All that Jazz at the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny

The French Quarter really is very charming. It is not difficult to see why and how it embodies the spirit of New Orleans. It's alive day and night but each time of the day with different types of crowd and atmosphere for obvious reasons. No time of the day is more exciting than the other. When the sun is out, art galleries, stores, boutiques, and cafes come alive. Come sundown, the fun and craziness begins on Bourbon Street.

The buildings throughout the French Quarter are striking with the common theme of Victorian-style cast iron railings. There was certainly no shortage of cafes and bars on every street we walked on in the Quarter. While many of the streets can easily be passed off as being similar, they actually each have their own little unique characteristics. We turned from one corner going on to the next street and found ourselves in quite a subtly different setting. Royal Street, best seen during the day, is lined with a multitude of expensive and upscale antique stores, art galleries, and specialty boutiques. Walking past the many antique stores make a good opportunity for window shopping although I am also curious as to how often these stores make a sale given the competition from their neighbors.








There was no lacking in dining and shopping options along Decatur Street during the day and we could easily see how the colorful bars come to live at night.

We probably walked on Chartres Street most often really because our hotel was right around the corner from here. The colonial architecture buildings were each different and unique in their own way. It was not uncommon to spot ceiling fans on many upstairs patios on the second floor which was really interesting given that the patios were outdoors. Perhaps they are needed for the non-breezy summer days in New Orleans. Or maybe I need to get used to the fact that not every city is as windy as Chicago.

Cocktails to go. Only in New Orleans.

Come sundown Bourbon Street turns into a pedestrian-only zone with Mardi Gras-like festivities no matter the time of year. One of the wonderful things about Bourbon Street is that we did not necessarily have to be in New Orleans during Mardi Gras because every night on Bourbon Street feels like Mardi Gras although with a lesser extent of craziness but nevertheless bustling with energy. Mardi Gras may have been recently over but there was still the ritual and tradition of people gathering on balconies throwing colorful beads to people (women, especially) on the street in exchange of bearing their breasts. But really though, these beads throwers are getting nicer and nicer. They still throw you beads and trinkets as long as you raise and flap your arms in the air signaling that you want them too. We did not really see people actually working hard to earn all the colorful beads they draped around their necks. Live jazz bars were everywhere and the music from the different bars were loud enough to escape out onto the streets that we did not necessarily have to be inside any of them to feel the jazzy atmosphere of Bourbon Street. When we had enough drinks for the night, late night eats were everywhere as well. People working for the various strip clubs clamored for patrons and many of them would walk up to us both and say, "No cover charge for you couple!" One of the big differences between the law in Chicago and New Orleans is the alcohol consumption on the street. No surprises here that in New Orleans it is legal for people to carry a beer in hand walking on the street and enjoying the night out. In Chicago, you drink inside and if you cannot finish your drink before you leave, I guess it is too bad for you.

Artists, tarot card readers, and musicians find their comfort spot at Jackson Square. Right outside the park, tarot card readers set up their own little tables, sit on their chairs, and wait for passersby to stop by hoping to get a reading. Artists display their works for people to admire and maybe make a sale. Musicians offer live entertainment to people walking past and maybe some interested passersby will buy the band's CD.

Lovers of jazz will like Faubourg Marigny, an area located right outside the eastern edge of the French Quarter. This hip and bohemian neighborhood has four blocks of live jazz bars and restaurants along Frenchmen Street. On one of our nights there we strayed away from the drunken and tourist atmosphere of Bourbon Street and went to Frenchmen Street. We heard that this was where locals come to enjoy jazz. Many of these bars do not have a cover charge but patrons are encourage to leave a tip for the musicians. The best way to enjoy Frenchmen Street is to stay for a drink at a bar while listening to the music, and then hopping over to the next bar for another drink and for more jazz. As the bars have different types of jazz genre playing at a time, it really was a good option for us to decide the types of jazz we wanted to listen to that night whether for a short while or longer at a certain bar. Some of the popular jazz bars on Frenchmen Street are Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, and Apple Barrel.

All we needed was good jazz to complete the essence of the true New Orleans experience and it was not difficult to find it.

New Orleans: Warehouse District and Garden District

Our time spent in New Orleans actually turned out to be more of a foodie trip than anything else. Armed with our list of must-go-to restaurants and must-eat food list, we had non-stop gastronomic moments which deserve separate entries of their own. It wasn't just all eating, luckily. We walked a great deal everyday in the spring heat of 88 degrees F. We could only imagine how much warmer it becomes in summer. Our legs were put to good work the few days we were there and we really wouldn't have done it another way. What could be a better idea than walking to soak up and experience the local culture. And yes, we also needed to offset the amount of food we packed into our stomachs.

Our first trip to New Orleans was back in college and that was before Katrina happened. A few years have passed since the Katrina disaster and New Orleans is back to life, although the Ninth Ward area is still very much feeling the disaster effects and have yet to fully rebuild. Most often when people think of New Orleans, they associate the city with the French Quarter and the craziness and drunkenness on Bourbon Street. Beyond that, New Orleans has its own distinct areas that carry their own character. These areas are worth exploring and we got into a sense of a more local vibe that was beyond the overly touristy vibe.

Warehouse District (Arts District)

Some sections of Tchoupitoulas Street were quite reminiscent to the Fulton Market area in Chicago. Originally an industrial area, some buildings in the Warehouse District are converted into fine restaurants that are perfect for a great night out. This is where you can find Emeril's flagship restaurant. Other than restaurants, some storefronts are transformed into art galleries, wine lounges, and cafes. We were surprised to stumble upon a random Australian-themed cafe in the area. We walked a half block farther and saw a man set up a temporary cooking station right on the street. In true New Orleans fashion, the massive pot he was stirring into with an equally massive metal spatula was filled with crawfish, mushrooms, corn, lemon halves, bay leaves, and whatnot right outside the restaurant bar he worked at.

Most of the art galleries are concentrated on Julia Street or otherwise known as Julia Row. Here are some of the city's best art galleries although they weren't bustling with people on a Friday afternoon but interesting nevertheless to see the different types of art exhibits.

The historic sense of the Warehouse District is not all lost in this gradual transformation process. As we walked along the streets, there were many visible warehouses that were probably still functioning or at least appeared to be, as well as storefronts that were seemingly abandoned and perhaps waiting for its very slow transformation fate.

The Ambassador Hotel stays true to its historic origin in the Warehouse District with this plaque that tells people the building once used to be a coffee warehouse back in the days when this district was a bustling area for trade and commerce.

Garden District

At Garden District we saw a whole different community entirely. We went on a self-guided walking tour beginning from St Charles Avenue to Prytania Street and Coliseum Street and some other streets in between before ending on Washington Avenue. The mansion-style homes were grand and yet there was a strong historic sense in them with many of them built about 150 years ago. Many of the mansions have a plaque at the front gate that references the original owner(s) who lived there once upon a time. One of the notable original residents of the homes was the novelist Anne Rice.

One of the first mansions we saw was Colonel's Short Villa which was occupied at one time in history by one of the governors and his wife. The cast iron railings surrounding the garden has the distinct pattern of cornstalks.

We later realized that the cornstalk pattern theme in the cast iron railing was often a repeated design in some other homes.

Expansive gardens are also a common theme in this area with flowering plants. Some mansions have enough space for their own mini fountain.

One of the mansions was previously the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel that was once owned by the novelist Anne Rice. The original use of this building as a chapel is still visible today with the statue in the garden, as seen in the picture below. The former chapel is now owned by Nicholas Cage.

Just across the street we saw a slightly different architectural influence for this mansion. Spotting the Greek Revival style architecture, this building is now owned by the Women's Opera Guild House which promotes the opera culture in New Orleans.

We ended our walking tour at the famous Victorian-style Commander Palace restaurant, noted for its tradition of turtle soup and jazz brunch in New Orleans.

We veered onto Magazine Street which is the area's main commercial area that reminded us a lot about the little neighborhoods back in Chicago. The street was bustling with pedestrians and there wasn't a shortage of coffee shops, bars, cafes, gelato store, salons, locally owned boutiques, studios, etc. We spent the whole afternoon strolling on the street and absorbing the local charm without the rush of having to do anything else or be at anywhere else.