Synopses & Reviews
From the publishers of
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
—The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide
- Hotels, motels, and inns ranked and rated for value and quality — plus proven strategies for getting the best deals
- Everything you ever needed to know about Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest
- Witty and informative walking tours of the French Quarter, Arts District and Garden District
- The straight truth on all the attractions, from City Park to Aquarium of the Americas
- The best plantation home tours
- Detailed restaurant reviews and tips on the hottest nightspots
Sample Rating
City Park *****
Appeal by age
Preschool ***
Grade school *****
Teens ***
Young adults *****
Over 30 *****
Seniors ***
1 Palm Drive off I-10 (City Park/Metairie exit); # 504-482-4888;
www.neworleanscitypark.com
Type of attraction Municipal park with a variety of recreational and cultural attractions. Admission Park free; museum, botanical gardens, and some recreational centers have fees for out-of-state visitors. Hours Sunrise to sunset. When to go Anytime. Special comments An unrivaled family venue, with attractions for kids, jocks, picnickers, nature-lovers, and general romantics. How much time to allow 1-4 hours.
Synopsis
Providing a sensible, objective, consumer's guide to travel, these easy-to-use travel handbooks provide useful evaluations of local hotels, attractions, and restaurants in all price ranges, honest advice on local attractions that are worth the time and money, detailed maps, tips on special events and festivals, and extensive information on local shopping, sports, nightlife, and other activities.
Synopsis
From the publishers of "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World"
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
— "Chicago Sun-Times"
"Indispensable"
— "The New York Times"
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by "The Unofficial Guide": Hotels ranked and rated for value and quality of rooms— plus, proven strategies for getting the best rates More than 100 restaurants reviewed in detail and rated The inside story on Mardi Gras, JazzFest, and all the other major festivals A complete guide to exploring the city— French Quarter strolls, cemetery tours, architectural highlights, plantation excursions, and more All the details on nightlife— where to hear the best jazz, blues, zydeco, and Dixieland, both on and off Bourbon Street
Sample Rating
National D-Day Museum
Appeal by Age Pre-scHool Grade scHool Teens Young adults Over 30 Seniors
Central Business District; 945 Magazine Street (entrance on Andrew Higgins Drive); # 504-527-6012; www.ddaymuseum.org
Type of attraction Military museum and veterans' memorial. Admission $14 adults, $8 seniors and students, $6 children ages 12 and under; students with I.D., $6; military in uniform, free. Hours Daily 9 a.m.– 5 p.m.; closed major holidays. When to go Anytime. Author's rating Even-handed presentations; film more effective than exhibits; ..... How much time to allow 2H– 3 hours.
Synopsis
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
--Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
--The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide
* Hotels, motels, and inns ranked and rated for value and quality -- plus proven strategies for getting the best deals
* Everything you ever needed to know about Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest
* Witty and informative walking tours of the French Quarter, Arts District and Garden District
* The straight truth on all the attractions, from City Park to Aquarium of the Americas
* The best plantation home tours
* Detailed restaurant reviews and tips on the hottest nightspots
Sample Rating
City Park *****
Appeal by age
Preschool ***
Grade school *****
Teens ***
Young adults *****
Over 30 *****
Seniors ***
1 Palm Drive off I-10 (City Park/Metairie exit); # 504-482-4888;
www.neworleanscitypark.com
Type of attraction Municipal park with a variety of recreational and cultural attractions. Admission Park free; museum, botanical gardens, and some recreational centers have fees for out-of-state visitors. Hours Sunrise to sunset. When to go Anytime. Special comments An unrivaled family venue, with attractions for kids, jocks, picnickers, nature-lovers, and general romantics. How much time to allow 1-4 hours.
About the Author
EVE ZIBART is a native of Nashville who began her career as a reporter at age 17 at
The Tennessean in Nashville. She moved to Washington, and the
Washington Post, in 1977 and has served as critic, editor, and columnist at various times for the newspaper’s “Style,” “Weekend,” “TV,” “Metro,” and “Magazine” sections. For the past decade, she has roamed Washington’s restaurants, carryouts, bars, and nightclubs, with the occasional foray into museums and legitimate theater. In addition to her
Post columns, Eve has written or cowritten eight books and regularly appears in a variety of lifestyle magazines. In spite of God’s repeated physical admonishments, Eve continues to play a variety of sports, split her own firewood, and haul rocks into what she hopes will become a Japanese garden within her lifetime.
TOM FITZMORRIS has written a weekly restaurant review column in New Orleans for more than 30 years. He is also the host of the daily three-hour Food Show on WSMB radio, and he publishes the New Orleans Menu Daily at www.nomenu.com. He has written 20 dining guides and cookbooks about the New Orleans food scene. Tom was born on Mardi Gras.
WILL COVIELLO is the arts and entertainment editor for Gambit Weekly in New Orleans. He has covered entertainment, arts, culture, and news for various local and national publications. He came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras in 1992 and never left.
Table of Contents
List of Maps.
About the Author and Contributors.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Let the Good Times Roll.
About This Guide.
How Come “Unofficial”?
Creating a Guidebook.
How Unofficial Guides Are Different.
How This Guide Was Researched and Written.
Letters, Comments, and Questions from Readers.
“Inside” New Orleans for Outsiders.
How Information Is Organized: By Subject and by Geographic Area.
PART ONE Understanding the City.
A Too-short History of a Fascinating Place.
The French Flag.
The Spanish Flag.
Three Flags in Forty Years.
“The Whites of Their Eyes”.
Free Blacks, Slaves, and Mulattos.
The War between the States and Reconstruction.
The 20th Century and the New Millennium.
When the Floodgates Opened.
Parishes, Neighborhoods, and Districts.
The French Quarter.
Central Business District.
Uptown and the Garden District.
Faubourg Marigny.
Mid-City–Esplanade.
The Fictional City.
PART TWO Planning Your Visit.
When to Go.
Pick Your Party.
Weather or Not . . . .
Gathering Information.
Using the Internet.
New Orleans on the Web.
Major Travel and Reservation Sites.
Some Reservation Sites to Check Out.
Travel and Local Information Resources.
Search Engines and Directories.
Special Considerations.
What to Pack.
Playing Host.
Exchanging Vows.
New Orleans for Families.
Tips for International Travelers.
Tips for Travelers with Disabilities.
For the Nose that Knows.
A CALENDAR OF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS.
PART THREE New Orleans’s Major Festivals.
Mardi Gras Mania.
Jazz and Heritage Fest.
Halloween.
Creole Christmas.
Cajun Country Festivals.
PART FOUR Accommodations.
Deciding Where to Stay.
Some Considerations.
Getting a Good Deal on a Room.
Special Weekday Rates.
Getting Corporate Rates.
Half-price Programs.
Preferred Rates
Wholesalers, Consolidators, and Reservation Services.
How to Evaluate a Travel Package.
Helping Your Travel Agent Help You.
If You Make Your Own Reservation.
Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked.
What’s in a Room?
Hotel Ratings.
How the Hotels Compare.
The Top 30 Best Deals in New Orleans.
HOTEL INFORMATION CHART.
PART FIVE Visiting on Business.
Lodging for Business Travelers.
Lodging Convenient to Morial Convention Center.
Convention Rates: How They Work and How to Do Better.
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Getting Food.
PART SIX Arriving and Getting Oriented.
Coming into the City.
By Plane.
By Car.
By Bus or Train.
Where to Find Tourist Information in New Orleans.
Getting Oriented.
Finding Your Way around the French Quarter.
Things the Natives Already Know.
New Orleans Customs and Protocol.
Talking the Talk.
Dress.
Eating in Restaurants.
Tipping (and Stripping).
New Orleans on the Air.
How to Avoid Crime and Keep Safe in Public Places.
Crime in New Orleans.
Crime-prevention Planning.
Personal Attitude.
Self-defense.
More Things to Avoid.
Carjackings.
PART SEVEN Getting Around.
Public Transportation.
Walking the Walk.
Public Accommodations.
PART EIGHT Sightseeing, Tours, and Attractions.
Guided Sightseeing.
Walking Tours.
Bus Tours and Trolleys.
Carriage Tours.
Special-interest Tours.
Swamp Tours.
River Cruises.
Self-guided Tours.
Exploring New Orleans’s Diversity.
Neighborhood Walking Tours.
Plantation Tours and Excursions.
New Orleans Attractions.
NEW ORLEANS ATTRACTIONS BY TYPE.
NEW ORLEANS ATTRACTIONS BY LOCATION.
Attraction Profiles.
PART NINE Dining in New Orleans.
A Rapid Return to Distinction.
A NEW ORLEANS CULINARY CALENDAR.
Hype and Glory.
New Restaurants.
The Restaurants.
Our Favorite New Orleans Restaurants: Explaining the Ratings.
A State of Flux.
The Best . . . .
NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE.
NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS BY LOCATION.
Restaurant Profiles.
PART TEN Shopping.
The French Quarter.
Other French Quarter Collectibles.
Magazine Street.
The Warehouse District.
Malls of the Americas.
PART ELEVEN Exercise and Recreation.
Working Out and Playing Hard.
Walking.
Running and Jogging.
Biking.
Tennis.
Golf.
Gyms and Health Clubs.
Other Recreational Activities.
Spectator Sports.
PART TWELVE Entertainment and Nightlife.
Bourbon Street.
Jazz, Funk, and Soul.
Other Beats.
I’ll Drink to That.
Fine Arts.
Expect the Unexpected.
Nightclub Profiles.
NEW ORLEANS NIGHTSPOTS BY LOCATION.
Accommodations Index.
Restaurant Index.
Subject Index.
Unofficial Guide Reader Survey.