New Orleans, Louisiana – a place most commonly known for two things if you live outside of the city. Partying and haunted places. But, upon doing research and then actually visiting the city, I can confidently say that I’ve learned much more about the city and the people. From the food, to the deep historical significance of neighborhoods, to the culture and architecture, New Orleans offered us more than just partying on the historic Bourbon street. Here’s my list of 10 Must-Do things and attractions in the city!
Roam around the Garden District
When you Google things to do in New Orleans, you’ll often find that you can go for a tour of the Garden District. We ended up finding multiple blogs and websites that told us who lives there, where we should go, and how to get around. We started our day eating at Surrey’s, New Orleans’ oldest organic juice bar. We had a 15 minute line up, and to make sure that you don’t lose your place, the restaurant puts names on a list. The kicker – they ask you for a celebrity name of who you want to be! The folks in front of us chose Dwyane Wade and then Jon Hamm, but you know I had to pay homage to a New Orleans guard, Jrue Holiday.
We then made our way through the Garden District (about 10-15 minute walk) where we saw different celebrity homes. Ranging from Sandra Bullock to Jay-z and Beyoncé, we were able to marvel at the incredibly beautiful real estate surrounding us. And for you sports fans, we managed to find the that the Manning brothers grew up in (and papa bear still resides in).
Explore City Park and the surrounding area
We spent a day going around City Park and the surrounding area. Truth be told, we were at a T-Mobile about a 15-minute walk away from City Park because I needed to get a SIM card. After that, we walked over to City Park and got to enjoy the Botanical Gardens and New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA).
As you walk into City Park, you’ll see beautiful scenery with lakes, bridges, and trees (you’re in a park after all). We stopped into Popp’s Bandstand to not only take photos, but to admire the Greek inspired architecture of the structure.
Take yourself to Willie Mae’s
If you like fried chicken, you NEED to go to Willie Mae’s. If you don’t like fried chicken (like Vic), STILL go to Willie Mae’s! When we showed up, there were at least 20-25 people in line, and the people ahead of us told us they were quoted 30 minutes for a wait. Obviously no one wants to wait for food, especially after a long day and you’re hungry. As we prepared for a long wait, one of the workers came out and said that there was a table for two available (WOOOO).
A little history of the restaurant, it’s been around since 1957 as a bar, barbershop, and beauty salon. Willie Mae eventually introduced food (by demand) and the rest is history. Willie Mae’s became a classic in the city, and has been renowned on multiple TV shows such as the Travel Channel and David Chang’s Ugly Delicious. Get yourself a 3 piece with a choice of sides and automatic green beens. Vic got mashed potatoes, I got mac and cheese, and we split fried okra. Slight confession – I also ended up eating 1.5 pieces of her chicken as well.
Take some photo opps at the French Quarter
Explore the beautiful French Quarter and take in the architecture. This is the part of New Orleans that you’ll see on everyone’s Instagram photos. European architecture with southern charm makes an amazing combination. There are a few cafes that I would definitely recommend (as I’m sure everyone else has as well). Go to Café Du Monde and enjoy some beignets outdoors. Just remember that you walk in and seat yourself, and then a server will find your table and give you a hand, don’t wait around!
You should also make your way to Café Beignet located on Bourbon street! There are multiple locations for Café Beignet, but if you go to the Bourbon street location in the evening/night time, there are live musicians! We stumbled upon this location on our first night, and ended up returning two more times afterwards just to take in the music and atmosphere.
Other restaurants/cafes to take note of:
- Gumbo Shop
- Amelie
- Belle’s Diner
- Coops Place
- Carousel Bar in Monteleone Hotel
Do a Haunted walk
The haunted walks in New Orleans are like going on a city tour anywhere else. Our tour guide was actually a history professor at a local college, so he was able to offer us a unique perspective that we couldn’t get from others. The only issue during these tours is the volume. New Orleans is a loud city, so you want someone who has a loud voice that can command a crowd. Due your research on websites like Trip Advisor in order to find a company that has positive and intelligent reviews.
Visit the Cornstalk Hotel for a haunting
During our tour, the tourguide told us about the Cornstalk hotel, which was formerly the land of an orphanage. The orphanage was burned down ages ago, along with the caretaker and children. Multiple reports have been made at the hotel, of guests and workers encountering spirits from transparent women walking around or kids randomly turning on faucets and lights. We, on the other hand, really only wanted to visit the hotel because it’s absolutely beautiful and we just wanted to take photos. What happened afterwards was a pleasant surprise!
Upon taking our photos, we entered the hotel and asked if we could roam the premise, mainly just to admire the beautiful designs. We were then treated to a hotel tour (only 10 rooms or so) by the hotel manager after he told us a few spooky stories of his own! He took us into a room where just a week prior, a maid was cleaning and the door slammed shut on her! This was clearly the last straw for this poor lady, as she quit on the spot as it happened. While we were in the hallways, I heard tapping on glass at the very back of the hotel while there was no one there…The stories are better spoken than written, if you want to hear them, shoot me a message!
Go for a walk to Bywater
We went for a short walk to the Bywater area as well. It’s a very lowkey, calm and quiet place with lots of little places to visit! Pay a visit to Dr. Bob’s, Satsuma Cafe, and my personal favourite, Crescent Park! It’s so easy to get absorbed into the French Quarter with all the beautiful architecture and designs on awnings, doors, and buildings, but getting back to nature and going for a nice peaceful walk is always a great time!
Take in the street performers in the French Quarter
The city is absolutely riddled with street performers. The best two acts we saw were right in the middle of Bourbon street and along Royale as well. The city loves music and its evident not just through restaurants and clubs, but also the people of the city. Hoards of people literally stopped cars from driving through to support the local performers. Hit my Instagram stories to see the incredible performers!
Get the fried chicken and gumbo from Mother’s
Mother’s is the oldest restaurant in the city. It opened it’s doors in 1938 and has welcomed the armed services from the very beginning. The system is very much like a high school cafeteria, where you walk in and line up on the other side of the glass from all the workers (literally envision a high school caf or a prison caf). You walk down the line, and tell people which main and sides you want, at the end you pay and get your drink. Vic had the gumbo and I opted for fried chicken (as usual) and let me just say, it was an incredible way to start our trip in the city!
Visit Sneaker Politics
This one is for all my sneakerheads out there. You’ll always find shops like Footlocker and Champs around every major city. The generic big corporate sneaker shops that have a vast selection of new drops and the kicks that you want to wear day to day. I have nothing against those shops because lets face it, they have most of what you need. Now when I did my research for NoLa, I had to look up sneaker shops around the city. Sneaker Politics was consistently on the top of the list for most places and it was perfectly understandable. With a sign that just says “Politics”, the shop blends in to the restaurants that surround it in the French Quarter. When you walk in, you walk into a haven of sneakers and hypebeast gear. Walls surrounded by shoes, and then clothes from brands like Obey, Fear of God, and obviously the Jumpman. If you’re a sneakerhead, or even if you have an appreciation for the culture, make sure you drop in and see what’s up.
