New Orleans Beyond the French Quarter

NEW ORLEANS, the Crescent city, is known for many things not the least of which is big fun. This is my first visit since Katrina in 2004. And I am anxious to get beyond the the tourists in the French Quarter to help me understand N’Awlins as something more than a party city. My meetings have ended and I have an extra 24 hours before returning home.

The afternoon I finish my business meetings, I head over to the Po’boy Festival in the Carrollton neighborhood. This smiling face to the right of this post is leading the Second Line, a custom with roots dating back to the 19th century. There are three stages of music during this festival and lots of food: crawfish balls, oyster, turkey, shrimp and/or catfish po’boys. You name it and they have it.

NEXT DAY It’s late November. I am staying at the Spring Hill Suites in the Historic Warehouse District. This is the kind of neighborhood I would stay in if I were in Paris. Not too expensive, quiet during the day, out of the way of too many tourists but well within reach of 24/7 activity. The Marriott properties including the Spring Hill Suites, Embassy Suites and the Courtyard Marriott are all within a stone’s throw of the Convention Center. I get out early for a leisurely walk north on St. Peter’s Street to the French Market Place to buy cajun spices.

I notice the Plaza Suite Hotel Resort, a decidely Euro-style 38 room hotel with dark wood evoking the 19th century. I duck in quickly to ask about its prices. It has one and two bedroom suites with full kitchens, refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens — everything one would not find in a chain. Memo to self: Stay here next time.

As I proceed north, Harrahs Casino sits off to my right at the corner of Poydras Street, the first main cross street. It is a 24 hour operation. Mental note: return if you are bored. If you happen to pass a huge black truck and pick up a fresh odor, believe your nose. The driver is spraying the street with Super Fresh in a city that allows strollers to walk and drink open strong beverages.

The New Orleans Visitors’ Bureau is on the corner of Decatur and St. Peters. I meet Raymond Conway, a French Irishman from the Faubourg Marigny who runs this office. Be sure to stop in to talk with Raymond. He is a vetted source of local knowledge, the most profound of which is: ” If you can’t eat, drink and have a good time in my city, you have issues.” He knows the best tour leaders, can arrange tours, and can give you the type of information that only a person who “has been there and done that” knows.

I finally arrive at the French Market and I find my cajun spices. But they cost twice their price in the French Market as they do in the souvenir shops or small stores. I spend a little time talking to the shop keepers then head back into the quarter. After dodging the lines in front of the world famous Cafe du Monde where people are lined up for chicory coffee and beignets (fried powdered dough), I skip the lines and head over to the Riverwalk. On the bank of the Mississippi behind Cafe du Monde I watch the steamboats and the paddle boats. In the distance, the Steamboat Natchez is parked and offers daily cruises and a jazz dinner cruise fit even for solo travelers.

You might also consider taking the free ferry to Algiers Point. I did. Be aware however that Mardi Gras World, the famous builder of Mardi Gras floats, has moved back to the quarter side. The ferry ride takes less than 10 minutes and will provide a different perspective of the city. There was not much to see once arriving so I quickly headed back.

By this time I have worked up an appetite. So I head over to Mother’s Restaurant before the local lunch crowd comes and the breakfast crowd has left. This is a family owned business that appears a little down on its luck on the surface. But when the lines begin to form a little closer to noon, it is clear that locals come here for a reason. Turns out, the food is country good.

If you think about it, one never talks about New Orleans without talking about its food. Before I had arrived in New Orleans I was told that Arnaud’s, Cochon’s and Zea’s were great options for a fine meal. I explained to my new friend Raymond however that I did not want to spend money for the sake of spening money. Of the restaurants he suggested in different neighborhoods of the city, I wound up eating lunch at Sokho Thai and Mother’s; and dinner at Butcher’s, The Praline Connection and Deanie’s. These were my favorites.

Sokho Thai offers excellent Thai food and is located in the Faubourg Marigny. Butcher’s is the child restaurant of Cochon’s that specializes in old school specialty house meats. I had the best oyster dressing I have ever had there. Deanie’s on the other hand is a local favorite in the French Quarter, casual, a bit noisy and serving large portions of fresh fried fish, po’boy’s , BBQ oysters, hamburgers, floats, pasta and gumbo.

I head back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta before meeting a friend for a late dinner. About 9 pm I taxi over to the Faubourg Marigny for dinner at the Praline Connection. Travel & Leisure calls this one of the hippest neighborhood. This is actually the home turf of Raymond from the New Orleans Visitor’s Bureau. It’s a tight little area without any tall buildings. All the waiters wear black hats and white shirts. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and they have the best fried chicken. I eat southern and am pleased.

DAY TWO It is a short day since my flight leaves this afternoon. I have just enough time to do a self-guided walking tour of Armstrong Park to see the various sculptures by Elizabeth Catlett. But instead I opt to take the streetcar uptown on St. Charles Avenue toward the University Section and Audubon Park. I have heard that Audubon Park is an excellent stop to walk around and enjoy the neighborhood. And indeed it is. What a beautiful oasis created by the same Charles Olmstead that created New York’s Central Park. The mansions and the gardens are worth the streetcar ride alone even if you do not have time to fully explore Audubon Park. I climb back aboard the streetcar after a couple of hours to head back downtown so that I do not miss my flight.

This visit I have stepped beyond the French Quarter. I feel my understanding of New Orleans is much improved. And I did it on my own.


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