***Official New Orleans Thread*** (2 Viewers)

[pokin]

Great Thread!!

I'm taking my wife to New Orleans September 20-24. First time for both of us. We are still trying to figure out what area to stay in. We're early 30s so are looking for probably the Bourbon Street scene and just checking out the bars in that area. She found a place called Ashton's Bed and Breakfast which is on Esplenade Ave. They say it's a nine block walk to the French Quarter but most of their guests cab it. It's got great reviews on TripAdvisor and supposedly the owner cooks awesome breakfasts. It sounds great but I'm still wondering if we wouldn't be better off at one of the nicer (Royal Sonesta type) places in the quarter. The prices are about the same (about $200 a night). Any thoughts on the area that the B&B is in? Are we better off at one of the main places in the French Quarter?

Not sure what time you are getting there on the 20th, but that night at 10pm at the Spotted Cat on Frechman's Street -

Awesome. We will be there for sure. Thanks!

 

[stubby]

Also, since we will be there Tuesday-Saturday am I correct in assuming that the Bourbon Street scene will still be pretty active? Maybe not as crazy as a weekend but we're hoping we still get to experience some of that New Orleans craziness.

Bourbon Street is horribly overrated. If you walk around a bit you'll find a few folks out at bars during the day (3 for 1 daytime drinks are a staple of many bourbon bars)... but most bars won't start picking up until darkness approaches. Even midweek there will be several places with decent crowds but nothing like a peak weekend. Head off bourbon for some other places in the area like Goldmine and such. Also you really would be doing yourself a disservice without heading over to Frenchmen St at some point.

Yeah, I guess I'm just using Bourbon St as the typical New Orleans experience. I can see the touristy places getting a little old after a while. Our main goals are to find some great food, good drinks, and live music. Also, to basically just walk around and get a feel for the place. We will definitely be hitting up Dante's for dinner after all of the great recommendations.

Three Muses is one of my favorite places in New Orleans. It's on Frenchmen St. - great food, great atmosphere, good jazz...very cool place.

This is exactly the kind of thing we are looking for. Thanks!

Wife and I were there in January...check out my post a few pages back. If you stay on/near Frenchmen street..you might not ever leave, as it's that much fun. It was our favorite for late night music, but of course there are other good options in the Treme and Bourbon Street area. Next timme we go back we'll definitely be staying on/near Frenchmen St. Do yourself a favor and grab a few good meals at some great restaurants, and do a guided bicycle tour.

 

[Ray Karpis]

Great Thread!!

I'm taking my wife to New Orleans September 20-24. First time for both of us. We are still trying to figure out what area to stay in. We're early 30s so are looking for probably the Bourbon Street scene and just checking out the bars in that area. She found a place called Ashton's Bed and Breakfast which is on Esplenade Ave. They say it's a nine block walk to the French Quarter but most of their guests cab it. It's got great reviews on TripAdvisor and supposedly the owner cooks awesome breakfasts. It sounds great but I'm still wondering if we wouldn't be better off at one of the nicer (Royal Sonesta type) places in the quarter. The prices are about the same (about $200 a night). Any thoughts on the area that the B&B is in? Are we better off at one of the main places in the French Quarter?

Not sure what time you are getting there on the 20th, but that night at 10pm at the Spotted Cat on Frechman's Street -

Also can vouch for the Spotted Cat. We caught the Smoking Time Jazz Club at the Spotted Cat last time we were there and had a really good time. Look out for the swing dancers...they were there in full force and were as much of the show as the band.

 

[Todd Andrews]

Moved back down last week. Working in the kitchen at one of John Besh's restaurants and living two blocks from Snake and Jake's. Life is good.

Oh man, Snake and Jake's....I was bartending down on Maple Street when that joint opened. Crazy.

 

[rolyaTy]

You can get pretty good rates for hotels in New Orleans using biddingfortravel.com's priceline hotel bidding strategy. I regularly can get a 4* hotel in downtown New Orleans for around 70-80 bucks a night. You can pick your region, and bid in increments of $5 until you get the lowest price especially if your travel date is relatively close at hand.

I was just looking at the site actually. It looks like most of the deals are in the downtown section though. This is where my lack of knowledge of the area comes in. Are the hotels in the downtown section close enough to the main areas we want to be near? How important is it to actually be in the French Quarter? We don't mind walking but as mentioned above it could be hot as hell. For first timers is the French Quarter the place to be?

all downtown hotels are within walking distance to the french quarter. convention center hotels are close too. its very easy to get cheap 4 star hotels within walking distance to french quarter using priceline and strategy from biddingfortravrl.

 

[pokin]

You can get pretty good rates for hotels in New Orleans using biddingfortravel.com's priceline hotel bidding strategy. I regularly can get a 4* hotel in downtown New Orleans for around 70-80 bucks a night. You can pick your region, and bid in increments of $5 until you get the lowest price especially if your travel date is relatively close at hand.

I was just looking at the site actually. It looks like most of the deals are in the downtown section though. This is where my lack of knowledge of the area comes in. Are the hotels in the downtown section close enough to the main areas we want to be near? How important is it to actually be in the French Quarter? We don't mind walking but as mentioned above it could be hot as hell. For first timers is the French Quarter the place to be?

all downtown hotels are within walking distance to the french quarter. convention center hotels are close too. its very easy to get cheap 4 star hotels within walking distance to french quarter using priceline and strategy from biddingfortravrl.

Yep. Ended up getting the Intercontinental for $80.00 a night including a Friday. The cheapest I had seen was about 145 a night. The 300.00 bucks we saved will be put to good use on food and booze. Just made a reservation at Dante's!

 

[Gadabout]

Moved back down last week. Working in the kitchen at one of John Besh's restaurants and living two blocks from Snake and Jake's. Life is good.

Oh man, Snake and Jake's....I was bartending down on Maple Street when that joint opened. Crazy.

I started going to Snake's back in the late 90's. It was crazy then and it's crazy as all hell now. Moved closer to the city last week and I'm both sad and happy that Snake's is no longer a short walk away.

 

[marshall88]

My wife and I are heading to NO for our anniversary, Nov 3-6; it'll be our first time in NO. This thread is great about restaurant recommendations (I've already reserved Dante's for Nov. 5), but I was hoping someone could help me with picking a place to stay.

The Royal Sonesta looks nice, but I'm not sure the Bourbon St. area is where I want to be staying - we're mid-40s and still like to party, but don't plan on being out until 3am.

My wife really likes bed and breakfasts. Besides the one mentioned above (Ashton's Bed & Breakfast), does anybody know of a good B&B that is convenient to the FQ. I've asked some friends and was told staying in the Garden District is nice because you can take an easy trolley ride or Ferry into the French Quarter when you want.

Or maybe I should be staying on Frenchman St., since from its description in this thread it sounds like that's where I will have the most fun.

I'm also planning on taking a bike tour or a Segway tour of the FQ and also the cocktail tour that Krista wrote about near the beginning of this thread.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Joe Mammy]

We head over to NOLA for weekend trips to live it up in nice hotels and eat well. We've stayed at the Royal Sonesta, Monteleone, Hilton, Intercontinental and more. My new fav is the Iberville Suites- large suites, only 1 block from Bourbon but it is quiet in the hotel and you can sleep anytime of night or day. Bonus is it is part of and directly behind the Ritz Carlton and you get to use their amenities too. We walked to Frenchmen and went to DBA to see John Boutte and then just took the $10 cab ride back to Iberville Suites.

 

[Tiger Fan]

My wife and I are heading to NO for our anniversary, Nov 3-6; it'll be our first time in NO. This thread is great about restaurant recommendations (I've already reserved Dante's for Nov. 5), but I was hoping someone could help me with picking a place to stay.The Royal Sonesta looks nice, but I'm not sure the Bourbon St. area is where I want to be staying - we're mid-40s and still like to party, but don't plan on being out until 3am.My wife really likes bed and breakfasts. Besides the one mentioned above (Ashton's Bed & Breakfast), does anybody know of a good B&B that is convenient to the FQ. I've asked some friends and was told staying in the Garden District is nice because you can take an easy trolley ride or Ferry into the French Quarter when you want.Or maybe I should be staying on Frenchman St., since from its description in this thread it sounds like that's where I will have the most fun.I'm also planning on taking a bike tour or a Segway tour of the FQ and also the cocktail tour that Krista wrote about near the beginning of this thread.Thanks in advance.

i wouldn't recommend garden district for my first time in new orleans. Depending on the street car (trolly) can be a tad annoying as there isn't a set schedule.

 

[Ray Karpis]

My wife and I are heading to NO for our anniversary, Nov 3-6; it'll be our first time in NO. This thread is great about restaurant recommendations (I've already reserved Dante's for Nov. 5), but I was hoping someone could help me with picking a place to stay.The Royal Sonesta looks nice, but I'm not sure the Bourbon St. area is where I want to be staying - we're mid-40s and still like to party, but don't plan on being out until 3am.My wife really likes bed and breakfasts. Besides the one mentioned above (Ashton's Bed & Breakfast), does anybody know of a good B&B that is convenient to the FQ. I've asked some friends and was told staying in the Garden District is nice because you can take an easy trolley ride or Ferry into the French Quarter when you want.Or maybe I should be staying on Frenchman St., since from its description in this thread it sounds like that's where I will have the most fun.I'm also planning on taking a bike tour or a Segway tour of the FQ and also the cocktail tour that Krista wrote about near the beginning of this thread.Thanks in advance.

i wouldn't recommend garden district for my first time in new orleans. Depending on the street car (trolly) can be a tad annoying as there isn't a set schedule.

Lower garden is okay. Still within walking distance of the quarter (10 min.), trolley comes at least every 15 minutes, and a cab ride to the quarter is only about $7.Not perfect, but very doable, IMO.

 

[marshall88]

Any NO guys have an opinion of either of these B&Bs?

Sully Mansion

or

Avenue Inn

or

Melrose Mansion

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

Sully Mansion people frequent my place...they are nice folks.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Any NO guys have an opinion of either of these B&Bs?

Sully Mansion

or

Avenue Inn

or

Melrose Mansion

I've got no experience with B&Bs unforunately

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

Well looks like I will be heading to New Orleans over the holidays to watch Michigan play in the Sugar Bowl. Probably going to get into town around Dec 29 or 30th. Definitely going to pour through this thread and get some good ideas before I go. Likely going to be 4-5 guys in their mid 20's.

Tipsy, thought you might be interested in the following. A New Orleans resident from a Michigan site I frequent posted his unofficial guide of the city for travelers.

He listed Dante's as one of the top places to eat (formal category) and had the following to say..

"Dante’s Kitchen. (Uptown) 736 Dante Street New Orleans, LA. Best brunch in NOLA. Breakfast drinks are to die for, especially the brandy milk punch. Shrimp and grits is classic, best grits in the city. Brunch only on Sundays. "

Really looking forward to this trip as New Orleans is pretty much my #1 US destination that I haven't been to yet.

 

[[icon]]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:

FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live.

SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night.

SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

 

[Major]

Considering NOLA for NYE. Any under the radar hotels with good central location that I should consider? most of the hotels I was recommended are either booked or $400+. I want to max it out at $200-250/night. Thanks in advance fellas.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

Well looks like I will be heading to New Orleans over the holidays to watch Michigan play in the Sugar Bowl. Probably going to get into town around Dec 29 or 30th. Definitely going to pour through this thread and get some good ideas before I go. Likely going to be 4-5 guys in their mid 20's. Tipsy, thought you might be interested in the following. A New Orleans resident from a Michigan site I frequent posted his unofficial guide of the city for travelers. He listed Dante's as one of the top places to eat (formal category) and had the following to say.."Dante’s Kitchen. (Uptown) 736 Dante Street New Orleans, LA. Best brunch in NOLA. Breakfast drinks are to die for, especially the brandy milk punch. Shrimp and grits is classic, best grits in the city. Brunch only on Sundays. "Really looking forward to this trip as New Orleans is pretty much my #1 US destination that I haven't been to yet.

 

[Ray Karpis]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live. SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night. SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

Curious what an Amtrak ticket costs from Memphis to new orleans?

 

[[icon]]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live. SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night. SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

Curious what an Amtrak ticket costs from Memphis to new orleans?

~$100 round trip. WELL worth the price to drink on the way down and sleep on the way back. +$50 per way (per 2 people) for a sleeper roomette. Not exactly luxurious accommodations but it's 2 small beds and some privacy. Roomette also includes meals. The chairs themselves are much larger than even first class seats on planes. Clientele is on par with airline travelers.... not as bad as bus travel. Bar cart has ample seating and reasonable drink/snack prices. Alcohol is served. You can also bring your own aboard.

 

[Ray Karpis]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live. SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night. SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

Curious what an Amtrak ticket costs from Memphis to new orleans?

~$100 round trip. WELL worth the price to drink on the way down and sleep on the way back. +$50 per way (per 2 people) for a sleeper roomette. Not exactly luxurious accommodations but it's 2 small beds and some privacy. Roomette also includes meals. The chairs themselves are much larger than even first class seats on planes. Clientele is on par with airline travelers.... not as bad as bus travel. Bar cart has ample seating and reasonable drink/snack prices. Alcohol is served. You can also bring your own aboard.

Sweet deal...can you pick me up in Little Rock?

 

[Tiger Fan]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:

FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live.

SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night.

SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

Think about Emeril's NOLA if you want to hit up a different lunch place other than Palace this time. Walking distance from Place and the best of Emeril's restaurants IMO.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Considering NOLA for NYE. Any under the radar hotels with good central location that I should consider? most of the hotels I was recommended are either booked or $400+. I want to max it out at $200-250/night. Thanks in advance fellas.

Sugar Bowl during that time frame plus a Saints home game plus regular NYE crowd...gonna be rough. A Quick Travelocity search shows the Whitny Wyndham hotel for $203. You're in the CBD there, but only a 5 minute walk to the French Quarter, and a quick cab ride to most places you'll want to go

 

[[icon]]

The GF and I are taking the City of New Orleans Amtrak train (good times ) down from Memphis this Friday (with another couple). Staying at the Hilton Garden and heading back Sunday afternoon. Looks like the plan is:

FRIDAY: Arrive 3pm Check in and head over to old college roommate's law firm's christmas party. Maine Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, Oysters (live/Chargrilled), open bar, and Hillbilly Casino playing live.

SATURDAY: Wake up sometime. Lunch destination...eh...somewhere. Maybe Palace Cafe... maybe others. Have some drinks around town (other couple not familiar with city). Dinner at undisclosed spot of my old roommate's choosing (should be solid) then out for drinks that night.

SUNDAY: Wake up and head to brunch at Dante's Kitchen @ open. Catch train by 1:00pm or so back to MEmphis. Sleeper car on the way back for some ZZZ's

Think about Emeril's NOLA if you want to hit up a different lunch place other than Palace this time. Walking distance from Place and the best of Emeril's restaurants IMO.

Thanks for the suggestion GB. Will pass this one along to the rest of the crew.

 

[Gadabout]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

 

[Todd Andrews]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

Damn, this is the first Christmas/New Year I wont be in NO in the last 10 years.....But we may have to talk in the future.

 

[[icon]]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

this could be worth a trip down. Weekend of 17th/18th?

 

[Gadabout]

Actually, the party is Tuesday the 13th. There'll still be cooch galore and an open bar.

 

[Major]

Considering NOLA for NYE. Any under the radar hotels with good central location that I should consider? most of the hotels I was recommended are either booked or $400+. I want to max it out at $200-250/night. Thanks in advance fellas.

Sugar Bowl during that time frame plus a Saints home game plus regular NYE crowd...gonna be rough. A Quick Travelocity search shows the Whitny Wyndham hotel for $203. You're in the CBD there, but only a 5 minute walk to the French Quarter, and a quick cab ride to most places you'll want to go

Thx Tiger. Anyone familiar with the International House? Looks pretty nice and good location for $250/night (min 3 nights though).

 

[Major]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

count me out

 

[[icon]]

Actually, the party is Tuesday the 13th. There'll still be cooch galore and an open bar.

####.. ill just be coming back to memphis on Sunday the 11th.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

You sound like a person I need to be friends with

 

[Ray Karpis]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

Confused by this a little. If the skin inside Bourbon street strip clubs is decent, why do those same clubs put absolute skanks on the sidewalk to lure people into the clubs? I was down twice in 2011 and both times my buddies and I wondered if that's what they use as bait, how bad are the chicks inside? Please advise.

 

[Gadabout]

Tipsy, you're more than welcome to drop by. I may be able to score even more invitations if I behave and don't get too hammered at work tomorrow night.

 

[Gadabout]

If anybody who'll be in NO two weeks from now wants to check out what a Bourbon Street strip club X-mas party is like, lemme know. I work at two of them, and this party will have strippers and waitresses from six different strip clubs attending. I'll give somebody an invitation to it just to show that these types of things go on. Must not be offended by drug use or nudity.

Confused by this a little. If the skin inside Bourbon street strip clubs is decent, why do those same clubs put absolute skanks on the sidewalk to lure people into the clubs? I was down twice in 2011 and both times my buddies and I wondered if that's what they use as bait, how bad are the chicks inside? Please advise.

A vast majority of the strippers on Bourbon aren't that great. Most are just tatted-up skanks. Two clubs on the street have consistent quality meat, and that's Rick's Cabaret and Penthouse (just off of Bourbon). The rest are all hit or miss, with most having their share of those same skanks you saw on the sidewalk. But I must say that each and every one of those girls usually has a fan or two. As repulsive as they are, there'll come along a guy who just so happens to be into that type of chick. It's baffling. Plus, New Orleans is a small city, and within the span of a few blocks in the quarter, there's about 12 strip clubs. The talent pool just isn't there. It'd be like the NFL expanding to 84 teams.Moral of the story: There's plenty of skanks working in the clubs, but there's also quite a few winners.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

I am looking into hotels for the NYE and the Sugar Bowl right now. Question for the New Orleans locals....

Are Metarie or Gretna/Terrytown decent places to look? I have found some reasonable priced hotels there. Does the public transportation reach to those areas? What would a cab cost me to get downtown?

It's going to be me and 3 or 4 other guys just looking for a place to sleep for a few hours a night, so I could care less about amenities. Just want to make sure it isn't a ghetto and that we will be able to get in and out of New Orleans without too much trouble.

Thanks

 

[Tiger Fan]

I am looking into hotels for the NYE and the Sugar Bowl right now. Question for the New Orleans locals....Are Metarie or Gretna/Terrytown decent places to look? I have found some reasonable priced hotels there. Does the public transportation reach to those areas? What would a cab cost me to get downtown? It's going to be me and 3 or 4 other guys just looking for a place to sleep for a few hours a night, so I could care less about amenities. Just want to make sure it isn't a ghetto and that we will be able to get in and out of New Orleans without too much trouble. Thanks

Public Transportation is horrible...absolutley do not recommend. Cabs should be about $20, but honestly, I really wouldn't recommend it. The price difference is worth being able to walk everywhere IMO. Also, on really busy nights cabs have been known to not want to leave the downtown/CBD area to go to the suburbs...I know that's technically illegal, but it's happened to me before.

 

[[icon]]

I am looking into hotels for the NYE and the Sugar Bowl right now. Question for the New Orleans locals....Are Metarie or Gretna/Terrytown decent places to look? I have found some reasonable priced hotels there. Does the public transportation reach to those areas? What would a cab cost me to get downtown? It's going to be me and 3 or 4 other guys just looking for a place to sleep for a few hours a night, so I could care less about amenities. Just want to make sure it isn't a ghetto and that we will be able to get in and out of New Orleans without too much trouble. Thanks

Public Transportation is horrible...absolutley do not recommend. Cabs should be about $20, but honestly, I really wouldn't recommend it. The price difference is worth being able to walk everywhere IMO. Also, on really busy nights cabs have been known to not want to leave the downtown/CBD area to go to the suburbs...I know that's technically illegal, but it's happened to me before.

I don't live there but I go down all the time and I refuse to stay anywhere other than quarter/cbd.

 

[gianmarco]

I am looking into hotels for the NYE and the Sugar Bowl right now. Question for the New Orleans locals....Are Metarie or Gretna/Terrytown decent places to look? I have found some reasonable priced hotels there. Does the public transportation reach to those areas? What would a cab cost me to get downtown? It's going to be me and 3 or 4 other guys just looking for a place to sleep for a few hours a night, so I could care less about amenities. Just want to make sure it isn't a ghetto and that we will be able to get in and out of New Orleans without too much trouble. Thanks

Public Transportation is horrible...absolutley do not recommend. Cabs should be about $20, but honestly, I really wouldn't recommend it. The price difference is worth being able to walk everywhere IMO. Also, on really busy nights cabs have been known to not want to leave the downtown/CBD area to go to the suburbs...I know that's technically illegal, but it's happened to me before.

This. You don't want to be worrying about how to get back to your hotel. If you're planning on spending your time in the French Quarter, then find a hotel there and walk. Spend the extra $ to stay there. You'll thank us later.FWIW, I just came back and stayed at the Sheraton across the street from Harrah's for $95/night. During Thanksgiving. If you throw in 4 guys, that's $25/night. This is one of the better hotels down there so surely you can find something else for less if you need to.ETA--I've heard many a crazy/scary story of people trying to get back to their hotels at 4am while crazy drunk. You don't want to be the subject of one of those.

 

[jplvr]

We're most likely staying at the Westin for the BCSCG. I wanted to hit Dante's Sunday night, so I worked up an email to the group with plans to take the streetcar there. The plan is to get their earlier enough to ride over during daylight to see some of the sights along the way, seeing them at night on the way back to hit Bourbon Street.

I don't have tickets yet, but I'm hoping the cheap seats eventually drop below $1000. I'll probably convince myself to buy one if they do.

Tipsy, I'll make a reservation once we get everything confirmed. About how long is the trip from Canal on the streetcar?

The day of the game, I'm sure we'll stick close-by the hotel. I'm thinking Dragos for lunch, and naturally Cafe Du Monde before heading back home Tuesday morning. If we don't get into the game, what's the best plan of action for watching? I'm sure there are plenty of bars and I'm guessing there will eventually be some suggestions from Bama fans on which bar we might try to take over.

 

[Tiger Fan]

We're most likely staying at the Westin for the BCSCG. I wanted to hit Dante's Sunday night, so I worked up an email to the group with plans to take the streetcar there. The plan is to get their earlier enough to ride over during daylight to see some of the sights along the way, seeing them at night on the way back to hit Bourbon Street.

I don't have tickets yet, but I'm hoping the cheap seats eventually drop below $1000. I'll probably convince myself to buy one if they do.

Tipsy, I'll make a reservation once we get everything confirmed. About how long is the trip from Canal on the streetcar?

The day of the game, I'm sure we'll stick close-by the hotel. I'm thinking Dragos for lunch, and naturally Cafe Du Monde before heading back home Tuesday morning. If we don't get into the game, what's the best plan of action for watching? I'm sure there are plenty of bars and I'm guessing there will eventually be some suggestions from Bama fans on which bar we might try to take over.

Very nice pull on the Westin, how'd you swing that...I actually threw up all over the lobby floor there on my wedding night...good times IIRC, it could be up to 45 minutes on the street car each way. Also, during crazy busy weekends; the street car gets ridiculously packed; so I would at least have a cab as a backup plan just in case.

Re: gameday if you don't get tickets. Obviously, every bar in town will have the game. I'm sure you'll want to watch it with Bama fans, so would probably just keep your ears open for where a decent crowd of them will be. I know this bar draws a huge crowd for Bama watch parties as the owner is an alumn. Only a mile from your hotel...so that's an option.

Also, they just built a huge outdoor tailgaiting area outside the Dome with a huge screen...i'm sure it will be packed as well, but there's another option and you'll be right by the venue.

 

[jplvr]

We're most likely staying at the Westin for the BCSCG. I wanted to hit Dante's Sunday night, so I worked up an email to the group with plans to take the streetcar there. The plan is to get their earlier enough to ride over during daylight to see some of the sights along the way, seeing them at night on the way back to hit Bourbon Street.

I don't have tickets yet, but I'm hoping the cheap seats eventually drop below $1000. I'll probably convince myself to buy one if they do.

Tipsy, I'll make a reservation once we get everything confirmed. About how long is the trip from Canal on the streetcar?

The day of the game, I'm sure we'll stick close-by the hotel. I'm thinking Dragos for lunch, and naturally Cafe Du Monde before heading back home Tuesday morning. If we don't get into the game, what's the best plan of action for watching? I'm sure there are plenty of bars and I'm guessing there will eventually be some suggestions from Bama fans on which bar we might try to take over.

Very nice pull on the Westin, how'd you swing that...I actually threw up all over the lobby floor there on my wedding night...good times IIRC, it could be up to 45 minutes on the street car each way. Also, during crazy busy weekends; the street car gets ridiculously packed; so I would at least have a cab as a backup plan just in case.

Re: gameday if you don't get tickets. Obviously, every bar in town will have the game. I'm sure you'll want to watch it with Bama fans, so would probably just keep your ears open for where a decent crowd of them will be. I know this bar draws a huge crowd for Bama watch parties as the owner is an alumn. Only a mile from your hotel...so that's an option.

Also, they just built a huge outdoor tailgaiting area outside the Dome with a huge screen...i'm sure it will be packed as well, but there's another option and you'll be right by the venue.

My BIL booked it the week before the first LSU/Bama game. I'm pretty sure it's the Westin because it's a little less than $300 a night, I remember the hotel name he gave me started with W, and it was right by the Riverwalk.I remember GM talking about the streetcar ride previously and thought I remembered it being a long trip. We might make other plans and I know how to drive there now thanks to last year, so that's an option as well. I just thought it would be cool for some of them to get a look at the city.

We're still up in the air, but my stepsister seems completely in. My BIL seems like he might back out if he can't come up with a ticket, but I plan on being there for sure.

What's the law on scalping tickets? I've heard New Orleans law is about as strict as the laws in Atlanta.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

I am looking into hotels for the NYE and the Sugar Bowl right now. Question for the New Orleans locals....Are Metarie or Gretna/Terrytown decent places to look? I have found some reasonable priced hotels there. Does the public transportation reach to those areas? What would a cab cost me to get downtown? It's going to be me and 3 or 4 other guys just looking for a place to sleep for a few hours a night, so I could care less about amenities. Just want to make sure it isn't a ghetto and that we will be able to get in and out of New Orleans without too much trouble. Thanks

Public Transportation is horrible...absolutley do not recommend. Cabs should be about $20, but honestly, I really wouldn't recommend it. The price difference is worth being able to walk everywhere IMO. Also, on really busy nights cabs have been known to not want to leave the downtown/CBD area to go to the suburbs...I know that's technically illegal, but it's happened to me before.

This. You don't want to be worrying about how to get back to your hotel. If you're planning on spending your time in the French Quarter, then find a hotel there and walk. Spend the extra $ to stay there. You'll thank us later.FWIW, I just came back and stayed at the Sheraton across the street from Harrah's for $95/night. During Thanksgiving. If you throw in 4 guys, that's $25/night. This is one of the better hotels down there so surely you can find something else for less if you need to.ETA--I've heard many a crazy/scary story of people trying to get back to their hotels at 4am while crazy drunk. You don't want to be the subject of one of those.

I am not finding any of these deals. As far as I can see, my options are $90-100 a night in Metarie or Gretna, or at absolute minimum like $200 a night downtown.Now I am sure we would be spending almost $50 a day in cabs just getting back and forth from there, plus the issues you guys mentioned in even getting a cab to take you. I will have to figure out what works best I guess.

 

[gump]

We ended up with a room at the Royal St Charles, just off Canal, for the BSCCG. Decided not to book until after the SECC....basically nothing left near the Quarter at that point....but luckily a friend booked 4 rooms back in October and had 1 to let me have. $900 for 3 nights is pretty cheap for that area that week.

I know its not very nice....but being able to walk to the FQ and the Dome is huge. Hoping its not tooo bad.

 

[Tiger Fan]

We're most likely staying at the Westin for the BCSCG. I wanted to hit Dante's Sunday night, so I worked up an email to the group with plans to take the streetcar there. The plan is to get their earlier enough to ride over during daylight to see some of the sights along the way, seeing them at night on the way back to hit Bourbon Street.

I don't have tickets yet, but I'm hoping the cheap seats eventually drop below $1000. I'll probably convince myself to buy one if they do.

Tipsy, I'll make a reservation once we get everything confirmed. About how long is the trip from Canal on the streetcar?

The day of the game, I'm sure we'll stick close-by the hotel. I'm thinking Dragos for lunch, and naturally Cafe Du Monde before heading back home Tuesday morning. If we don't get into the game, what's the best plan of action for watching? I'm sure there are plenty of bars and I'm guessing there will eventually be some suggestions from Bama fans on which bar we might try to take over.

Very nice pull on the Westin, how'd you swing that...I actually threw up all over the lobby floor there on my wedding night...good times IIRC, it could be up to 45 minutes on the street car each way. Also, during crazy busy weekends; the street car gets ridiculously packed; so I would at least have a cab as a backup plan just in case.

Re: gameday if you don't get tickets. Obviously, every bar in town will have the game. I'm sure you'll want to watch it with Bama fans, so would probably just keep your ears open for where a decent crowd of them will be. I know this bar draws a huge crowd for Bama watch parties as the owner is an alumn. Only a mile from your hotel...so that's an option.

Also, they just built a huge outdoor tailgaiting area outside the Dome with a huge screen...i'm sure it will be packed as well, but there's another option and you'll be right by the venue.

My BIL booked it the week before the first LSU/Bama game. I'm pretty sure it's the Westin because it's a little less than $300 a night, I remember the hotel name he gave me started with W, and it was right by the Riverwalk.I remember GM talking about the streetcar ride previously and thought I remembered it being a long trip. We might make other plans and I know how to drive there now thanks to last year, so that's an option as well. I just thought it would be cool for some of them to get a look at the city.

We're still up in the air, but my stepsister seems completely in. My BIL seems like he might back out if he can't come up with a ticket, but I plan on being there for sure.

What's the law on scalping tickets? I've heard New Orleans law is about as strict as the laws in Atlanta.

Scalping is only illegal on the Superdome property. But honestly, I woudln't mess with scalpers at all...I know two people who have been burned with fake tickets for big games in new orleans. Pretty sure the who ticket exchange "ticketmaster 2nd hand market" did a damage on scalpers. Obviously, there are guys like Mark Davis who are legit ticket brokers who are good...but the guys on the street are red flags IMO.

 

[Tiger Fan]

We ended up with a room at the Royal St Charles, just off Canal, for the BSCCG. Decided not to book until after the SECC....basically nothing left near the Quarter at that point....but luckily a friend booked 4 rooms back in October and had 1 to let me have. $900 for 3 nights is pretty cheap for that area that week.

I know its not very nice....but being able to walk to the FQ and the Dome is huge. Hoping its not tooo bad.

Yeah, that's a good location. Less than a 5 minute walk to the FQ. Nothing to worry about there

 

[gump]

We ended up with a room at the Royal St Charles, just off Canal, for the BSCCG. Decided not to book until after the SECC....basically nothing left near the Quarter at that point....but luckily a friend booked 4 rooms back in October and had 1 to let me have. $900 for 3 nights is pretty cheap for that area that week.

I know its not very nice....but being able to walk to the FQ and the Dome is huge. Hoping its not tooo bad.

Yeah, that's a good location. Less than a 5 minute walk to the FQ. Nothing to worry about there

Sweet. Looking forward to a fun 3 days even before the game....arrive early Sat to hit the FQ by mid-day. Going to be a unique experience with two fanbases so familiar with each other playing a game this big. Its going to be a lot more crowded and wild than the last few times I've been.Plus if tickets prove to be too tough....there will be plenty of great options otherwise.

 

[jplvr]

What's a cab ride normally cost from Harrah's to Uptown? $20? $30?

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

What's a cab ride normally cost from Harrah's to Uptown? $20? $30?