenberg Park and watch the river roll by. It's the Big Easy, dawlin'. You have to do nothing sometime.
Don't make the mistake of thinking there's no reason to venture outside the French Quarter-we can think of several. A tour of the Louisiana Superdome is always a winner. The home of the New Orleans Saints has hosted five Super Bowls-more than any other facility. Or how about a visit to the Degas House? In the 1870s, the French impressionist Edgar Degas resided in this elegant mansion where he created at least seventeen works of art, including one of the most significant paintings of modern times, Portraits in an Office: The New Orleans Cotton Exchange (1873). This was the first painting by a member of the Impressionists ever to be purchased by a museum.
Feel like shopping? Head toward the Warehouse District, famous for its chic art galleries. At the Louisiana Children's Museum you can take a seat and let your kids serve you some plastic bacon and eggs at the cafe. Afterwards, let them fill up a cart and then check themselves out at a mini grocery store.
From the Warehouse District, get on the St. Charles Streetcar and head for the Garden District and the Uptown area. Some of the most opulent homes in the country are here in every color and with every kind of curlicue imaginable. This is the way to the Tulane and Loyola university campuses, which are across the street from Audubon Park. Behind the park is Audubon Zoo, with an updated Louisiana Swamp Exhibit and two new white tigers. It's one of the top zoos in the country. On the way back to town, go down Magazine Street, where you'll find six miles of antique and gift shops, art galleries, restaurants and more. be sure to stop at mignon faget, on magazine street for a new ring or necklace.
As far as dining goes, you might wish to consider avoiding the French Quarter. While it's true that some of the nicest restaurants are there (Court of Two Sisters, Stella, and others), outside of these high-class (and high-cost) locations, the businesses are largely targetted at tourists, which means that since they're not hoping for repeat business anyway, food and service are put second to location and atmosphere. Instead, you might try a few of the other culinary hot-spots of the city. The aforementioned Magazine Street area has a number of excellent restaurants, as does St. Charles St. If you're staying in or around the French Quarter and are looking for something closer, Tchoupitoulas, which intersects Poydras near Harrah's Casino, has restaurants ranging from pricey upscale Emeril's to a place called "Lucy's Retired Surfers' Bar & Grill," as well as hosting nightlife options for those who prefer something a bit more subdued than raucous Bourbon St. Lastly, just because you're in New Orleans doesn't mean you should stick to Cajun and Creole! Some of the best places around serve foreign cuisine: Sweet Ginger (Camp St. near Canal) is excellent Thai, the SakeCafe (Japanese) on Magazine St. is expensive but well worth it, and there are small but worth-seeking-out Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cafes sprinkled liberally throughout the city, such as Lebanon's on South Carrollton.
One of the things that fascinates tourists most in New Orleans is the "Cities of the Dead," the above-ground cemeteries. They had to inspire vampire writer Anne Rice, who lives in the Garden District (and, by the way, sleeps in a bed). Visitors are also impressed by the dueling oaks in City Park where many an argument was "settled like gentlemen" in the old days. City Park is also home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Botanical Gardens, Storyland (for little ones), and a much-beloved carousel. Out this way, you'll also find the historic New Orleans Fair Grounds, site of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every spring.
Want to see a plantation but don't have time to go too far? Why not visit Longue Vue House and Gardens, a Greek Revival style mansion surrounded by enchanting gardens with a variety of themes?
Can't get enough of Mardi Gras? Take a ferry to the West Bank of New Orleans and tour Mardi Gras World, where you can try on elaborate costumes and see the famous floats close up. Also on the West Bank is Gretna, where you can tour the David Crockett Fire Museum. Bayou Segnette State Park has a great wavepool. And in Harvey, Boomtown Belle Casino offers gaming fun with a Western flavor.
In New Orleans East, Jazzland was replaced by Six Flags New Orleans in 2003. The amusement park offers the Looney Tunes and Batman rides among many others. Six Flags New Orleans opens on weekends beginning at the end of March 2005.
If you're a history buff, head for Chalmette, where the Battle of New Orleans was fought by a future president (Andrew Jackson) and a patriotic pirate (Jean Lafitte). At the southernmost point of this region is Venice-a great spot to get in a little charter fishing on the Gulf of Mexico. Fort Jackson is also down here. It was built in 1822 under the command of General Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Woodland Plantation, featured on the label of Southern Comfort® blended whiskey, is open for overnight guests.
The Big Easy is very comforting because it allows you to be yourself. Note: If you are freaked out about large crowds, avoid Mardi Gras. New Years eve is crazy down there as well. The most important thing I can say about New Orleans is that there is no ordinance for open alcohol containers: the most frequently visible sign in the Vieux Carre is probably "Cocktails to go!"
Last edited by Anna (7:21, 07 August 2006)
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