NOLA: What's the neighborhood resembling contained by the direct nouns around Lafayette Square?
Going to NOLA for a four day stop by, staying at the Intercontinental, just across Poydras St. from Lafayette Square. What features of neighborhood is this? Residential? Governmental? Financial? Industrial? I don't want to be there-at-al?
I live in an urban environment, so I know sanctuary is relative. Is this area down and out, on the way, good, great or simply average? Can we walk the streets around within with some idea of security?
Was the square ravage by Katrina? I know it's near the Superdome. Are stores, restaurants, etc. approachable these days? Looks approaching the area along St. Charles between Canal and Poydras might be a financial district.
Any suggestions for honest un-touristy meals, drinks, fun or things to do? Going to be near next week. Any backing would be great.
Answers:
To reitterate, Lafayette Square is in the heart of the CBD - Central Business District. So, during the light of day, the place is a hustling bustling area of business. At dark, there's still a fair amount of traffic next to people going to and from the French Quarter.
To be protected, I wouldn't walk to and from the French Quarter -- at least possible not late at hours of darkness -- because I was downtown pretty belatedly one night a couple of months ago, and when i walk out on Canal at like 2 surrounded by the morning, it was eerily deserted. So, if you be stumbling back from the Quarter tardy one night, you could be an natural target for any ne'er-do-well stalking about. It would be safer to payment for a $2 cab ride, than apologize for. And maybe your hotel offer a shuttle to the quarter, I don't know.
Stores, restaurants, and what not are mostly back accessible around there, but close to I said, with it one a business/financial district, most places in the instantaneous vicinity are lunchtime places and closed for dinner. You own to head across Canal or Uptown (down St. Charles departed Lee Circle) for more nightime eateries.
If you're heading uptown, I would definitely recommend a hackney cab or bus ride -- unfortunately, the St. Charles streetcar is still not running. And if you would approaching restaurant recommendations, check out some of the answers over surrounded by "Dining Out". I don't know what your meal preferences are, but if you want to hold away from "touristy", you can check out the answer I've linked below (instead of pasting it adjectives here).
Please enjoy yourself contained by our fair city, but please notice your surroundings and be sure to ask your concierge any questions you may enjoy.
the area be not flooded by katrina, during the day time its outstandingly busy by it being some would consider the center of the cbd. grain free to walk around during the daylight time, at night hold a cab, the nouns can get giving of deserted at night time, close to any other big cities fin. district. as for food, everyone recommend great places. my favorite seafood place is Deane's in bucktown, you hackney carriage driver should know where it is. the food is amazing. i recommend cafe du monde for breakfast, they come next to 3 beigents but very few individuals can eat adjectives three, so i would share just one plate. i don't drink coffee but the cafe au lait is supposed to be the best from my coffee addicted household and friend point of view lol, craft sure you get a po boy or muffellata (great within epxensive places in the FQ for po boys, important grocery for the muffellata) um make sure you achieve in soem tours, carrige ride and formulate sure you have room vanished for shopping and get some Pralines at Aunt Sally's within the french market (i suppose its aunt sallys i'll have to ask my mom and update for you) only just have fun, savour yourself, i can't help next to the drinks part incentive i'm not old plenty to drink but bourbon is full of bars and i didn't bring up to date you this but ..Hand Grenades are the best lol
The area where on earth you are staying is located in the heart of the important business district of New Orleans, and it is O.K. Some businesses there are still closed, but the nouns is safe during the daytime. Just be chary walking around after dark. There really is especially little discernible damage on Poydras and St. Charles, heading uptown. Same for the adjoining arts/warehouse district. It's difficult to recommend NON-touristy things to eat, do and see, because tourism is THE lifeline of New Orleans. But you don't own to go to an expensive "tourist" restaurant to win a good teatime in New Orleans. Some places within New Orleans that are popular with locals own become more well particular and visited by tourists because they are fitting places and visitors relish them. Two places like this that come to mind are Camellia Grill, at Carrollton and St. Charles, and Mother's Restaurant contained by the 400 block of Poydras at Tchoupitoulas St.
The only non-touristy place I would suggest to obtain a drink would be Club 360, at the top of the New Orleans World Trade Center, where you can get hold of a great view of the city, hours of daylight or night. Or you could simply go to your hotel hotel.
This isn't exactly the time of year New Orleans is crowded with tourists, especially since we are still trying to over come discouraging publicity nearly 2 years after Katrina that the whole city is still a wreck. Yes, within are parts of New Orleans that still have a long track to go to rest, but the tourist areas are intact and look just fine, and the business owners at hand would love to welcome you and show you some polite New Orleans hospitality.
Many of the well particular restaurants in New Orleans ARE located contained by the historic French Quarter, and just becase the Quarter is THE foremost drag for visitors to New Orleans, doesn't indicate that you should avoid it. Visitors are needed and wanted.
Mother's Restaurant is open out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want an alternate place to go, chief up St. Charles (take the RTA bus or get a minicab from your hotel) to the Trolley Stop Cafe, on your right (lakeside), next to Copeland's. Copeland's is a well-mannered place to go for lunch or dinner, and is non-smoking.
Non-touristy fun things to do? That's a tricky one to answer. If you don't like taking tours or doing the traditional things most tourists do contained by New Orleans, I don't know how much help I can be, because anyone a New Orleans tourguide since 1980, and the things my fellow guides and I tell company to do and see are the sights and activities that produce New Orleans special and unique and make a contribution the visitor a arbitrariness to get to know the city's history, culture, and architecture. If you're not looking for an authentic New Orleans experience, next why come?
If you DO like history and culture, afterwards I would recommend taking a cab to the Backstreet Cultural Museum to cram about the Mardi Gras Indians, a truly one and only part of New Orleans culture. It's located surrounded by Treme, outside the Quarter. Or visit the Historic New Orleans Collection on Royal Street contained by the French Quarter . A visit to M.S. Rau Antiques on Royal Street is another dutiful bet. As to be shown around their store--it's free and you will be amazed in more ways than one. Also the Wax Museum on Conti Street. These are places surrounded by the French Quarter that do not get greatly of tourist traffic.
The World War 2 Museum on Magazine Street is an interesting place to visit. SInce you are coming when this time of year, a call in to some museums is not only interesting, but they are air-conditioned, a greeting respite from New Orleans' heat and humidity.
Consider taking a dinner jazz cruise on the Creole Queen or Natchez and visit Mardi Gras World, where the Carnival floats are built, across the river.
And yes, in attendance are plenty of stores and restaurants open within New Orleans. Check with your hotel concierge for more specific info surrounded by the immediate nouns of the Intercontinental Hotel.
To directly answer your questions:
Lafayette Square is a well-kept park that be not flooded by Katrina. Federal buildings are on 2 sides of the square, Gallier Hall (city hall until the 1950s) & another federal building are on the St. Charles Avenue side, and a hotel is on the 4th side.
Regarding crime, use matching common sense you obligation in every hulking city in the world. That said, I lived surrounded by a hotel very close to the IC from June of 2006 to February of 2007. I routinely wander around the CBD and French Quarter on foot at adjectives times of the day & hours of darkness I also frequently parked my car on the street. I be occasionally (politely) asked for a handout and my car collected 3 parking tickets (in 8 months), but that be the worst that happened.
It's almost 100% tourists surrounded by the first 7 blocks of Bourbon Street - which is where the strip clubs are located. Both locals and tourists humiliate the rest of the FQ. I like the clubs, bar, and restaurants in the 1100 & 1200 blocks of Decatur Street (in the FQ).
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You don't obligation a car to seize around in the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Warehouse District. Also, the parking regulations are Byzantine and in that are lots of Parking Control Agents. If you drive or rent a car, go off it in deeply or garage unless you are traveling away from downtown.
The regional transit authority (www.norta.com) sells 1 and 3 time passes that contribute unlimited use of buses and streetcars for the day(s) you select.
There are lots of taxicabs.
You can drink the hose down, the electricity & phones work, and services like the post department, hospitals, schools, police/fire/EMS, and stores & shopping centers are operating.
Municipal services resembling street cleaning & trash collection collapsed after Katrina and that is why you may see answers admonition about the “smelly” or "dirty" French Quarter. Those services be fully restored in unsettled 2006 and it is no longer an issue.
Things to do:
There are many sightseeing opportunity in the greater New Orleans nouns, including carriage rides/tours, plantation tours, swamp tours, image tours, and even Katrina disaster tours. The steamboat Natchez also does a harbor tour. There are numerous tour companies and your hotel can help next to the arrangements. Try to avoid scheduling an outdoor tour until you know the weather forecast for the day surrounded by question.
There is other music, but the bands move: Go to www.bestofneworleans.com and click on Music then Listings or to www.offbeat.com and click on Listings, next Music.
Wander around the French Quarter, enjoy the architecture, keep under surveillance the street entertainers (do tip), and pop in some of the historic buildings that have be turned into museums (go to www.frenchquarter.com and click on Historic Attractions).
Assuming the weather is good, you can collect a sandwich lunch and devour in the riverfront park (watch the shipping) or within Jackson Square (a very nice park).
The Riverwalk shopping center have an air-conditioned food court with dining overlooking the river (www.riverwalkmarketplace.com).
The lobby for the Wyndham Canal Place is on the 11th floor and overlooks the French Quarter. It is a great place for an afternoon drink/snack: http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/MSYCP/main...
Cafe du Monde is within the French Quarter and you shouldn't miss having cafe au lait & beignets (www.cafedumonde.com). Another great coffee shop is the Croissant d'Or (at 615 Ursulines Street), which is start from 7:00am to 2:00pm and has food bar pastry.
The Palm Court restaurant is very nice, have moderate prices, and traditional live jazz starting at 8:00pm: 1204 Decatur Street, tel 504-525-0200 (reservations are important on weekends and they are not enlarge every day).
All of the famous restaurants (Antoine's, Arnaud's, Commander's Palace, etc.) enjoy reopened. Reservations are a good concept, and probably essential on weekends.
Cafe Degas is a very French restaurant close to City Park at 3127 Esplanade - which is not within walking distance of downtown (5 to 10 minutes by taxi). They are closed on Mondays & Tuesdays (504-945-5635).
There is a free ship across the Mississippi at the "foot" of Canal Street. It is a short trip but like a harbor cruise w/o a guide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Stree...
The Aquarium and Audubon Zoo are world-class attractions (www.auduboninstitute.org) and you should see them if you can. There is a shuttle boat (not free) between the Aquarium (which is subsequent to the French Quarter) and the Zoo (which is several miles away). You can also drive to the Zoo (which has free parking) or purloin public transit from the French Quarter.
The Louisiana State Museum (http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/visitor.htm) is in the French Quarter. New Orleans is also home to various other museums, such as the National World War II Museum (www.ddaymuseum.org) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org). Both can be reached by public transit: The WWII museum is within the central business district but a long stroll from the French Quarter. NOMA is not within walking distance of downtown but have free parking.
Check www.frenchquarter.com for ideas on other things to do.
Hope you hold a good call in!
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