new orleans help with planning please

[Olympiad]

Hi - I'd say your plans look pretty well thought out so would just add a couple of comments.
- If you want jazz or a jazz brunch then look at Frenchman Street and places like the 3 muses, the spotted cat and other famous jazz venues in that area (NB: not sure about brunch as some may not open until evening)
- Steam boat cruise. We did the Natchez cruise which was slightly disappointing. We did it in August and the ship was jammed with people so moving around once in place was tricky - trying to see the jazz band was impossible. Cruise itself was pleasant and the commentary good (make sure you're on the left side of the ship). Probably a lot better outside peak season. The other cruise ship (Creole queen) does a stop at the Battle of New Orleans battlefield. In both cases I'd advise skipping the food options onboard- average pile em high buffets and much better onshore in NOLA
- The Voodoo musuem in the French Quarter is a quirky and interesting place to look around
- Probably not much help if you're not early risers but before 8ish Cafe du monde is relatively quiet (or was the days we went)
- A streercar ride along St Charles Avenue to see the grand historic houses is recommended, but you may cover this off on your walking tour
- Lafayette no 1 cemetery (next to Commanders Palace) is free and worth a look around, even if you've down the St Lois tour.

Sure you'll love it. Have fun.

[sunny1]

Originally Posted by Olympiad

Hi - I'd say your plans look pretty well thought out so would just add a couple of comments.
- If you want jazz or a jazz brunch then look at Frenchman Street and places like the 3 muses, the spotted cat and other famous jazz venues in that area (NB: not sure about brunch as some may not open until evening)
- Steam boat cruise. We did the Natchez cruise which was slightly disappointing. We did it in August and the ship was jammed with people so moving around once in place was tricky - trying to see the jazz band was impossible. Cruise itself was pleasant and the commentary good (make sure you're on the left side of the ship). Probably a lot better outside peak season. The other cruise ship (Creole queen) does a stop at the Battle of New Orleans battlefield. In both cases I'd advise skipping the food options onboard- average pile em high buffets and much better onshore in NOLA
- The Voodoo musuem in the French Quarter is a quirky and interesting place to look around
- Probably not much help if you're not early risers but before 8ish Cafe du monde is relatively quiet (or was the days we went)
- A streercar ride along St Charles Avenue to see the grand historic houses is recommended, but you may cover this off on your walking tour
- Lafayette no 1 cemetery (next to Commanders Palace) is free and worth a look around, even if you've down the St Lois tour.

Sure you'll love it. Have fun.

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thank you this is most helpful

we are not overly worried if we miss a steamboat cruise if we are really honest and i read in WileyCoyote's report of a brunch at the Court of the Two Sisters which looked good

the voodoo museum sounds good so does the streetcar along st charles (think this is the garden area ?)

[CarsonMac]

We are also planning on going to New orleans for a couple days in September. I would like to do the Natchez boat trip and maybe one of the hop on hop off bus tours and go to city park. we are only there for 2 nights, driving from Orlando staying on the outskirts as needed a hotel with car parking so staying near the lake ponchairtrain at Metairie.

One thing that has kinda bothered me is i have seen some vloggers on youtube comment about there are a lot of drunks about, people being sick in the street, starting fights etc so was wondering if that is really true so much? or only in certain areas , which we can try avoid!

[Pino_Spetzberg]

Originally Posted by CarsonMac

...driving from Orlando staying on the outskirts as needed a hotel with car parking so staying near the lake ponchairtrain at Metairie.

i have seen comment about drunks, people sick in the street, starting fights, wondering if that is really true so much?

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Plenty of reasonably priced parking garages, some next to hotels eg Hampton Inn & Suites on Carondelet Street, just the other side of Canal Street in CBD.
There are FQ hotels with their own parking garage attached eg Monteleone. Some have free guest parking eg Le Richelieu.

New Orleans attracts two different groups of visitor. Some are interested in the history, antiques, art, food, music, etc. Some want to 'party' as they seem to describe it. Obviously some do both.

You will read TA reviews posted by elderly college professors, shocked at what seems to them as unseemly behaviour.
To any of us that have visited York in the summer, or say, Manchester's gay village, or Liverpool's Mathew Street at a week-end, or Blackpool, I doubt anything you see will be too alarming.
Yes, there are crowds mingling outside bars, carrying Go-cups of beer or cocktails, sometimes you'll see women hanging out of hotel windows naked, or men dropping their pants on balconys, but it's not guaranteed.
Throwing up in the street happens probably, never seen it, or people starting fights.
I'm not pretending bad stuff never happens but you'll be unlucky to see it.
Many of the more concerning incidents take place around Mardi Gras. Guns fired into the sky, bullets falling on people etc.

Just take care as anywhere else you should be fine.

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by CarsonMac

We are also planning on going to New orleans for a couple days in September. I would like to do the Natchez boat trip and maybe one of the hop on hop off bus tours and go to city park. we are only there for 2 nights, driving from Orlando staying on the outskirts as needed a hotel with car parking so staying near the lake ponchairtrain at Metairie.

One thing that has kinda bothered me is i have seen some vloggers on youtube comment about there are a lot of drunks about, people being sick in the street, starting fights etc so was wondering if that is really true so much? or only in certain areas , which we can try avoid!

See more...

Not seen this on our two visits . Yes Bourbon Street is busy but we found Broadway in Nashville far worse for badly behaved drunks than New Orleans. Luck ( or bad luck) of the draw I suspect whether a rowdy crowd is about or not.

[tiggertastic]

I've been to mardi Gras, and yes I saw a few girls getting boobs out for beads and yes there were drunk people, the latter later in the evening/night and largely concentrated round bourbon st. I didn't see anyone being sick.

New Orleans is an amazing city, don't be put off!

[CarsonMac]

Thanks guys, we'll I've defo experienced Blackpool and York etc before haha I think the you tube videos were probably just focusing on the extreme, I hope! But yes I'm very much looking forward to going and it does look like such nice and interesting city 👍