I'm gonna see if I can find B&Bs or apartment rentals. Usually cheaper and nicer than hotels, and you get a better "feel" for the city you're visiting.
I think that in this case location is more important than anything else, but I've gotta think that a B&B or rental somewhere would be nicer than a hotel that could be filled with loud drunks. But if you're serious, you need to get on this immediately.
Already started to contact B&Bs to see what's available. I have a ton of vacation time, so time off for me isn't a big deal. But it might be for my wife. If we don't go the next Mardi Gras, I might push for it in 2012 as part of my 50th birthday (5/13/62) celebration. It'll be about two months early, but hey, you only turn 50 once
I might take you up on that. We decided we're going to head down there again sometime this fall, after it cools down a bit - the heat really got to her. Probably do a long weekend sometime around Columbus Day or something. And we're going to skip Mardi Gras 2011, but go to French Quarter Fest in April instead, and we'll make a big two week (or maybe a little longer) trip for Mardi Gras 2012. You know Atouk, right? He's a native of Metarie, brother was the drummer in Better than Ezra (now plays for Sugarland). He told me I'd love NOLA. He was right.
I just happened to catch this thread. I was born & raised in NOLA, moved to Connecticut in 2002. The heat was a big issue for us, I think it was in 2000 that we had 100 days of 90º+ and 90% humidity. Then we moved to Bama in 2008, and I've been able to get home much more often. Usually 3-5 times a year. Quick trips, just enough time to eat a po-boy, get some beignets, and maybe a snoball. As for drinking - I did enough of that between the ages of 17-22 that I don't drink very much any more. One of my favorite memories - Sugar Bowl in the early 80's, Penn State v Alabama at Pat O'Brien's. Penn State fans were in the piano bar - I'd walk in and yell "GO Nittany LIONS!" and get a free drink from someone. Then I'd go into the courtyard and "Roll TIDE!" and get another free drink. Did that all night and never bought a drink. Good times. Places to eat - Drago's. Before they got popular I used to hold my fantasty baseball, football and basketball drafts there. We would have calimari, onion rings, and whatever else he wated to bring out for $5.00 per person. I love that place and its on my list for my next trip home. Snoballs - this is not shaved ice. The only way to survive the heat. Moving away: I knew the world was different, but finding a Catholic church proved to be a bit difficult in Alabama. Can't buy beer on a Sunday? What is wrong with you people. As Barbara said earlier - "drinking while driving" and drunk driving are two different things. I miss great French bread. Luckily in Huntsville we can get a good po-boy on Gambino's bread, or a even Leidenheimer's bread (that's French for bread). I miss home. But not enough to move back.
Going down for a family reunion of sorts the second weekend in April (French Quarter Fest). I haven't been down there since my mother's funeral in 2006 - definitely weird to be staying in a hotel instead of my old bedroom. Hopefully we'll have time to see some of the new stuff that's been going on since Katrina.
How long ago did you move away? Since we moved away in 2002 I've been staying at my brother's house in Metairie. We call it the Hotel since we have our own rooms and bathrooms. I usually drive by our old house in Metairie and then the house I grew up in in Old Jeffereson. Good times..
Cleary you don't live in Birmingham or Mobile. There's Catholic churches everywhere. Sure, not as many as you'd find in New Orleans, but they're very visible. You can drink on Sunday in Birmingham...can't speak for Mobile though.
I'm in Huntsville, we have six churches for around 250,000 people Mobile is a pretty strong Catholic community, and Birmingham has a much bigger population.
My feelings exactly. I just wish I was closer and could visit more. I'm psyched, though, because in May I'm visiting my sisters in Florida and we're going to drive up to NOLA for a weekend. Woefully short, but better than nothing. Whenever I go back I drive by the house I grew up in on S. Claiborne that church bought from my mom for its pastor. They put bars on the windows and took down the shutters. Ugh. I would kill to be able to buy that back that house and fix it up. I didn't appreciate it nearly enough when I lived there - I was stupid and wanted to live in a new house like my friends in Metairie. If I could time travel I'd go back there and kick my teenage ass.
I wish I had bought my parent's house when they moved to Metairie to be closer to me The guy who bought it has turned a once beautiful home into an ugly mess. I'd post the address- but its between Jeff Hwy and the River on Dodge Ave.
Have a Vieux Carre at the Carousel Bar. That's where the drink was invented. The Monteleone is a fantastic hotel.
I went to Voodoo fest a couple of years ago and actually had more fun than Jazz fest. It's halloween weekend and they had a great line up. In addition, there were far fewer of us from out of town, so it was easy getting a great room and doing other stuff outside of the shows.
I attended the French Quarter Fest this past weekend. The festival itself is actually free - no admission and about 10 different music stages. Sure you will spend a lot on food and drink, but only because it is so good, not because it is overpriced. This started (I think) as something for the locals as an alternative to Jazz fest which is now really big and expensive, but word is out and people come from all over. Apparently there was not a hotel room available in the whole city. So book early!
Hey Sport Billy how did you enjoy your trip to New Orleans? The Jazz and Heritage Festival opens April 29th this year. Headlining is Arcade Fire, Robert Plant, Jeff Beck, Bon Jovi, John Mellancamp, Jimmy Buffet, The Strokes, Kid Rock and the Neville Brothers among hundreds of artists.
Thanks for asking. It was fantastic. It is easy to see how people fall in love with that city. The food was fantastic as were the drinks. I have to admit, standing on the waterfront, turning around and realizing the city is several feet BELOW you is a bit unnerving. I always knew it was below sea level, but until you actually see it, it doesn't really hit you. We were lucky to have 80 degree weather in February. I have to say, that the Cathedral and Jackson Square was my favorite part. I still have the set of portraits my parents had drawn there in 1959.
I just want to put in a plug again for Voodoofest. http://www.thevoodooexperience.com/ The weather in late October is usually phenomenal. The line up has lots of great acts that I wanted to see and many that I didn't know about but really loved. The City isn't empty, but there is nothing like the crush of people for Jazzfest or Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to go the last couple of years because halloween actually fell on the weekend, and my kids love it too much to skip trick or treating with them to go out of town. This year, VF ends on the 30th, so I think I am back in! The last year I went (2 years ago?) The three headliners for the three nights were Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails and REM. In addition, the other stages had even better acts. I actually missed most of REM because I was sitting in a circus tent getting blown away by the Butthole Surfers who came out late because Gibby spent about an hour + on his sound check. It was well worth it though. In addition to the big names, I saw a bunch of acts I was unfamiliar with at the time like Manchester Orchestra, Blind Boys of Alabama and Thievery Corporation. I had downloaded Ozomatli but had never seen them live and they were fantastic. The best part? Preservation Hall had its own tent with its own line-up of local musicians that were fantastic. People I had never heard of like Big Al Carson. I could have sat in that tent all three days, but there was way too much going on. Then, after fantastic days at City Park, we would retire to the French Quarter for the evenings.
I'm not but I will be in NOLA the second-to-last weekend in May. Unfortunately, I'm going to be travelling with a bunch of strong-willed people (my older sisters, my brother and his wife) so I will have almost no control over what happens. My cheap sister made the hotel reservations so we're staying at some crappy-ass hotel near the airport in Kenner. I want to go back on my own very badly but that's not happening this year.
Oh Sweet Jesus that is sad. That would be like going to Vegas and staying somewhere 10 miles off the strip.