mtn said:
Snarky comment: the murder rate there is worse than Chicago's, so don't get shot!
/snarkiness. I've never been there but would have no problem going there and don't think it's a crime ridden anything, and would be aware of my surroundings as I am in any new place.
Have a ton of fun and eat a ton of food. Take a picture with Ignatius J Reilly, and I would also skip the game.
I lived there for a year and I never felt like the crime rate was justified. I mean, I'm sure that the math and statistics are correct, but that wasn't the feeling I got.
I remember being on Bourbon St. after the Bourbon Bowl. I just wanted to be a part of it. The entirety of Bourbon st was shoulder-to-shoulder with rabid foosball fans, half of whom were arrogant in their victory, and the other half pissed off at their defeat. They were all drunk, many of them stoned, coked up, or otherwise uninhibited. I read later that there was a guy shot that night, but it wasn't criminal. Police were responding to a bar fight and one of the guys stabbed a cop and took a run at another cop so they shot him.
Lots of panhandlers parading as street performers (alongside some amazing and legit street performers), so that's where you'll feel criminally attacked. They have all kinds of ploys to separate you from a dollar. Pickpockets used to be the thing. I'm not sure in the digital/credit age if that's much of a thing anymore. I never worry about my wallet. If I notice it's missing I just tap a button on my phone and it freezes my cards. I think pickpocketing has become a lost art.
The people are friendly, the food is great, the scenery is lovely. I suggest French Quarter during the day. The Quarter is obviously a drunk-fest at night, but during the day the bars are quiet and suddenly all these neat shops and cafes take over. it's like when the tides come in and all the barnacles come alive and start feeding. What you thought was just a gray rock is suddenly this beautiful dance of life. Same with the Quarter. Hardcore party at night, European-feeling cobblestone street by day.
Take some walking/biking/segue tours early in the trip. They're a good way to see downtown and learn a lot about what makes NewO tick. Garden District tours are just gorgeous. There is a graveyard tour that is very interesting as well. They not only show you some famous people's graves, but there is a lot of science behind how to bury someone above ground on a sunken delta.
Riverfront is nice. There is a mall which you can skip, but the courtyard/entrance is neat with lots of performers. French Market is a must. It has become a bit touristy (seriously, how many dehydrated alligator heads does a person really need?) but there is a whole section toward the end that is a farm market. Lots of good food there and it's adjacent to the other must-do... Cafe Du Monde. A cup of hot and a beignet is hard to beat for breakfast. Just across the street from the market is the must-do Muffaletta shop, Central Market.
In the other thread linked above there is a great list of restaurants. Commander's Palace is fantastic, but DO take a jacket and don't take it off. They will kindly suggest that "you may feel more comfortable if you leave your jacket on, sir." The old-school fine dining there likes to keep it old school.
I also had a grand time doing Bayou tours. Really informative, and they are a good way to get up close with something many people have only seen on TV. If you have a car, there is a great bayou tour up in Slidell called Pearl River Tours. It's about a 20 minute drive.
I suggest making it a gastronomic experience. There is a reason I gained 48 lbs during my year there. The FOOD.
