One of my favorite cities to visit is New Orleans, Louisiana. It is truly a city like no other. It is definitely the easiest city in the United States to compare to Europe. There is so much culture. I recently visited NOLA with my mom. Two out of the three times I have visited, I have stayed in an Airbnb and would definitely recommend it! This past trip my mom and I stayed two blocks from Magazine Street, which was a great location!
SHOP
The Canal Place is an upscale shopping mall in the French Quarter district. The wall above is inside, which made the perfect photo op. Some of the stores include: Banana Republic, Lululemon, Tiffany's, Anthropologie, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc.
The Outlet Collection at the Riverwalk is VERY close to the Canal Place. Some of the stores include: Nordstrom Rack, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Loft, Lucky Brand, Steve Madden, etc. There is also a Cafe Du Monde!
Magazine Street is a street that stretches six miles long. This street consists of boutiques, gift shops, restaurants and cute homes. I am going to list a few of my favorites below:
Lenox + Lane
2131 Magazine Street
Century Girl Vintage
2023 Magazine Street
Grandmother's Buttons
2105 Magazine Street
Peony
2240 Magazine Street
Hemline
3310 Magazine Street
Lucy Rose
3318 Magazine Street
Shake Your Bon Bon
3719 Magazine Street
SEE
Ashley Longshore Art Studio is a must go! Ashley's Pop Art is incredible and sure to be like nothing you have seen before. This talented artist has also been featured in Bergdorf Goodman's in NYC. This gal is hilarious. I bought her "Unapologetic Guide to Being Ambitchous" and it is gold!
Jackson Square + St. Louis Cathedral is very historic to New Orleans. There are lots of artists set up in the street and many cute gift shops in the area.
The Famous Cafe Du Monde is also a close walk. The Original Cafe Du Monde was a traditional coffee shop. The menu consists of dark roasted coffee and chicory, beignets, milk, and OJ. Beignets are square French-style doughnuts covered with powdered sugar.
FUN FACT: Beignets are the Official Louisiana State Doughnut.
You can't go to New Orleans and not make it to Bourbon Street. My all time favorite place is Pat O'Briens. Pat O's is known for their famous hurricane, however I also love the Rainbow and Cyclone drinks!
Hot Tin Rooftop Bar is located inside the Pontchartrain Hotel. The skyline view is definitely worth checking out. (2031 St Charles Ave.)
The Carosuel Bar is located inside Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St.)
As far as restaurant recommendations, I would recommend the Palace Cafe and The Ruby Slipper for brunch. I personally am not big on "New Orleans style food", so I do not have any dinner places to recommend, however I have heard great things about The Commander's Palace.
*Comfortable shoes are a MUST! If you know me you know I do not wear comfy shoes. Walking six miles in one day resulted in me purchasing some sneakers to get home.
Also, something to keep in mind if you are visiting in the summer. It is HOT!
Hope this helps you plan your next trip to New Orleans. Thanks for reading!