Read

Grotto’s Travel Guide to New Orleans

Published:
January 8, 2024
March 4, 2019
Grotto's travel guide for what to do in New Orleans.|What to do in New Orleans: Visit St. Louis Cathedral.|What to do in New Orleans: try a beignet.

In New Orleans, the good times roll on. Back on its dancing feet after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the city maintains its larger-than-life reputation for parades, second lines, and revelries that spill out onto neon-lit streets. But there’s more to New Orleans than beads, brass bands, and booze. Here’s how to look past the strings of jewel-toned beads for NOLA’s real gems — and still have a good time.

What locals know

The French Quarter, the historic heart of New Orleans, caters to tourists. You’re not going to find locals zigzagging in and out of Bourbon Street’s bars, for example. To be sure, first-time visitors should still see the area. It’s iconic, but it’s not New Orleans at its most authentic.

Instead of strolling around the French Quarter on weekends, locals spend time (and clock in steps) at parks. Crescent Park stretches along the Mississippi River. In Audubon Park, cement lanes for biking and jogging snake through sweeping oak trees. City Park’s bragging rights include a scenic trail, lagoons, bike and boat rentals, and a sculpture garden with works from Pierre Auguste Renoir and Robert Indiana.

Louisiana natives know how to make the most of whatever weather we’re given. (The state’s nickname: Sportsman's Paradise. We like to be outdoors.) That said, even we can’t handle the summer heat. Summer also ushers in rain, mosquitos, and, sometimes, hurricanes. So, plan to visit around spring, fall, or winter for more moderate weather.

Know before you go

New Orleans is small in terms of population (less than 400,000 people!) and size. You won’t need to travel far to get from one part of town to another.

You can walk around certain areas of NOLA, including much of St. Charles Avenue (just watch out for streetcars!), the commercial stretch of Magazine Street, and the French Quarter. Otherwise, count on a car, cab, or a ridesharing app to get around.

Though they are a valid mode of transportation, in general, streetcars are better for sightseeing than navigating. The St. Charles streetcar line, for example, begins in the French Quarter and runs down St. Charles Avenue, an oak-lined boulevard of old mansions, restaurants, bars, and schools like Loyola and Tulane universities.

Need to try

Thanks to the influx of immigrants who have settled in New Orleans over the centuries, the food culture here can be described as a literal melting pot.

For example, West African, French, Spanish, German, and Choctaw cooks all influenced gumbo, Louisiana’s signature stew. Italian immigrants invented the muffuletta, which sandwiches salami, ham, cheese, and marinated olive salad between dense slices of bread.

Beignets — fried dough topped with powdered sugar — have French roots. King cakes also came to New Orleans from France. Baked with a brioche-like dough, pumped with a sweet filling, and frosted with icing, king cakes are the ultimate pre-Lenten (read: pre-fasting) treat. Find them from around the feast of the Epiphany until Ash Wednesday.

But don’t stop at desserts and old-school dishes. From the kitchens of newer restaurants like Saba and Molly’s Rise and Shine, award-winning chefs churn out dishes that are equal parts creative and comforting — and nothing like traditional Louisiana fare. For a quick taste of all NOLA has to offer, check out a food hall. Auction House Market, St. Roch Market, and Pythian Market show off the city’s culinary diversity, with a side of millennial-approved decor.

What to do in New Orleans: try a beignet.
Must see

For a taste of the French Quarter, walk down Royal Street or Decatur Street, which merit a visit for their colorful Spanish architecture, art galleries, and antique shops.

In Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral looms above portrait artists, street performers, and fortune tellers. Take in the spectacle before catching a breather by stepping inside the cathedral, the oldest in North America.

Behind the cathedral and its manicured garden, Faulkner House Books sells new and used titles in a space William Faulkner once rented. Like the cathedral, it’s a pilgrimage for some (i.e. bookworms) and a welcome break from the Quarter.

For more culture, the Warehouse Arts District houses the impressive National World War II Museum and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. If that’s not enough, spend some time in the galleries along Julia Street, also in this district.

For some of the most stunning architecture in New Orleans, tour its churches. In the Central Business District, Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church commands attention for its Moorish design, including geometric columns, horseshoe arches, and a domed altar. St. Patrick’s Church in Lafayette Square, also in this district, boasts stained glass fan vaulting above and murals that might as well be in a museum. In Uptown, St. Francis of Assisi Church stands out for its hammer beam ceiling and light blue apse.

What to do in New Orleans: Visit St. Louis Cathedral.
St. Louis Cathedral
Make the most of your experience

No trip to New Orleans would be complete without indulging in its nightlife. Consider it cultural immersion — barhopping on Bourbon Street excluded, of course.

You’re in the birthplace of jazz. Find it on Frenchmen Street, starting with The Spotted Cat. Maple Leaf Bar has a hole-in-the-wall feel and attracts jazz, zydeco, and blues musicians, among others.

For a top-notch view of the Mississippi River and downtown New Orleans, spend an evening at the Pontchartrain Hotel’s oft-Instagrammed rooftop bar, Hot Tin. Otherwise, grab a cocktail at the Columns Hotel and watch the sunset on the veranda, overlooking the ever-scenic St. Charles Avenue.

Later, go for a slow spin on the Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar, a revolving bar where writers like Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams once drank.

Last but not least, bowling at Rock‘n’Bowl draws a local crowd, but the lineup of Louisiana musicians means dancing tends to take center stage. From its music scene to its well-stocked bar to the enshrined statue of the Virgin Mary near its entrance, Rock’n’Bowl embodies a few of the traditions that give New Orleans character.

Here, eating, drinking, and merriment are traditions, too — as ingrained in the culture as Catholicism or jazz. New Orleans welcomes it all.

Creators:
Mary Claire Lagroue
Published:
January 8, 2024
March 4, 2019
On a related note...
Grotto Talks with Mark Wahlberg about His Faith

Grotto Talks with Mark Wahlberg about His Faith

Grotto

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Kraków

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Kraków

Julia Weir

A View of College Football from the Sidelines: A Kicker’s Perspective

A View of College Football from the Sidelines: A Kicker’s Perspective

Aaron Martinez, Grotto

Rome in Under Four Minutes

Rome in Under Four Minutes

Grotto

Ted Yoder Performs 'We Three Kings' | #SeekChristmas

Ted Yoder Performs 'We Three Kings' | #SeekChristmas

Grotto

What To Read, Watch, and Listen to This Month

What To Read, Watch, and Listen to This Month

Grotto

St. Anthony the Abbot Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Anthony the Abbot Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Taking Your Partner Home for the Holidays? A Survival Guide

Taking Your Partner Home for the Holidays? A Survival Guide

Elizabeth Hansen

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Austin

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Austin

Patricia Valderrama

Celebrating Mass in the Ngorongoro Crater

Celebrating Mass in the Ngorongoro Crater

Grotto

Tips for Traveling Solo (and Why Everyone Should Do It)

Tips for Traveling Solo (and Why Everyone Should Do It)

Makaela Douglas

11 Winter Hobbies To Beat Cabin Fever

11 Winter Hobbies To Beat Cabin Fever

Mary Claire Lagroue

Best Friends Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Best Friends Day Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Breaking Boundaries: The Exciting Future of VR Innovation

Breaking Boundaries: The Exciting Future of VR Innovation

Grotto

How to Build Your At-Home Bar and Level Up Your Hospitality

How to Build Your At-Home Bar and Level Up Your Hospitality

Molly Cruitt

Filmmaker with Cerebral Palsy Explores the World

Filmmaker with Cerebral Palsy Explores the World

Grotto

3 Ways Tolkien’s Stories Point Us to a Good Life

3 Ways Tolkien’s Stories Point Us to a Good Life

Jacqueline Rose

3 Reasons to Walk the Camino

3 Reasons to Walk the Camino

Erin Aucar

Film Brings Awareness to Tragic Events on Greenwood Avenue

Film Brings Awareness to Tragic Events on Greenwood Avenue

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.