Traveling alone in French Quarter, New Orleans from Weds Nov 11 to Sat. Nov 14. Need advice!!!?
I am 35 year old straight male who is looking to sightsee and drink lightly during the day, dine out in the evening, and then indulge in the nightlife. I like to mix it up, dance, and meet people. Where should I go? Can anyone give me an itinerary? I don’t want to go to places where I will feel like an outcast being alone.
There is nowhere you will feel like an outcast. Some bars in the FQ have a predominantly Gay clientele, but it will usually be quickly obvious and you won’t encounter hostility.
The French Quarter is a neighborhood in addition to an entertainment district and you should wander through it. The tourist office on Jackson Square (Saint Ann Street side of the square) has free maps and I think there is a FQ walking tour map.
www.frenchquarter.com
There are many tours offered and examples are:
www.graylineneworleans.com
www.hauntedhistorytours.com
There is always music, but the bands change: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.
Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so KNOW THE PRICE before you sit down. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can’t be any confusion at the end of the evening.
An incomplete guide to bars & clubs:
http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Nightlife/
www.neworleanscheapdrinks.com
About certain alcoholic beverages: Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 ½ ounces of alcohol. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 ½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor. They don’t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge.
Go to www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on museums.
Restaurant suggestions: http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Restaurants/
Check http://www.nola.com/visitor/ for ideas about other things to do.
Hope you have a great time!
November 8th, 2009 at 4:06 am
There is nowhere you will feel like an outcast. Some bars in the FQ have a predominantly Gay clientele, but it will usually be quickly obvious and you won’t encounter hostility.
The French Quarter is a neighborhood in addition to an entertainment district and you should wander through it. The tourist office on Jackson Square (Saint Ann Street side of the square) has free maps and I think there is a FQ walking tour map.
http://www.frenchquarter.com
There are many tours offered and examples are:
http://www.graylineneworleans.com
http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com
There is always music, but the bands change: Go to http://www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to http://www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, then Music.
Note that music clubs often advertise "No Cover", meaning there is no charge for entering. However, clubs with "No Cover" often require that customers buy a beverage each for every "set " of music (which can be every 20 minutes) so KNOW THE PRICE before you sit down. Clubs do that because some people will sit in the club all evening drinking nothing (clubs only make money from the drinks they sell - not from the music). It is also a good idea to pay for each round of drinks (in clubs on Bourbon Street) as it is delivered so there can’t be any confusion at the end of the evening.
An incomplete guide to bars & clubs:
http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Nightlife/
http://www.neworleanscheapdrinks.com
About certain alcoholic beverages: Realize that some famous drinks are VERY potent compared with regular cocktails that have only 1 to 1 ½ ounces of alcohol. For example, a Hurricane is basically 3 or 4 ounces of rum in something like red Kool-Aid, and a Hand Grenade has at least 4 ½ ounces of Everclear + rum + vodka mixed with melon liquor. They don’t necessarily taste like an alcoholic beverage and it is easy to over-indulge.
Go to http://www.neworleansmuseums.com for info on museums.
Restaurant suggestions: http://www.10best.com/New_Orleans,LA/Restaurants/
Check http://www.nola.com/visitor/ for ideas about other things to do.
Hope you have a great time!
References :
November 8th, 2009 at 6:14 am
This are my favorite places:
Jackson Square, St Louis Cathedral, Cafe Du Monde, Rvierboat(don’t eat there the food is terrible) Zoo, Aquarium, Historic New Orleans Collection, Royal St. Antiques, Magazine Street Shopping, Airboat Swamp tour, Mardi Gras World, Ride the Streetcar,
Museum- Historic New Orleans Collection, Ogden, Dday, the cabildo, Pharmacy, Confederate Museum, US Mint…
Music- Frenchman st!!(snug Harbour, DBA, Spotted Cat) Check out what is playing at tipitinas, HOB, Howlin Wolf. Tipitinas has cajun dancing every sunday night. Go to Preservation Hall.
Restaurants; Brennans, Jaquimos( Best Alligator Cheesecake and blackened red fish), Rio Mar, Commanders Palace(MY FAV), Muriels(Turtle Soup, Goat Cheese Crepes, and Pecan crusted drum),
Coffee Pot (FAVORITE RED BEANS and breakfast),
Upperline, Lilette, Irenes, Gumbo Shop,
Napolean House( FAV. LUNCH SPOT),
One on Hampson( BEST DUCK GUMBO), Brennans, Crepe Nanou, Tommys Restaurant, Brigtsens( Everything is AWESOME),
Yo mama bar and grill( BEST HAMBURGERS)
Palace Cafe( BEST PECAN CRUSTED FISH AND BLUE CRAB LEGS), Domileses(awesome poboys),
Cochon( BEst cochon du lait)
Favorite coffee- Cafe du monde
Favorite dessert- Commanders
Drink! Pat O’s, Lafittes Blacksmith shop, Columns Hotel, Absinthe House, Carousel Bar, bombay club
favorite FQ BAR- Lafittes and Pat o’s
Goldmine- place to dance in the quarter
Not in the quarter Bars-
Best Place to start the NIght- Columns Hotel Bar and Lucys Bar
Rendezvous, Balcony, Bull Dog all of these are walking distance on Magazine St. Which is full of shops and restaurants.
Late night bars- Grits and F and M’s
Haunted Places; Le Petit Theater, The Pontalba, Pirates Alley, The Lalaurie House, St. Louis Cathedral and Lafittes Blacksmith shop, The Pharmacy are a few.
References :
Local
November 10th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
NOLAGUY is right..New Orleans is a melting pot with all different types of people lol…I think you should follow his advice. I live 15 minutes away and I love going to New Orleans to play tourist lol…Make sure you visit the French Market for their great food and gifts
References :