Going to N.O.?

Question

We have never been there before.Is it safe to walk around& is it easy to drive around.Honestly have no idea,booked the trip for the day after Christmas on a whim.

Answer 1

Walking around the French Quarter is OK if you stay where the crowds are located.

Driving around is somewhat trickier because post-Katrina, if you get in some areas you will have road hazards such as deep potholes. The main streets aren't that way.

I might suggest taking a streetcar ride (trolley to folks from other areas, but we call it a streetcar) down St. Charles Avenue. The old homes are quite picturesque.

You will need a city map to find anything, but that alone won't help. On the other hand, you will be able to see on such a map that the shape of the river has caused the city to grow with some... unique ... street patterns.

If you are not allergic to shellfish, let me suggest trying to get something to eat from the Acme Oyster House - either in the French Quarter on Iberville ? between Bourbon and Royal, maybe. Or the suburban one on Veteran's Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard.

Other restaurants are pretty good but some are hard to get into and not always worth the wait. K Paul's has good food but they don't take reservations and the line can stretch around the block.

Some bus tours will take you to various places to eat but in the Christmas season, the best place (in my opinion) will be closed. The "Bush House of Seafood" has an awesome buffet of fried, boiled, broiled, baked, and other styles of cooking for shrimp, fish, oysters, crawfish, crabs, and other things in their seasons. They are excellent as a sampler of New Orleans style seafood. But Acme will give you good quality at a reasonable price, too.

WARNING: If some little street urchin comes up to you and bets you "I can tell you where you got your shoes" don't take the bet. He'll say "you got your shoes on your feet." Then get really surly if you don't pay up.

Some of the art exhibits in the Quarter will be open during the day and there are little gems of shops that do trinkets, souvenires, jewelry, antiques, paintings, and the like. But it is not the same now as it was when I was a younger man working at a bar on Bourbon St. (We're talking 40 years ago.)

Shopping? The Riverwalk is a shopping mall that is geared to tourists (not 100% but strongly so.) There is also the shopping at the Jackson Brewery (a converted brewhouse that used to make Jax Beer.) The Shops at Canal Place are also pretty good. And there is shopping at Poydras Plaza across from the Superdome. Out in the suburbs, you can do some serious damage at Lakeside Shopping Center.

Sights? Besides St. Charles Avenue (the old garden district) and Lakeshore Drive, you can tour some of the areas badly devastated by Katrina. If you do so, you'll be amazed at the devastation. In the area near the major levee breaches, the water got up to the eaves of some houses. Higher in spots. The slow rate of recovery is caused by the slow flow of money back into the area. Both insurance companies and the federal government have dragged their feet on this one. Don't let the guides tell you different.

If you choose to drive, be EXTRA careful about where you park. The city tows cars in a heartbeat because of the extra revenue such action brings in. Parking in a private lot might be more expensive, but if you are not sure about how long you will be, it is far safer and less expensive in the long run.

Answer 2

That's awesome that you just booked a trip on a whim like that!
"The Doc" had a few good suggestions...
Basically when it comes to your safety just use your common sense. New Orleans is exactly like any other medium-big city. There is (unfortunately) the potential for danger but just stay in well lit areas and especially at night try to avoid places that just seem "not quite right."
The one deceiving thing about N.O. is that unlike most other cities, there's not a whole lot of "good part of town" and "bad part of town". A lot of it intermixes. So one minute you might be on a really nice block and the next you're in a shady neighborhood.
Anyway do be careful but also... HAVE FUN!! :)

Answer 3

in the French Quarter (where most people go) it is safe (as safe as any big city). the police do a good job keeping the "bad people out but monitoring the perimeter of the Quarter.