Thinking about going to New Orleans for a weekend. Are there decent Days Inn / Super 8 / Holiday Inn Expresses to stay at?
What are the logistics of driving a car from a motel in the suburbs to see the French Quarter and Cemetery #1? Is there a secure place to park? Anything else to see?
Is New Orleans as grossly unsafe as some people claim it is? We’re a middle aged brother and sister and will probably want to just go back to our motel and rest rather than party all night; we’re not bar hoppers.
There are cheap hotels in Metairie and the West Bank. Both are about 10 minutes from the quarter. Both are safe but I would stay in Metairie of given the choice. Just remember that there is no “wrong side of the tracks” in NO so be careful in the quarter.
The tourist areas of the city are pretty safe. These include the French Quarter, Garden District, Central Business District (CBD), the Warehouse District and Faubourg Marigny. Of course, it’s a big city and you can run into trouble anywhere. If you use common sense you should be OK.
By Cemetery #1 I assume you mean St. Louis Cemetery on Basin Street. I’ve never gone to this cemetery, but you should know it has a reputation of a good place to get mugged if you go by yourself. It’s safe if you go on an organized tour. If you want to look around an interesting cemetery without a tour, try Metairie Cemetery. Some really rich people are interred in some very elaborate tombs there, and it’s safe.
If you are actually considering visiting soon, you could probably score a 4 star room in the CBD or even right in the Quarter on Priceline or Hotels.com for around $50 a night…
Seriously, the heat and humidity are so brutal, so indescribably oppressive at this time of the year that the city is virtually deserted as far as tourists go, at least in comparison to during the more temperate times of the year.
The good news is that you will practically have the city all to yourselves, where you can take the time to chat up the locals with ease and walk into the best restaurants in the city without having to give any thought to a reservation, all for hotel room rates that are only a fraction of what they would run you in the fall or the spring.
If you are someone who can handle heat and humidity, now might be a great time for you to check it out…
I have been to both Phoenix and Las Vegas in August, when the temperature was over 116 in the shade. To me, that kind of dry, desert “Blast Furnace” heat is like a walk in the park compared to a 95 degree day (with 90% humidity) in New Orleans or Houston. YMMV
That said, New Orleans is one of the world’s truly great cities, a place renown the entire cosmos over for its incredible, unique history, distinctive architecture, world-class cuisine and a truly life-affirming musical culture.
The time frame would be anywhere from 3 weeks from now up to the end of the year. My sister has some vacation she needs to burn up before the end of the year, so in addition to our annual weekly trip we’re looking for places that can be done in a day or three. I thought about going to New Orleans two years ago, but passed because of it’s reputation about being unsafe, but now we’re thinking about it again.
I would not recommend it in summer. It has been pouring rain every day the last week. Before that it was ridiculously hot. You will sweat more than you ever thought was possible. Most tourists here are hanging around in bars all day and maybe walking around at night.
Halloween can be a really fun time to visit… I don’t know what your tastes in music are, but Voodoo fest is supposedly tons of fun, although I haven’t had the pleasure of going yet. Every holiday in the Quarter is an excuse to dress up and have a good time.
Well, for what it’s worth, although summer is always the least expensive time for scoring a great deal on upscale accommodations in the Crescent City, the brutal heat will often end up draining your energy and killing your appetite, so even though it will be more expensive, if it were me, I would wait until the fall, when the temperatures will drop and you will feel more like going out and doing stuff, rather than just sitting around in an air-conditioned hotel room or random French Quarter watering hole because it’s too hot to walk more than 50 feet…
I am flying back down for VooDoo Festival, a 3-day music and arts festival held annually in late October (on the weekend closest to Halloween). This year’s musical line-up features Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Jack White, Green Day, Jane’s Addiction, Avett Brothers and dozens more, so if you and your sister are live music people, it might be something to check into, as the weather is typically perfect in late October and early November.
(And for the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with spending an hour, a day, a weekend or even an entire week just hanging out in some random French Quarter watering hole)
As far as crime goes, treat it like any major city and you will most likely be fine. Keep an eye on your surroundings, don’t go wandering around drunkenly at night by yourself. If you do decide to go to some bars, I have suggestions.
Also, parking on streets in the French Quarter can be kind of a pain in the butt. You will probably end up parking at least a couple blocks from wherever you are trying to go. Riding around on the streetcars can be a fun and cheap way to look at the architecture and whatnot in outlying neighborhoods. The one on St Charles is particularly gorgeous.
