New Orleans – Four Things To Do For The Returning Visitor

So you’ve seen the French Quarter.  You’ve tasted a beignet, rocked out on Frenchmen Street, and dined at some of our finest restaurants.  You’ve ticked everything off my list of to-dos for first time visitors.  But now you are coming back to New Orleans again, and you want to experience our wonderful city in greater depth.  If you want to truly experience New Orleans like a pro and walk away one step closer to being a local, follow this list.

One of the great live music venues in New Orleans. Tipitina’s Uptown on Tchoupitoulas Street.

1. Listen to Music Like a Local

Frenchmen Street is a marvelous place, and locals enjoy it just as much as the tourists.  But if you want to get even more native, you should delve deeper.  The Maple Leaf Bar, a former laundromat, has a weekly Tues gig with the living legends Rebirth Brass Band.  Tipitina’s has a great rotating schedule of live music.  And Kermit Ruffins has a regular gig at Bullet’s.  These venues are a little rough around the edges, and some of these neighborhoods can be a little rough in general, but you won’t experience anything like it elsewhere.  The experience and the memories will be worth way more than the cab fare.

2. Peruse the Shops on Magazine Street

Magazine Street is the retail heart of New Orleans.  The commercial drag doesn’t truly start until you are a couple miles away from downtown, but if you take the time and travel the distance, you will find countless shops to indulge your inner materialist.  The best density of shops is perhaps near the Louisiana Ave intersection, with Modern Market full of amazing reasonably priced contemporary furniture options for sale, Funky Monkey for the high-minded thrifters among us, and Petcetera for our pampered four-legged friends.  Just make sure you also take some time to grab a drink and a meal at the many wonderful bars and restaurants along the strip.

Bayou St John in New Orleans runs along both City Park and the upcoming Lafitte Greenway.

3. Kick Back and Relax

Some would argue the best way to experience New Orleans is through it’s incredible bounty of green space.  Audubon Park off St. Charles Ave has an amazing jogging track, bordered by some serene ponds, and surrounding an 18-hole golf course.  City Park is great for families, with the choo-choo train, recently opened mini-golf course, and paddle boats on the pond.  City Park also sports a jogging track, and it is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art.  And in 2015, New Orleans will debut the Lafitte Greenway, a bike path that will connect the French Quarter to Lake Pontchartrain, via Bayou St. John and City Park.  New Orleans is home to some of the best parks in America, and it would be a shame for a visitor to not take advantage.

Oak Alley Plantation is only about 1 hour outside of New Orleans.

4. Rent a Car and Get Out of Town

Some of my best weekends as a New Orleanian have occurred when I’m not even in New Orleans.  Over the Causeway, the old towns of Covington, Abita Springs, and Madisonville are quaint and charming as hell.  Upstream of New Orleans along the Mississippi River, you can explore the old antebellum plantations, with Destrehan Plantation, Laura Plantation, and Oak Alley Plantation all within easy driving distance.  And if you want to see a little bit of Cajun country, Thibodaux and Houma are full of character, loving people, and great food.

You could visit New Orleans a dozen times and never tire of the French Quarter.  But if you want to venture farther afield, take these ideas to heart and create a trip full of amazing memories.