I’ll be in NOLA for the first week of September and am looking for suggestions for things to do. The conference is on the south side of the French Quarter and it will likely be just me (and perhaps a friend) going around the city.
Since my health is always up in the air and may be up to ~5 months pregnant, anywhere inside and/or with little walking is even more appreciated!
I know NOTHING about the area so any travel/local tips welcome!
beignets @ Cafe Du Monde
Camellia Grill— on the street car line so you can check that off too
National WW 2 museum is cool
Jackson Square is a must. Audoben Zoo is good. There is also a Confederate Civil War museum and a WW2 museum.
Beignets…definitely!
And get seafood someplace. I have had the best shrimp ever in New Orleans. Really it’s a foodie heaven.
Enjoyed a ferry ride across the Mississippi to the Algiers neighborhood.
Also fun flavors at the Creole Creamery in the Garden District.
WW2 museum is impressive, brunch or lunch at Commander’s Palace (or dinner, if you really want to splurge), BBQ oysters at Acme or Felix’s, Jazz at Preservation Hall and/or Frenchman Street clubs. Can do a trolley tour of French Quarter and Garden District if walking is not possible
Chargrilled oysters at Drago’s.
In addition to what others have mentioned.
If you feel like window shopping there are some cute shops along Magazine Street.
First, fingers crossed for a pregnant romani!
My next thought was…if you’re pregnant, it no doubt will be beastly hot and humid. And while I’d normally suggest much of the food above, when i was pregnant, oysters, shrimp or any seafood, would have had me gagging.
That being said, some fabulous food can be found in NO.
Street car to Garden District. Brunch at Commanders is a classic, but not the best food in NO imho.
I think there is a hop on hop off bus of the major sites as well as a harbor boat cruise which wouldn’t require much walking…
I’m a vegetarian so no seafood for me anyway 
Which admittedly… I’m a bit nervous about. I’ve been a vegetarian for most of my life now and most cities are very veg friendly. I’m not sure New Orleans will be just based on what little I know about local cuisine.
And thanks @gosmom for the luck.
The first week of Sept would definitely not have been my first choice for a time of year to visit the humid south, but what can you do? Gotta make the most of it!
Beignets and snowballs will be your friends! While I think the traditional NO restaurants aren’t very vegetarian friendly, I think there are plenty of veg/vegan options…you may just have to venture a bit from French Quarter…
There’s lots of great restaurants in New Orleans, and they aren’t all in the local meat- and shellfish-heavy tradition. But don’t bother with brunch at Commanders!
No one has mentioned music yet. New Orleans is all about music for me. There’s great music just walking around in the French Quarter with the buskers. (Try to get out of the French Quarter, though. For the most part, it’s a very ugly version of touristy. IMO.) A few weeks before you go, use the web to check out who’s playing at what clubs, and whether they interest you. If you can, try to see ReBirth Brass Band or Hot 8 Brass Band. Try not to go to Preservation Hall.
There’s a facebook group called “Vegan New Orleans”. There are lots of restaurants that have good veg options, and some of the best ones will have an off menu vegan special. Just FYI - “dirty rice” has chicken liver in it so it’s not veg, red beans and rice can be prepared vegan or not, so ask.
I had to look on the map to see what you meant by “south side” of the French Quarter. People are used to saying riverside, lakeside, uptown, or downtown instead of the cardinal directions. So, you’ll be near Canal Street? That makes sense for a conference.
I second the idea to take a ferry to Algiers, it leaves at the foot of Canal street. You don’t have to necessarily get off, it’s just a cheap and easy way to get on the river. If you do get off the ferry, Algiers is known for One Stone coffeehouse, Tavolino pizza, and Tout de Suite cafe.
People love the WWII museum, and there is a “hop on, hop off” tour bus that cruises around the garden district and magazine street for easier shopping and touring. The St. Charles streetcar is also a lovely ride. The riverfront streetcar is a good way to get down to the Esplanade Avenue end of the FQ without walking. That’s the quieter end, and where Frenchmen Street is - a great place to hear live music.
When we visited NO the most interesting part was a plantation trip. We had a car but a few companies offer day trips with pick up from French Quarter or some hotels. The seafood that was in season was another highlight.
Cafe du Monde is a tourist trap. Bad coffee and sweets. We would rather discover neighborhood cafes like Le Madeleine or some fish shack serving crayfish.
@greenwitch yes sorry I’ll be right on Canal Street. South of the French Quarter is what was stated on the conference site haha.
For travel, I usually just use uber or lyft. I assume they’re pretty active there like every other big city? (I’m also open to the streetcars)
I’m a historian so I’m always looking for historical spots… and NOLA certainly has a deep, rich history that I’m excited to poke around in a bit.
I was going to say swamp tours are really cool… but not in Sept and sure heck not Sept + pregnant.
Ghost Tours are a very popular thing, and I think there are some evening ones when it’s not quite so god-awful out.
All of the above-ground burials make for very cool, albeit macabre, cemetery tours.
The Garden District is absolutely amazing. I think there may be some trolley tours, so you won’t have to be on your feet too much.
This https://www.creolequeen.com/ !
La Madeleine is also a chain. New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery is really good, but it’s out in Marigny. Croissant D’or Patisserie is closer to the Quarter. Or one of the Randazzo’s for King Cake. Manny’s is in Metaire but we have Nonna’s up here on the Northshore. All the same family, just owned by different members.
Emerils in the warehouse district (not the Emerils in French quarter district)is the best meal in town. We always go there. My D is gluten free but was interested in a pasta dish and enquired about it. Waiter didn’t blink an eye and offered veggies in place of the noodles. They came out with a heavenly dish made with spiralized veggie noodles. Her meal looked fabulous and she loved it. We always go there. Easy Uber ride. Make reservations.
We used to go to Commanders Palace and love it but no longer. It’s really gone downhill in my opinion. Last time the meal was mediocre and not good service. Very expensive. Not going back.
I’m not into waiting in long line for beignets.
Cemetery tours are fun. They get booked up quickly so reserve a spot. All the other tours were booked but someone from the Voodoo tour company took us around. Talk about history! He was pretty old and had grown up in NO. He had stories to tell about whatever you asked.
Used to be able to just go wander the cemeteries on your own but now only licensed tour guides can take you in.
Royal street antique shops.
Garden district homes.
A lot of jazz just outside French Quarter but don’t walk there at night.
We had a car but they have tours that will take you out to the plantations. Really enjoyed that and learned a lot.
Have fun!
Eating! Come hungry. I love Galatoires in the French Quarter. Sit on the main level. IDK how veggie friendly it is. There is a Middle Eastern place, Shaya, that you could try. We have hit the big name spots, but also had good luck looking at yelp or Open Table and picking some newer places not close to the French Quarter.
Just walking around the Quarter going in and out of shops is fun. Things just happen: street performers, funeral parades, wedding parades, etc.
I enjoyed the WW2 Museum and exploring the Garden District, too. Preservation Hall Jazz. The insect museum. A cemetery tour. When I first went, you could take your own tour, but now I think they are more controlled and monitored. I haven’t’t been to the plantation museum but hear it is great as a look into slave life as opposed to slaveholder life.
If you weren’t pregnant, I’d say try a Sazerac at every restaurant and have some oysters.
My DH’s family are outside of New Orleans. We have been there many times. One of my favorite places is M. S. Rau’s on Royal Street. It is an antique store that could really be a museum. They have wonderful things for sale. I can’t afford any of it, but it is so much fun to look. Royal Street is so much nicer than Bourbon street. There are really some nice art galleries there.
Here is a link to their website. https://www.rauantiques.com/. They are so nice to people who just want to browse. It really is a fun place.