Bourbon Street and jazz bars

Hi, am visiting New Orleans for the first time in May. I%26#39;ve heard that going out on Bourbon Street is a must-do...however I%26#39;ve also been told its a tourist trap, can be unsafe and best done only if you want to party hard. Whereas I am not much of a drinker.

Just wondering what peoples views are?

Also - I want to check out a jazz bar but wouldn%26#39;t know where to start in picking one. Does anyone have some suggestions....I don%26#39;t want to go to a v trendy/expensive place as thats not my kind of scene...just somewhere pretty laid back. I%26#39;m staying on O%26#39;Keefe St so somewhere close by would be ideal.

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.

Bourbon Street and jazz bars

Bourbon St does have a reputation as party central, but there are some really enjoyable spots on Bourbon like Pat O%26#39;s (piano bar and nice courtyard) and Lafitte%26#39;s Blacksmith Shop that have a more chill vibe than some of the other Bourbon bars.

There are some great jazz clubs on Frenchmen St in the Marigny. This area is walking distance from the French Quarter. My favorite club there is Snug Harbor, but there are many. http://www.snugjazz.com/site/

Bourbon Street and jazz bars

FYI, the link above triggered a pop-up that set off my virus protection.

That%26#39;s interesting. It works fine for me (I have a Mac).

I don%26#39;t think Bourbon St is unsafe.

It%26#39;s not a ';tourist trap'; since it%26#39;s free and it%26#39;s right next to everything else anyway. It is a must do (or at least a ';must pass through';), in part, because it takes no effort at all. There are live bands starting very early in the afternoon. Try it at several different times of the day.

Frenchman St is more of a ';must do'; in my opinion.

Hey, me too! The Snug Harbor link came up and then an Adobe file on top of it for ';Super Adult Search'; which totally shut down Adobe!!

For those having trouble with Snug Harbor%26#39;s website you can go to Offbeat http://www.offbeat.com/listings/clubs.php and put in the dates and/or clubs you%26#39;re interested in to see who%26#39;s playing. The only downside is it only works so far in advance.

Weird about the snugjazz site. I%26#39;ve been on it many times and never had any trouble. However, I%26#39;m not going there now just in case.

Bourbon St is not expensive. First of all you get to walk around with your drink in a to go cup. That helps save money right there. Sometimes can be more rowdy than others, but if it isn%26#39;t to late at night, then it isn%26#39;t that wild. People walk around with their kids in babystrollers. The places that tend to be more rowdy are the clubs with djs instead of live bands. Pat O Brians is a great place to go for your first trip. Try and go to the dueling piano bar and sing a few songs with the crowd. The patio is very nice as well. Don%26#39;t drink to many hurricanes, they go down real easy, and have a strong kick. It is pretty easy to figure out where you want to be on Bourbon ST. The doors are all open and you can see in to most places. Plus if you go into one place and don%26#39;t like it, pour your drink into a plastic cup and go find a place you do like.

If you%26#39;re looking for something quieter on Bourbon St go to Lafitte%26#39;s Blacksmith Shoppe for your Hurricane. Pat O%26#39;s made them famous, but imo they%26#39;re better at Lafitte%26#39;s. It%26#39;s also a very one of a kind bar that you should experience.

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