New Orleans! Last But Not Least!

Poor Cleveland, though I’ve never had the occasion to visit, I have to say it’s really no contest, how  could it be? Especially when stacked up against New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans, three incomparable destinations!

Each of these cities are known worldwide for their famous tourist attractions, iconic buildings, food and culture. They’re all exciting in their own right, but what about their hidden treasures? You’ll never know what you might be missing if you don’t take the time to venture off the beaten path… This past visit to NOLA we took the time to do that very thing! We explored some new neighborhoods and dug a little deeper into some old favorites!

I know I’ve been writing about the Crescent City a lot lately, but I couldn’t wrap up without sharing just a tiny bit more…

Magazine Street

Running from Canal Street downriver to  Leake Avenue upriver and stretching a distance of six plus miles, Magazine Street is a treasure trove of shops, restaurants, and bars with sections of residential homes interspersed throughout. Many of the establishments are one of a kind and you’re guaranteed to find something of interest, along the way.

Where I found my awesome new Backpack

Coconut

Because of its length many people choose to take a cab directly to specific locations, but if you have the time and inclination to walk you’ll have the opportunity to experience many of NOLA’s great neighborhoods including, the Central Business District, the Warehouse District, the Garden District, and Uptown. We chose to split our time and walked different sections of the street over the course of a few days.

These fun banners were hanging from the street lights in the Warehouse (Arts) District.  They were perfect for this area filled with galleries and museums!

Along The Parade Route, Beads, Beads, Beads…

Walking along a residential section of Magazine Street one afternoon I noticed remnant Mardi Gras beads adorning, gates, lanterns, doorways, telephone poles, and tree branches. They were everywhere!

Mardi Gras Tree

Even though they look so pretty all those sparkly shiny beads can be a bit of a nuisance once the party is over. I read that over 86,000 pounds of beads were collected after Mardi Gras 2016. Cleaning just the trees along the parade routes, it can take the crews as many as three weeks to remove the bulk of the beads from the city’s trees.

Faubourg Marigny

Just downriver from the French Quarter,  you’ll find the Faubourg Marigny, or The Marigny as it’s often called these days. Less “touristy” (for the moment anyway) and more relaxed than some other parts of the city this neighborhood is popular with locals and tourists alike. Long on charm and full of history you’ll find local food, art and music as well as unique galleries, and fun shops. Look out for the Frenchmens Art Market and the Dirty Coast T-shirt shop, both full of local treasures to bring home.

Dirty Coast T-shirts

Bywater

Keep on going past The Marigny and you’ll find yourself in Bywater. Colorful historic fixer uppers along with trendy new restaurants  and bars are helping to breath new life into this longtime neighborhood.

Well, I guess that about wraps it up for NOLA, for now, anyway. Until next year’s visit…