When my wife did work for the Saints and was working for the NFL, we spent a lot of time there. Still have friends living there and almost retired there until those there said I was nuts.

Never missed going to Mothers........Felix's Oyster Bar. Always saw a show at the hilton at Pete fountain's place. Benny always had a table for us. That's gone.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
There are some decent restaurants. Otherwise not much to recommend it

Been a while since I've been there (before Katrina), but this was my take. Some phenomenal restaurants and not much else. (But, I was never there over weekends and did not get to explore the music scene.)

This is a good summary. There are some incredible places to eat, and no need to venture into the "other" areas of the city. I wouldn't plan on walking home after dinner, but other than that it's not an awful place for a couple days.

If you're going with a work group and not alone, be prepared to be "that guy" who is smart enough not to be staggering around with a drink in the street at 0:darkthirty.

History, culture, great food. Do the touristy stuff in broad daylight. The French Quarter has a big police presence. And they need it! Street robbery is common.
I want to do the restored PT Boat tour. Which is not in town, per se. If my kid did not live there, I would not go back. Also, terrible streets and insane driving.

LOL... y'all funny.

I've only been to NOLA once, in 1984 for the World Exposition. Stayed in a nice little hotel on a back street not too far from the French Quarter. I enjoyed it, but have never wanted to go back.

flashguy

Was stationed at Kessler AFB/Biloxi, MS in 1982-83 for an 8-month school. Visited it a couple of times, and then again for a short business trip in early 2000s. French Quarter interesting, but smelled like stale urine (literally). Bucket List checked off. Mehe otherwise.

Used to travel a lot for work before I started my business. Been there numerous time. I'd avoid Bourbon street, but there is some seriously good food to be had down there. Best to hook up with locals while you are there. There is a lot more to it than what is commonly discussed.....Good time of year to visit. Summertime is brutal if you can't stand the humidity.

Sister used to live there. The city smells like a moldy urinal. I don't plan on going back.

Eat Breakfast one day at "Mother's" Address: 401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130, and another day at Cafe du Monde!

As others have said, go to the WWII museum.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Abita Brewery is worth a visit.

I like food. New Orleans has a good food scene.

Abita Brewery is not in New Orleans .Road trip .

I went for a weekend back in June on a whim. Stayed close to Lafayette Square, walked all over for 2 days stopping at any restaurant or museum that looked interesting then stopped by the NOLA Museum of Art on the way out. It was a rather pleasant weekend for me and have thought of driving back down as I missed a few museums and more than a few restaurants.

quote:

Originally posted by cruiser68:
I was not impressed with New Orleans. Bourbon street was cool for a while but I couldn't get into it for more than one night. Plus the overwhelming smell of piss was a little disturbing. I guess I was too sober.

Some of the food is EXCELLENT and worth a visit to some local restaurants. Other than the food I can find no reason to visit NO again.

This was how I felt. Was there for a month in the lower 9th ward right after Katrina. Understandably things were F'd up what with all the debris, water and bodies we had to clear.

That said, was there about a year later for a day, asked my fellow officer more knowledgeable on things NOLA why all the trash was still here, surely they've had time to clean up from Katrina? He said this is how it was before.

Anyhoo, I would actually like to go back. I'd stay away from Bourbon St. but see the WWII museum, some great restaurants etc.

Born there.

My parents moved us to the suburbs in Metairie when I was two.

I've been repairing all sorts of equipment from one end of the city to the other for 33 years.

I get why some people love it and some hate it.

I know that if I didn't live here I'd be curious enough to take a trip if I lived within a few hundred miles of the city.
Unless I had a really great experience I doubt I would come back.

There are too many other places I'd rather visit.

Fantastic place with some third world areas if you get to them. WWII museum is fantastic. Zoo is decent, I've seen better in smaller cities, but still fun. The aquarium of the Americas is fantastic, I'd go again.

Food is world class if you know where to go. It's a lot more than bourbon street. Take the cemetery carriage ride. It's a great historical relaxing ride.

We took our kids for a week and had fun. If you want to see third world living conditions, they got them, although Katrina cleared a lot out. (Baton Rouge and Houston absorbed a lot of the riff raff.)

I carried everywhere except the bug museum, its on Federal property and they have a metal detector. I had some street scammers try to come up but if you bow up and tell them to get f***ed they will scuttle away. This is in the quarter and is more of a novelty.

I will tell you this. My wife and I were on canal away from the quarter. We some how got in the middle of al of a Black, Jewish, Black Suprenecy demonstration. A local told me it was some kind of cult. He named it but I can't remember it. Good times...,

quote:

Originally posted by italia:
Walk around French Quarter to see architecture, shops and churches, WW2 museum, NOMA - New Orleans Museum of Art, cemetery tours, restaurants, night life, coffee and beignets at Café du Monde (get there early - long lines), jazz music, trolley rides ...

+1 on all of the above and don't miss the beignets at Café du Monde, a real treat.

New Orleans is my favorite American city. I have zero interest in Bourbon Street. There is a lot more to NOLA than the French Quarter. Lots of good music on Frenchmen Street. Great food everywhere. People are friendly. Use common sense and you'll be fine. Get hammered drunk and stagger around the quarter after midnight and bad things happen.

quote:

Food is world class if you know where to go.

Stopped going to the tourist traps in the Quarter many years back. Having out friends taske us to the great local places few tourists ever find was the way to go.

Did like the Benets. Zepoles on the NY/NJ area. Actually liked the coffee.

My friend's son was on the maiden run of the PT boat. His father is connected with the museum.

My father-in-law has a brick there.

I'd love to take a trip down but impossible with two dogs to watch.

Don't go to Lee Circle Lee isn't there anymore.

 http://cafedegas.com/ 

ate here was very good...we parked in a 24 hours parking lot near French quarter and proceeded to walk aroung the French quarter, theather /museum distric and the riverwalk..we stayed in a hotel further out of new Orleans metaire I think cause we couldn't find affordable stay in new Orleans..but it worked out fine...