Places in pink, links in green
the Garden District & Uptown region
Book your Eat Like A Local Garden District Food & History Walking Tour
Find a variety of other tours that are locally-owned & host small groups
There's SO much to do in New Orleans. People often book a weekend, thinking they'll hit Bourbon St, see some music on Frenchmen, eat a ton and drink even more. Which is great, but then, if they've been good explorers and have chatted up the locals, they leave with a long list of things to do when they return "one day". So, I've made it easy! Below are some itineraries (with locations in pink) of my favorite things to do and see in New Orleans... Let me help you make the most of it, and see you next time, because you'll want to come back!
Head Uptown!
You can buy a day pass and take the St. Charles Ave. streetcar to & FYI, all of this is kid-friendly:
Magazine St. is a great local shopping street full of small business like Zele which has stuff by over 100 local artists and craftspeople or Fleurty Girl or Petcetera for gifts! A bulk of shops are located between Jackson Ave. & Louisiana Ave. along with great food & drinks.
In fact, there's lots of food to choose from but here goes nothing: be sure to get a flight of different flavors of beignets and a cafe au lait at The Vintage, chargrilled or raw oysters at Basin Seafood & Spirits, the plate lunch at Joey K's, po-boys at dive bar Parasol's or Mahoney's and breakfast at Slim Goody's or an unforgettable brunch at Atchafalaya (they also have a GREAT happy hour Thurs- Sun 3pm-6pm). Additional shops run the length of the street & there's plenty at each stoplight- from Louisiana, next is Napoleon and all the way to Jefferson Ave., just a few blocks after Audubon Park...
Either continue your walk or hop back on the streetcar (continue going the same direction you were when you first got on it) and get off next at Audubon Park (directly across from Tulane and Loyola universities). Take the 1 mile track around for a nice stroll and birdwatching, visit the Audubon Zoo or go to an area called The Fly for a sunset picnic right on the river. Magazine St. cuts right though the park if you are walking there.
Get back on the St. Charles streetcar (again, headed the same way, further uptown), ride it to the river bend and it turns right onto Carrollton Ave. Get off a few blocks later at Oak St. for dinner at Jacques-Imo's or Cajun food at Boucherie or Bouree, wine at Oak or beer at its sister bar Ale (they share a courtyard so you don't have to choose). Walk Oak St. to the end and soon you'll find a new brewery right next to the river levee, where you can take a sunset walk. You're also very near the Maple Leaf Bar to check out some live music with the local crowd.
Hop back on the streetcar to return to downtown after a long day of Uptown exploring!
Best of Bywater
There's always more to do, so here's some additional suggestions if you have more time & include kid-friendly options:
JAM NOLA: (kid-friendly) 20+ New Orleans artists craft a Crescent City-themed cultural experience in the Marigny that evokes Joy through Art & Music. Use the code JAM15 for a 15% discount on full priced adult and child tickets!
Music Box Village: (kid-friendly) a place where play, imagination, experimentation, collaboration, community and hard work come together as artist-made, interactive “musical houses.”
If you really want to buy some Voodoo items or learn a little more of the history, check out Island of Salvation inside the Healing Center- be sure to visit all the pretty sculptures inside the main hallway of the Healing Center, including Marie Laveau and Baron Samedi.
Food: After both of those places, you'll need to eat and there's plenty of places in Bywater to do it. Bratz Ya'll biergarten sometimes has music, but always has great beer and food, and Pizza Delicious is right in front of it if you have kids who are picky-eaters. Frady's corner store has po-boy lunches you can take down to the river- walk 2 blocks to the Piety St crossing (the "Rusty Rainbow" arch bridge- you'll see it at the end of the block) and chow down in Crescent Park with a great view of the river. Want BBQ? The Joint BBQ has great plates for a mix of smoked meats, damn good beers and drinks and a courtyard area to sit in.
Bars: If you are kid-free in Bywater, drinking spots are everywhere, but kind of hidden gems. Wrap up the evening at Bacchanal Wine Bar is the most popular with travel bloggers who are charmed by it's laid back, backyard atmosphere. Go for the live music & company (you share tables), especially if you're into wine- there's also beers & cocktails, but they're a great wine spot & a great plan for your last night in town. Other bars in the area - Vaughn's and Bar Redux are my two fave dives within two blocks of each other that have random shows on random nights- drag, live bands, comedy, burlesque! Parleaux Beer Lab has a great courtyard & gets experimental with their pints, often using fruit grown right in the yard. Finally, catch a show at Allways Lounge or karaoke at Kajun's.
So much to see, do and eat- take to the comments and add your recommendations!
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