Destination: New Orleans, LA

This is what I remember about New Orleans (do not know if it still there because of the flooding):

Garden District and West of Town:

The Garden District is just off the Streetcar Route heading west. Streetcar goes to and from Canal Street/St Charles Street and circles back to the west. Streetcar goes to a stopping point then returns back to the city. Along the way are businesses and many stately houses. You may find in the garden district nannies taking care of younger children. Commander’s Palace and the graveyards can be found near there. The huge Audubon city park is beautiful with its majestic trees lined up and is a good place for walking. At the base near the river is the zoo area. Also there is a paddlewheeler that travels to Canal St from zoo area. Across from the Audubon Park is Tulane University. Within a couple of streets north of the park is shopping. Just as the streetcar takes a right turn, to the left is Camille’s. This is a nice stopping point for eating. It is crowded there and usually a line, but it displays southern food and hospitality. You can watch the cooks cook and all sit along the counter hubs to request their favorites. It is rather nostalgic and was rated a must see in a magazine read. Not too much is north at this point, but you can travel couple more miles on the trolley line. To make a stop on the trolley you pull the cord. Magazine Ave (nearer the zoo) has buses that allow you to travel this street lined with second hand shoppes and antiques until you reach Canal St. So that is another alternative to taking the streetcar back into town. [Note: If traveling there around St Patrick’s Day, many people line the streetcar boulevard at Garden District area for a Saint Paddy’s Day Parade where the locals bring their laundry basket to load up on beads, cabbage, cornbeaf, potatoes, carrots and the like tossed from floats and walking pedestrian males gave out green flowers perdiodically throughout the parade route. People left with full boxes of these beads….probably to feature at their own party.]



Downtown is along Canal St:

All along this street are department stores. One Canal Street has a nice high-quality shopping center. Major hotels line each side of the major thoroughfare. Small and large department stores can be found. Some side streets have shops too. The French Quarter streets are just off this main street to the east. If you walk to the base of Canal you are very near the RiverBend (multi-shopping enclosed building along the river). There is a second Café du Monde in the center of this shopping mall. Eating food court allows the hungry to stop and eat. Within the north of town you can see the Superdome. The AMTRACK rail lines go to the area near the Superdome. Also the bus stop is just southwest of the Superdome. The airport is by Lake Pontchartrain.



French Quarter:

Many eateries are located in these streets. Most are from the river up to Bourbon St. and parallel each other going east of Canal Street. There a lot of tshirt shops and Xrated joints. Nightlife goes on in the area until late at night. Yes, there are those who go to drink but many walk the streets. There are some European looking shops. New Orleans is unique for the creole cooking and has origins of a Spanish-Caribean mixture in décor. There is much wrought iron fences and balconies in the French Quarter. Many of the restaurants have chefs. Food is obtainable at all price ranges. Jackson Square is rather unique in that they have mimes at various locations. Shows or jazz players are common in this area. Carriage rides originate from this area. It is cool to eat beinets at the Café du Monde or eat a muffeletta or pralines found near this area. JAX brewery stores are near there and allow you to see over the river. A train extends all along the riverfront. New Orleans has a farmers’s /flea market that can be reached by this train. I believe it to be during the weekend days. Hard rock Café is around this area too. [NOTE: From the stories I have heard, things get carried away during MardiGras and the festivities of that festival.]

Ninth Ward: This is the area that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and water breaks in Lake Pontratran. No building is going on here, nor is there business. The area is vacant.