Great advice! Don't go during Mardi Gras. It's changed a lot from before Katrina to after Katrina. It could be that she's unfamiliar with what's there now? But there are some great restaurants, and spending time at the ivy covered walls at the Cafe Du Monde. You actually get to have a leisurly cup of cafe au lait if you don't go during Mardi Gras. Relaxing in the open air of the cafe is really nice. Walking around the French Quarters should be done if you've never done it. That's a great thing to do, just to get a taste of it. We really enjoyed just walking and looking. There are loads of shops near the Cafe that are worth looking in. We love to eat on the balcony of Tropical Isle, because it's in the heart of the drinking area and fun to people watch. It is a dive!!! But I don't know how you can avoid dives the entire time you're there. You gotta go to one. There are award winning restaurants, so there's also that side. Commander's Palace comes to mind. My point? So many sides of New Orleans, so it depends on what you want to see.

Great zydeco music coming from speakers all down North Peters' street. And great tasting pralines!

If you have the time, City Park is beautiful and huge. The golf course (9 hole, I think) is just about finished or maybe finished now. The Garden District is a must and you can catch the trolley. Also Mardi Gras World, where the floats are made. There's a great French restaurant in the French Quarter that is to die for. Problem -- can't remember the name at the moment though it starts with A. Sorry. Not sure if Riverwalk is completed yet but that is also great to walk around and through. Stay at the Montedelone (sp)

Antoine's

Here is a link that might be useful: Antoine's Restaurant

Be sure and take a guided cemetary tour! I did and would do it again!

Here is a link that might be useful: cemetary tour

This post was edited by glenda_al on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 10:55

Ooo! I always want to do the cemetary tour and forget. Great suggestion! So much good food in New Orleans, you could eat for weeks and still barely touch the tip of the iceburg.

There's a great zoo in town, you take the trolley, which is another good experience.

In the French Quarter there are many small restaurants that are moderately priced and offer good food.
There is a Pharmacy Museum that is interesting.
St. Louis Cathedral is worth a visit, as is strolling around Jackson Square.
Lots of little shops all over the French Quarter that have antiques and collectibles and art.
The French Market is not too far from Cafe Du Monde and worthy of an hour's visit.

Where to stay: We like Hotel Royal, however there are several small hotels in the French Quarter. On the edge of the quarter are several large chain hotels.

Yep! Pretty cool place. Just loved the apothecary jars in the window.

Arnaud's -- just off Bourbon Street on Bienville Street.

I always suggest to everyone to go to mulate's in New Orleans, it's more like the real deal Cajun spots. It is recovering from Katrina as most places are. You will be entertained. Go at night, a good Cajun band plays and everyone dances, just like years ago even the little ones are dancing. Great fun and good music plus the food is good.
I personally suggest getting off the Bourbon Street area and see some of the real Cajun and Creole areas and that's where the best food is.

I will give you Chuck's website it's a pretty good resource and he gives some good restaurant advice.
http://www.gumbopages.com

Everyone that I suggested Mulates to that went said it was the best part of the trip. I will give you the link.

New Orleans has become so commercialized it's not what it once was.
Stay safe and travel with friends and enjoy!
Most definitely visit Cafe du Monde you can't go to NO without getting a powdered sugar mustache from the biegnets
A good breakfast place is Mother's, they also have great poboys, as does central grocery (home of the famous muffuletta).
Tipitina's a great place for fun and fantastic music.
Mid-City Lanes Rock 'n Bowl, great music, fun and food.
If you like jazz there's some great jazz joints around too, like Snug Harbor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mulates

What I can never get right is, I end up wearing black to Cafe Du Monde, without fail! Powder sugar covered black slacks isn't pretty!

New Orleans is a lot to see in two days...

I believe when my mom went 10-15 years ago? she visited one or 2 of the antebellum homes (the one with the oaks), had dinner in the French quarter and because my uncle (a retired principal) was into civil war, several war sites...the above ground cemetaries have always been a spot for the movies...

do enjoy!

One of the places I always wanted to visit but haven't. Our friends vacationed there and they liked it.

One of my favorite cities to visit even after Katrina. So many dining choices in the Quarter, shopping on Magazine Street, riding the street cars, free live jazz clubs on Frenchman Street, etc... When we went in March we took a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking which I highly recommend. I also enjoyed the D-Day Museum.

We had a three days during a business trip and we were both disappointed....not by the restaurants or the music or the views from the trolleys.....but by how really really filthy it was, and smelly (of urine, mostly), and full of druggies or drunks in the parks, along the waterfront, etc. There was an enormous homeless population.

We were there just a couple of weeks before Katrina. I asked one of our waiters about it one morning and he shared that was just the way it is!

My memories of our day are overshadowed by that instead of the great aspects. :-(

I was there a few years before Katrina, on a top drawer boondoggle that was free for me. We did tours, dinners at the top restaurants and a variety of activities. I didn't find the food particularly special nor the visit so interesting as to want to go back. One visit was enough. It was also uncomfortably humid even though not summertime.

I think an 18 year old visitor with a phony ID, who'd never done the frat scene in college, might believe they'd reached the best place on earth to have a party.

I do like some of the music from down there, and fortunately performers like Dr John and Beausoleil do come through my area regularly. That fills my desire for live Louisiana music.

edit for comment on rhizo's posting same time as mine

My experiience as you relate yours was similar. There were far too many unpleasant smells, unpleasant people, and unpleasant or possibly dangerous situations to have had an enjoyable visit. I stayed at the Ritz Carlton and didn't need to go any farther than out the door to find such things.

This post was edited by snidely on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 16:18

We spent a week there, but BEFORE Katrina and we were at a RV Park but what we really enjoyed were the tours we took. Saw so much without driving Did take the city bus back and it was nice.

My DD and family were there this last summer and, like rhizo, they were disappointed with how filthly and smelly it was! They did eat some good food and did a walking tour but when they met some transvestites walking down the street their young daughter said ,"Let's get out of this place...I do not feel safe." It was an eye-opener for a small town gal. So they did leave the area and is not a place they will visit again.

You gotta remember that New Orleans is more than just the French Quarter. Lots of options beyond that area.

Not mentioned yet, but the weather can have an effect on your time there. April through October can be warm (or darned hot) and humid. Tropical storms occur, not always a hurricane. It can get chilly in the winter there. Be aware that weather can be an issue.

If you are inclined, New Orleans Museum of Art is a spot where you won't have awful smells and dirty settings.

Jim

There are several historic plantations near New Orleans - but you'd need a good part of the day to drive there and tour the mansions and grounds. The one I linked below is readily recognizable for the 300 year old oak trees lining the drive.

We spent a week there in the spring about 3 years ago and it was quite humid but I still enjoyed strolling through the French Quarter, touring the Garden District and the cemeteries. There were some quaint shops and the food was exceptional - I wasn't keen on the chicory coffee but DH liked it.

I put New Orleans in the same category as Las Vegas - they're both interesting, unique, with lots to see and do, but one visit was enough for me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oak Alley Plantation

That's specifically why I highly suggested getting out of the French Quarter areas and to travel with friends. It's unfortunate that some areas are like that but it is a big city and there's definitely problems there.
I wish more people would experience some of the other great areas of Louisiana and not just New Orleans. There's so much to offer and experience.
Weather is something there's no control over, just try to go when the temperature and humidity are lower.
Don't fall for the con artists that are everywhere!

Louisiana pick your passion!

Here is a link that might be useful: Virtual visitor center

Do look at the antebellum homes that include street car service.

Many places have 2 pots of coffee for guests. Beware that one may be regular coffee and the other chickory.

There are statues of Confederate heros on horses. The locals like to point out that the rear end of the horses point north.

View the Mississippi river. Its full of shipping and in places the water level is at or above the street.

In late afternoon and on into the night, music spills out to the street from night clubs - Its great music!

If inclined to do so, you can eat raw oysters at street vendors. I don't recommend it, but there are those who enjoy it. The oysters are kept on ice and the vendor opens the oyster for you. Look for a little dark spot near the hinge. This spot is dark on live oysters and it fades as the oyster dies after it has been opened. Refuse oysters that do not have this spot when freshly opened. The standard oyster sauce is 50% catsup and 50% mustard. You mix you own sauce.

Commander's Palace for turtle soup. Highly recommend.

You don't say whether you will have a car so this tidbit may not be useful.
As far as driving in New Orleans it's best to park and stay parked at your lodging.
Parking in the downtown area is expensive -- around $15 a day, more during special events.
Street parking is available but there's no security and its very hard to find as most spots are taken.
Take the streetcar. It's $1.25 one way or $3 for a day pass. The St Charles streetcar is the only one in the city that's 24 hours.
The day pass will allow you to use ALL trolleys and buses in New Orleans for the entire day.
The pass expires at 4 A.M. no matter when you buy it.
Hopefully this info is still valid.

I totally agree with raven. Pick your passion and you'll find it there. You just have to have an idea what you're looking for when you go.

It is very different after Katrina. Very. Of course, we went in August the last time we went and it was so so nice not to be around 21 year olds out to have a good time (the drinking age changed in the 80s snidely). That's what you don't want to be around. Yes, there can be some crazy things to see, but that's in all bigger cities. If you really want to see crazy folks, pick Jackson Square. That, can be an interesting place to people watch. I'd never thought I'd see it empty, but here it is a year after Katrina, and it's devoid of people, and stuff. Hardly every looks like this. The link at the bottom is what you'd typically see there, but this is an example of the good stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: more typical of what it looks like...

rob333, wikipedia suggests a drinking age of 21 for young people in a bar (with no parent along). My comment was intended to be taken figuratively, not literally, the detail doesn't matter.

I spent little time in the French Quarter (though my hotel was on the edge of it). We had one walking tour and went to a couple of restaurants for meals. We had excursions all over town, guided visits to homes in the Garden District and the outskirts too (though I don't remember to what), Tipitinas and other historical sites, etc. While NO is certainly a unique place, I just didn't enjoy the trip. I went with a group of friends/colleagues and I wasn't the only one to feel that way.

I accept that preferences vary from person to person. The comparison to Las Vegas seems very appropriate, junky casinos filled with tacky people included (Harrah's). I think people develop polarized views about both destinations, some love to visit each place and others find that one visit is more than enough.

wow. Thank you everyone for your replies! It will take me quite some time to research all of it, but I admit that the negative experiences mentioned and comparison to Las Vegas are swaying me to want to go elsewhere!

It is dirty, and not a spot for a family vacation that includes children. I remember vomit in the gutters from all the drunks. People walking around with large cups of beer.

I liked the food, and we enjoyed visiting a plantation. Cafe du Monde is a good spot for a morning coffee and those wonderful biegnets. Buy a box of the mix to bring home with you.

We discovered The Court of the Two Sisters over 40 years ago and like to visit it on each trip. They love fried food down there.

Once may be enough for some, but then, maybe they should be more reserved in offering an opinion, since the view is skewed with such a limited amount on which to base it. Sure it's disgusting in the Quarter when it is filled with tourists during Mardi Gras. That probably has more to do with the tacky tourists. But then, it's been suggested to avoid it then. Hometown folks, I've found, to be quite kind and genteel. I wouldn't avoid them. I found them to be delightful and took the time to have a conversation with us when it was slow enough to do so. Avoid any dives during Mardi Gras, and you're likely to have a great time. Based on more than one visit. For instance, my favorite place to visit before Katrina was Cafe Gumbolaya. White linen tablecloths, tall open doors, and cajun food prepared impecably. Nice place! Dunno if it is back yet, but it was certainly not smelly, tacky, or anything else negative.

Oh, and snidely, over 21 is law in all 50 states, not a suggestion.

I really enjoy trips to New Orleans, but 2-3 days is about right - if for no other reason, the weight gain!
I usually make a trip to Cafe D Monde very early in the morning. The last time I was there, two years ago, they were still washing the streets in the quarter, as they do every morning, as we walked to CDM.
After enjoying your beinets, take a walk around Jackson Square and see the art work and horse drawn carriages. Then just enjoy walking in the quarter, before it gets too warm and while it is still quiet.
Try Acme or Felix's oyster bar. Go to the Aquarium.
Split a poorboy from Johnny's on St Louis Street.
Eat at one of many dozens of really great restaurants.
Walk by the river.
Go to a piano bar. Hear some Zydeco.
Report back!