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Three Days in the Big Easy
By Laura Newsome

Its narrow cobbled alleys, lacey balconies, courtyard patios and muggy Bayou landscapes have inspired musicians, writers, film directors and tourists for generations, but it is New Orleans’ storied past and diverse population that make it one of the most eclectic and international cities in the United States.

Although Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the city’s low-lying areas, the famous French Quarter remains intact, and the ebullient spirit of New Orleans is growing stronger every day as tourists return, jazz musicians take back the streets, and restaurants continue to serve up the spicy Creole favorites that have given this Southern city its “Big Easy” reputation.

Day One: From Royal Street to Bourbon Street
At the heart of New Orleans is the French Quarter, a bustling 20-block historic district characterized by wrought iron porches, brightly colored buildings, brick courtyards and all-day patio dining. One of the most historic and beautiful streets in all the French Quarter is Royal Street, a historic stretch decorated with hanging flower baskets, bright purple, blue and mauve buildings, artistic ironwork and opulent shops selling everything from crystal chandeliers to carved armoires. Notable attractions on the street include the beautiful wrap-around balconies of the LaBranche Buildings, Antoine Peychaud’s Pharmacy (the birthplace of the brandy cocktail), and the popular Mardi Gras shop Rumors, which sells festive beads and masks all year long.

Housed in a historic 1800-era building, Brennan’s is a renowned restaurant perfect for patio dining, while the nearby Merieult House showcases the Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum featuring art, decorative objects and historic artifacts from the old South. St. Anthony’s Gardens, with its lush greenery and scent of sweet olive, is a perfect place for an afternoon walk, although in the 18th century it was more well known as a popular dueling ground.

Once night falls, the world famous Bourbon Street offers plenty in the way of evening entertainment. During Mardi Gras season the street is covered by a thick layer of confetti and beads, as balcony revelers cheer on a parade of boisterous music and colorful floats. Named in honor of the French royal family of Bourbon, the signature street is home to Galatoire’s restaurant, a popular haunt for celebrities and local fanatics alike, who come for signature dishes like Canapé Lorenzo and Trout Marguery. After dinner settles, Bourbon Street is full of twilight activity, ranging from the Old Absinthe House, famous for its namesake drink, Pat O’Brien’s, home of the Hurricane cocktail and a fire fountain courtyard, Fritzel’s, a European jazz club, and Preservation Hall, a venue known for its traditional jazz line-up.

Day Two: French Quarter Views and the Big City Bayou
Dominating the skyline of the Upper French Quarter is the ivory façade and grey steeples of St. Louis Cathedral, constructed in 1794 and decorated with gilded ceiling murals and elaborate stained glass windows. The cathedral complex also features a Mardi Gras Museum full of paraphernalia from celebration’s past, and the city’s original legislative (Cabildo) and courthouse (Presbytere) buildings.

A circular park with a statue of General Andrew Jackson at the center, Jackson Square Park is full of fortunetellers, street musicians, clowns and painters ready to entertain eager tourists. A short walk down Chartres Street is Le Petit Theatre Vieux Carre, a small 1920s theatre that hosted first-run productions by playwrights Oscar Wilde and Eugene O’Neill. A mere block away are the bohemian courtyard cafés of Pirate’s Alley, and the Faulkner House bookstore, known for its selection of first edition Faulkner novels, and as the house where Faulkner penned his first novel, “Soldier’s Pay.” At the nearby Musee Conti Wax Museum, visitors can learn the fascinating history of the Big Easy through 25 engaging wax scenes, while the nearby Napoleon House bar is famous for its Pimm’s Cup, warm muffuletta sandwiches and decorations of the ambitious French leader.

Modern New Orleans is reflected in the glass skyscrapers, high-end boutiques and ritzy hotels of the Warehouse and Central Business Districts. Today, the area is home to sights as varied as the 100,000-square-foot Harrah’s Casino, offering baccarat, slots, blackjack and roulette, and the 16-acre Woldenberg Riverfront Park, which offers walking, running, biking and rollerblading beside the Mississippi River. Canal Street serves as a gateway to the Ferry to Algiers and Mardi Gras World, where visitors are treated to king cake and a comprehensive tour of Mardi Gras float-making.

The Steamboat Natchez offers views of the city from the waters of the mighty Mississippi, while Club 360 at the top of the city’s World Trade Center offers 360-degree views of New Orleans from the sky. A short walk down the street is Riverwalk Marketplace, a massive riverside shopping mall with more than 140 shops, including the Creole Delicacies Gourmet shop, which offers a two-hour Creole cooking course. For upscale shops like Saks Fifth Avenue and Gucci, check out Canal Place, a luxury mall that also houses the Southern Repertory Theatre, famous for showcasing the works of local playwrights. Another must-see sight is the Aquarium of the Americas, which houses 560 species of marine life from around the world, including sea horses, sharks, sea otters, alligators and turtles.

Day Three: Green Scenes and Stately Estates
Extending from St. Ann Street to Esplanade Avenue, the Lower French Quarter showcases the city’s quieter, more residential side, lined with draping trees and aristocratic Creole-style mansions. The charming, 100-year-old Café du Monde is the perfect place to start the day with a cup of café au lait and a plate of sugar-dusted beignets, while more fresh food awaits at the Flea Market and French Market, with arcades selling hot sauces, garlic, peppers, sassafras, baskets, beads and other flea market favorites.

Offering a little bit of mystery and superstition, the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum traces the evolution of voodoo through voodoo dolls and artifacts related to the city’s voodoo queen, Marie Laveau. The city’s Old U.S. Mint once created Mexican and Confederate coinage, but is now the home of the New Orleans Jazz Collection, which tells the story of jazz through paintings, recordings, photographs and instruments. For some outdoor exercise, stroll around the greens of Armstrong Park, named after jazz great Louis Armstrong, and the St. Louis Cemeteries, which offer a glimpse into the city’s historic past through decorative sculptures and winding rows of mausoleums.

Aptly named, the Garden District is known for its historic Victorian, Greek Revival and Italianate-style mansions, lushly landscaped with magnolias, camellias and azaleas. Settled mainly by Americans in the early 1800s, the Garden District’s notable homes include the Women’s Guild Opera House, the Robinson House and the Brevard-Wisdom-Rice House, famous for its current owner, gothic novelist Anne Rice. While Commander’s Place offers legendary Creole food, the Audubon Zoo, named after naturalist John James Audubon, is home to colorful giraffes, jaguars, flamingos and elephants. For a view of New Orleans from the eyes of playwright Tennessee Williams, take a ride on the city’s last remaining “Streetcar Named Desire,” the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. Farther afield in the area known as Mid-City is City Park, the fifth largest park in the U.S., known for its 10-acre New Orleans Botanical Gardens, a 5-acre sculpture garden, eight miles of lagoons, Storyland theme park and the New Orleans Museum of Art, which showcases art by masters like Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe.

After the Big Easy
After three days in the Big Easy your head may be full of jazz, your stomach full of jambalaya and your suitcase full of green and purple “throw beads,” but your heart will be full of Mardi Gras-style satisfaction, and you just might be compelled to buy your own piece of French Quarter real estate.