The French Quarter - New Orleans Top Recommendations from a Local Guide

The Creole name for the French Quarter is the Vieux Carre. Literally meaning "old square", it was the first neighborhood of New Orleans and, as an American city from the 1700s, it definitely carries a lot of history underneath the neon signs for karaoke and whirring daiquiri machines. My tour guests who are sensitive to that kind of thing mention feelings that are hard to describe: some feel suddenly "at home" and comfortable, while others feel the "dark" energy you'd expect from a former slave port with two 18th century fires under its belt. The dichotomy of such a place is part of the experience- I feel very lucky to have grown up in a city that has survived so much to make its scars part of its incredible story. Check out my recommendations for locally owned tours that will give you PLENTY of options for learning in the Quarter!

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Places in pink, links in green

• The French Quarter sites: It's less than 1 square mile of the city, but it's beautiful and old. Explore during the daytime for great photos of balconies and buskers. Royal St. is full of cool antique shops like Vintage 329 and galleries. The Historic New Orleans Collection offers amazing history exhibits and is often overlooked by tourists. Get your tarot or palm read in Jackson Square- even locals go to these folks for their readings and check out the local art by the vendors. You'll want to at least stroll Bourbon St. for the experience, but you won't feel the

  need to stay there long unless you are looking for a Spring Break vibe. After your mandatory trip down Bourbon (watch out for getting hustled by doormen and shot girls) hit the gay bars Bourbon Pub or Good Friends to sit on the balcony and people watch below. You DEFINITELY should book a tour early in your stay to get the geography as well as some interesting basic knowledge of one of the most interesting cities in the US- I recommend a walking history tour and a ghost tour at the very least!

  
  

• Music: Inside the Quarter, you can't beat Fritzel's for a traditional European jazz experience often overlooked by tourists who flock to Preservation Hall. But real music buffs know that Frenchmen St., right at the end of the French Quarter, is chock full of music clubs, many with no cover. To find the times of shows, visit the WWOZ Livewire Calendar- top clubs to check out are BMC, Masion, Bamboulas, Spotted Cat and Cafe Negril. You'll hear everything from swing jazz, brass bands and funk to blues. For a bite to eat, hit Dat Dog right there on Frenchmen St. and be sure to check out the local microbrewery Brieux Carre if you're a beer lover. Finish the night with the locals at R Bar two blocks away. Check out the WWOZ Livewire for up-to-date show listings!

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Food & Drinks: As most locals know when it comes to food: in the Quarter, there's a lot to choose but little to love, with big advertising bucks to draw in tourists. Eat better in the Quarter at GW Fins, Muriel's Jackson Square (check out the seance room and get a balcony seat for dinner) or Tableau for the Creole classics. If you want an authentic local's lunch, walk a short ways to Lil Dizzy's in the Treme, where everyone is "ma' baby". If you aren't bound to Creole classics & want to try other cuisines, Doris Metropolitan, Cane and Table and Sylvain are all good bets for great Quarter eats. Everyone has beignets on their list, but skip the Cafe du Monde line for Cafe Beignet or Loretta's. Dive bar drinks flow at Erin Rose, Chart Room, Harry's Corner Bar, Cosimo's, The Upper Quarter, Black Penny and Bar Tonique (a badass cocktail team make classics at very reasonable prices). Visit Jewel of the South for a special night out for cocktail lovers who want to drink from the best in the biz (Chris Hannah mans the bar).

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Shopping: I cannot emphasize this enough: be careful where you spend your money in the Quarter- there's only a few small shops that support local owners, artists and craftspeople- LOTS of junk from overseas abounds. Look for t-shirts at Dirty Coast or Fleurty Girl. Avoid shops names with "gift" or "emporium", most if not all, voodoo souvenirs should be left on the shelf, and skip past many of the imported junk stalls in the French Market (there's a few artists in there, they are usually working their stall). Hit up local spots like Lost & Found, Trixie's Burlesque Boutique, Dark Matter Oddities, Sassy Magick, Lionheart Prints and Fifi Mahony's for some one-of-a-kind gifts and clothes. Mosey over to the Frenchmen Street Art Market (next to Spotted Cat) after 6pm for a better variety and better price on art and goods than a lot of the Jackson Square and Royal St. finds.
  

• Day Trippin': You'll (eventually) get tired of just eating and drinking, so here's some more options easily accessible from the French Quarter:

  • Rent a bike from Flambeaux and head down Esplanade Ave. to New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park and its sculpture garden. A beautiful ride, a great sculpture garden and magnificent botanical gardens await! Biking not your thing? Hop on the Canal St streetcar to get there!

  • Walk to Crescent Park, right at the edge of the Quarter by Frenchmen St. This entrance, Mandeville Shed, is a great place to pack a picnic and some drinks and watch the river roll by- you might catch roller skaters, dance rehearsals or just kids having fun!

  • For a FREE good time, book a self-guided tour of the Sazerac House right on Canal St. at Magazine. Learn the history of the Sazerac, which started with French cognac and the roles of New Orleans apothecaries and coffee shops in business and cocktail pleasure. Taste drinks along the way, while your also learn about rum and whiskey and visit interactive displays- a must for cocktail lovers! You might also want to explore the Pharmacy Museum if you find you're interested in apothecaries!

  • If you think Mardi Gras is not for you- just a big Spring Break, Girls Gone Wild frat party- think again! Mardi Gras World is dedicated to this incredible holiday, rich in history and steeped in our culture. The collection of warehouses is where "Mardi Gras is made"- you can see float artists hard at work in the workshop and wander through years of past float art on display! Another one for kids AND adults, discover the magic of Mardi Gras and you just might change your mind about it!

  • If you want to see plantations, you'll need to book a tour with transportation from the Quarter or CBD, none are accessible without a ride or car. My top plantation tour recommendation is Whitney Plantation, which stands out because it was the first to focus on the slave experience as part of the plantation's history. Beyond the Bayou and Cresecent City Tours & Transportation are both great choices!

  • Looking to visit the bayou? Again, you'll need a tour with transportation or your own car- I'm a big fan of Beyond the Bayou for eco-friendly boat tours or Kayak Swamp Tours if you are looking for something more active.

  • Cooking classes let you take the experience with you! I can't recommend Mardi Gras School of Cooking enough- great staff and more hands-on/less touristy than other places!

  • Haunted tours are a big thing down here- we're full of stories about pirates, murders, ghosts and vampires. I think Hottest Hell Haunted Tours has some good local guides and deliver the spookies without the cheese factor.