Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hotels within 2-3blk of Hilton Riverside

What hotels are within 2-3 block of the Hilton Riverside? Is the area ok after dark to walk from the FQ?

Hotels within 2-3blk of Hilton Riverside

There%26#39;s the Wyndham Riverfront, Harrah%26#39;s, Loews and W hotels within a 2-3 block area from the Hilton Riverside. That area is usually busy even at night, since it%26#39;s right across from the Casino, so you should be fine to walk in a group. But since you%26#39;re in a big city, it%26#39;s important to use common sense and stick to the main roads after dark.

Hotels within 2-3blk of Hilton Riverside

I would add the Doubletree to the list. ALways plenty of people on Canal Street well into the night, so I%26#39;ve never had a problem. But depending on where in the area you end up, it might be better to take a taxi after a certain point in the evening when street traffic dies down.


The area you aslk about in my opinion is probably one of the safest areas to stay. Yes, its safe to walk there %26amp; to the French Quarter after dark. After dark at 9pm is different than after dark at 3 am, so use good judgement.


Have narrowed down hotels to Hilton Riverside and W. Conference is at Riverside. The room rate @ Hilton is $62 more then the W for 2 nights. Is the Hilton that much nicer? and worth the extra $62. Thanks.


I%26#39;ve stayed at the Hilton 3-4 times. It%26#39;s certainly adequate (or I wouldn%26#39;t have returned!) but it%26#39;s a large convention hotel, nothing fancy about it. I wouldn%26#39;t pay $62 extra to stay there, but having said that I%26#39;ve never stayed at the W. My perception of W hotels is they are a step up from a Hilton, but I%26#39;ve only stayed at one in New York for one night. What do the reviews say?

(Aren%26#39;t there two W hotels in New Orleans? Which one are you asking about?)


W - Riverside. Reviews are marginal, but that might be unhappy campers as other gave good ratings.


I don%26#39;t think the Hilton is significantly nicer, and I actually like the W on Poydras, and it%26#39;s sleek, modern feel. It also has the very chill Whiskey Blue lounge inside, a great place to hang out and popular with the locals too!

I would pocket the $$ and splurge on some great restaurants instead!


San Antonio: The walk, from the FQ to any of the hotels mentioned in these posts, is quite a walk.

Strictly speaking, and of specific mention, the FQ ends one block before canal street and Decateur.

From that point, it would be a significant walking journey to the Hilton Riverside at Poydras and Exp. Blvd. Hope you brought your walking shoes.

Again, as far as street safety is concerned, that part of Canal street has fewer pedestrians in the late evening than I would like, therefore you would be advised to do a cab ride from the FQ in the return to the hotel thing if you are approaching the midnight time frame.

I am very cautious of this, especially for the travelers. We seem to have a little more activity in some of the areas that we did not have before.

Hope your walk is pleasant and your visit exhilarating.


The French Quarter is not very far from these hotels at all! At most about 3-4 blocks away, and the area around Harrah%26#39;s Casino is lighted and busy even late at night. Canal St itself is one of the busiest streets in the city, so you%26#39;ll see visitors, cabs, etc too late at night!


I will be there in June 10-12, so it should be light late. I doubt on this trip I will be up at midnight, programs start @ 8 AM. A night of hard boozing is not in the cards.

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  • 5 Fifty 5, 7 on Fulton and Eleven 79 commentary please.

    Looking for local experts to comment on the above mentioned restaurants. There are SO many great places in our city and surrounding metro area but haven%26#39;t heard much about these.



    Laissez les bon temps roulez!



    5 Fifty 5, 7 on Fulton and Eleven 79 commentary please.


    We have not dined at ll79 since before Katrina, so things could have changed in the kitchen. We did however note that while the food was not outstanding but passable by New Orleans standards, everything was a la carte. Therefore I think the price was a little high for the quality. And, again I say that I have not been there since Katrina.





    I have not visited the one on Fulton, so I cannot comment on that one.





    But, and again I have not visited this one since Katrina, and again, the kitchen staff could have been influenced by the storm, but when we were there, we found Dick %26amp; Jenny to have a better than expected menu and the cuisine was really good and a good value for the buck.





    If you click on the restaurant section on this site, you will find more sites than imaginable. For certain, the food here is second to no other place I have been, and I have been a few places to dine.





    Best I can do for now.

    Confused on Mardis Gras World...

    My original plan for tomorrow afternoon was to catch the ferry at the end of Canal over to Algiers, check out the levee, eat at The Dry Dock Cafe, and then (based off of what someone told me) go to Mardis Gras World.





    However, I notice while out and about today that there is a Mardis Gras World on the east shore right by the convention center I%26#39;m going to. Is this the same thing? Because the Ferry still has a sign on the entrance advertising Mardis Gras World in Algiers.





    If it has moved, is it still worth the trip over to Algiers?



    Confused on Mardis Gras World...


    Mardi Gras World is now on the eastbank. I don%26#39;t know if the tours are still operating on the west but I suspect not since nearly all visitors stay on the east side of the river.





    Algiers Point is a cute neighborhood and the Dry Dock is fun. Since the ferry is free, why not try it?



    Confused on Mardis Gras World...


    I%26#39;m just limited on time (only a couple free days after the conference ends today) so trying to maximize my time as much as possible.





    I guess I%26#39;ll try it out. That way I can say I was on the great Mississippi :)




    The ferry ride is only 25 minutes or so round-trip. Even if you walk around ';downtown'; Algiers Point you could still do the whole thing in an hour.




    I wouldn%26#39;t go out of your way to do the ferry ride, but if you have some time and are in the area anyway, then go for it. Plus, there are talks of charging pedestrians in the future, so might as well take advantage now!




    Take the ferry ride. Algiers Point is very charming. Vine and Dine takeout is getting good press on Chowhound:





    ';Take the free ferry over to Algiers Point and have lunch at Vine and Dine - a neat little take-out place right at the ferry - great sandwiches / gator dogs at really good prices. They also sell wine in to-go bottles that you can sip while you walk around the neighborhood.';


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  • outside of nola (locals help needed)

    ok...so i%26#39;m making my 8th trip back..and bringin a bunch of yankee-folk with me.





    we;re looking into renting a houseboat in Atchafalaya Basin.. (www.houseboat-adventures.com) does anyone know anything (i can%26#39;t find ANY feedback) for them? we%26#39;re thinking of spending two nights on the houseboat and four nights in new orleans





    thanks!





    xoxo



    kel



    outside of nola (locals help needed)


    I don%26#39;t know anything about the company, but Henderson Lake and the Henderson Swamp are, in my opinion, great locations for an overnight houseboat trip. The area also abounds with great restaurants and Cajun music venues. If you%26#39;re there on a Sunday, check out these venues.





    http://www.whiskeyriverlanding.net/





    http://www.mcgeeslanding.com/home.htm

    crawfish boil??

    After reading this post...I will be in NO May 18-21, staying at Maison Dupuy in the French Quarter, with my BF... any place at this time to get a crawfish boil in the area?? I%26#39;ve never had one, but it sounds sooo good.???





    crawfish boil??


    Unfortunately, the Quarter doesn%26#39;t serve the best crawfish in the city. But, there are still some decent places to grab a couple pounds of boiled crawfish: Deanie%26#39;s on Iberville is pretty good and I think Felix%26#39;s (on Iberville) is also serving them.



    crawfish boil??


    Really the best deal is to take the streetcar out of the quarter( French Market), Catch the St, Charkes line out to the Garden District to 6 th street and St. Charles. Walk the 6 blocks to Magazine street, Catch a few shops and go to New orleans Saefood company. Catch a few pounds of bugs @ $ 2.29 a pound) Then go across the street to the Bulldog Bar ( 50 tap beers from around the world). They allow you to eat the crawfish there as long as you buy a beer. Then walk aloing Magazine street and catch a few Antique shops.




    I%26#39;m not an expert but anytime I%26#39;ve been they have crawfish at the French market.




    Markp: When did you get crawfish for 2.29 a pound. We are paying 3.99 a pound in north Louisiana. If it%26#39;s only 2.29 in New Orleans I will be getting some next weekend while I am there. I just can%26#39;t bring myself to pay 3.99 a pound.




    By the end of the month/April, it%26#39;ll come down to less than $2 per pound at places. It was $1.89/lb at Rouse%26#39;s last year at that time.




    When ordering crawfish by the pound, what is a good amount to get for two people?




    It depends on how hungry you are. For me (20-something female), I%26#39;ll order at least 1.5-2 lbs per sitting. The crawfish meat is in the tail, so you have to keep that in mind that there%26#39;s not much meat per crawfish.




    It depends if crawfish is all you will be eating. When we have crawfish (two people) with nothing else I ussually get ten pounds. It really takes a lot to fill you up. And don%26#39;t wear any light colored clothing as you may get really messy.

    About 1 week till trip and just a quick question...

    I used to live in New Orleans but never really did much of the tourist stuff when I was there. My boyfriend and I are headed down March 21st and he really wants to go on a haunted tour.

    Which one is the best???

    Thanks ahead of time...

    About 1 week till trip and just a quick question...

    Bloody Mary%26#39;s tours are the best, followed by Haunted History tours. http://www.bloodymarystours.com/

    About 1 week till trip and just a quick question...

    i second worldtraveler for Bloody Mary.

    she%26#39;s an amazing storyteller/psychic. and JUST the person you want taking you around and telling you the history of NOLA.

    have a blast Miss Belladonna!

    -kel


    I agree with both above, but now you have to decide which tour or whather to do a custom one. Have fun.


    Thanks everyone for the suggestion. I am now booked for Bloody Mary%26#39;s Tour of the Undead. :) Thanks again, I will let everyone know how the trip goes.

    Happy Travels Everyone!

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  • Court of Two Sisters

    We%26#39;re visiting for my 40th birthday in June, and I made reservations for the Two Sisters for the Jazz brunch on Sunday, June 7th @ 1pm for a fun, touristy meal. My husband loves a buffet! The reviews on this place are love it or hate it, so I need some advice. What do you guys think of it? Should I keep the reservations because of the buffet, or forget it and just go to Commander%26#39;s Palace for a jazz brunch and order off the menu?



    Court of Two Sisters


    If the quality of the food is important to you, then Commander%26#39;s without question. If you don%26#39;t mind mediocre food in a beautiful courtyard as long as it%26#39;s a buffet, then Court of Two Sisters is for you.



    Court of Two Sisters


    A lunch experience with great food and great service at Commander%26#39;s vs. average to mediocre but plentiful food....Commander%26#39;s by far.




    We have had the buffet at COurt and it was very good-pricey, not as good as Commander%26#39;s in terms of food quality or service, but you will enjoy it. There is a lot of variety, and the bread pudding is still my favorite (even over Commander%26#39;s souffle type).




    Definitely Commander%26#39;s Palace! You go for both the food, the service, the ambience and the experience!





    The Court of Two Sisters is not very good, and it%26#39;s on the pricey side too! Go to Commander%26#39;s instead!




    We were at Court last Friday, and while the setting was beautiful, and the jazz players good, the food was mediocre. But we were in the FQ, hot and hungry and decided to do it rather than go to the garden district. If you really want top notch food, go to Commander%26#39;s. However, if you want average food and LOTS of it, then Court would suit you just fine, especially on a beautiful afternoon.





    Also, we ate tons of crawfish and shrimp which is hard to get too wrong. The bread pudding was good too, as was the creamed herring. A lot of avoidables though. Be warned, if you try to taste everything, you will be digesting the food until the next day (as I found out). Hence, why I never like buffets, but its good for an experience.




    The food quality at Court is spotty, mainly because it%26#39;s a buffet, and some things have been sitting out for a while. Also it is nowhere near the service and experience of a ';real'; restaurant.





    However, its one advantage, if you have never experienced many of the dishes, as a buffet you can sample many different things in small samples, and then (just try) remember what you liked, and later order them at nicer places.





    Oh yes,they have a 3 or 4 piece band playing. So does everywhere.




    Thanks for your help! Commanders it is, but I might keep the reservations at the Court since with a little luck, I can get my husband to do both. Commanders for my bday and the Court because this man does love him some buffet!




    Does anyone know where/how to get discount coupons for Court of Two Sisters? I%26#39;ve read mentions by other travelers of finding them. Thanks!