New Orleans is synonymous with good music, good food and good-times-loving locals, and simply booking a meeting here is a guaranteed way to amp up attendance. Attendees love the Old World charm of the French Quarter and the “only-in-New-Orleans” decadence of Bourbon Street, the moss-draped oak trees wide as trucks and the wooden-seated streetcars clattering down the neutral grounds (New Orleanian for median). But what they might not know is that New Orleans is made up of neighborhoods each as distinctive as the city itself.
“To visit the neighborhoods is to experience living history,” says Patricia Gay of the Preservation Resource Center, which works to preserve the city’s 17 neighborhoods and invites small groups on neighborhood walking tours. “We highlight not only facts like where the jazz legends lived, but also what is happening now.”
Large groups can take a cue from Nikki Nicholson, vice president of convention sales at the New Orleans CVB, who suggests bringing the distinctive neighborhoods to you. “We have some amazingly creative DMCs who can recreate the French Quarter or the Garden District right in your venue.”
Whether you decide to get out and pound the banquette (how locals say “sidewalk”) or recreate your own New Orleans neighborhood, here is an insider’s guide to neighborly New Orleans.
The French Quarter
When most people think of New Orleans, they think of “the Quarter.” And why not? This tidy grid of streets along the Mississippi River is where the city began nearly 300 years ago. It is New Orleans history reflected in large flower-draped balconies and centuries-old alleyways. To infuse your event with authentic French Quarter ambiance, turn to the past. An abundance of historic venues makes it easy to do.
The Old Ursuline Convent, dating to 1752, is the oldest structure in the city and a striking example of French Colonial architecture. The manicured gardens provide true Old World grace for outdoor receptions. The Cabildo, built in 1795, was the site of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase. The Historic New Orleans Collection details New Orleanian history and culture in a complex of lavish 19th century buildings.
Of course, the Quarter is also home to the booze-fueled frivolity of Bourbon Street, but even tippling takes a historic turn here. Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, built before 1772, is the oldest continually running bar in the country. Preservation Hall, located in a 1750 home, serves up traditional New Orleans jazz and after the show the musicians can lead your group on a second-line parade through the Quarter. Napoleon House is one of the Quarter’s most atmospheric buildings and was offered as a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile. He never showed up, but his name lives on in the artfully aging downstairs bar cafe and the extravagant upstairs L’Appartment de l’Empereur.
The Faubourg Marigny
Separated from the French Quarter by Esplanade Avenue, the Faubourg Marigny was New Orleans’ first suburb (faubourg is French for suburb). Laid out in 1806, the small plots attracted working-class French and Creoles, and Irish, German and Haitian immigrants, and the homes that went up were as diverse as their occupants—Creole cottages, shotgun houses, American townhouses, French Creole storefronts. Today, they have been restored to their 19th century glory, including candy-colored paint jobs, lush courtyards, wrought iron fencing draped with night jasmine, and they make a spectacular backdrop to the Marigny’s biggest modern draw: its live music scene.
On Frenchman Street, “a more sophisticated Bourbon Street,” notes Carling Dinkler III, long-time Marigny resident and owner of Custom Conventions, are wall-to-wall bars pumping out traditional jazz, New Orleans brass band, Latin funk and just about any genre of toe-tapping, hip-swinging music you can imagine. Get your group in on the groove with an evening bar crawl or a book a reception at Snug Harbor, the city’s most esteemed jazz club.
The CBD and the Warehouse/Arts District
Across Canal St. from the French Quarter lies the Central Business District (CBD to locals). This is where New Orleans gets her work on. Meeting planning is serious business here too at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. All shiny and high-tech after a multi-stage, multimillion-dollar renovation, the 1.1 million square-foot space is riding a convention high, hosting one major event after another (64 on the books for 2009!).
The New Orleans Superdome, also sporting a spiffy new finish after $219 million in renovations, is home to the New Orleans Saints and has hosted more Super Bowls than any other facility in the country—10 including the upcoming 2013 game. With over 166,000 square feet of main floor space, it is a favorite spot for groups to throw their own Mardi Gras parades.
Near the river, the CBD becomes the Warehouse/Arts District. Anchored by Julia Street (which hosts a monthly arts festival), the art district features dozens of galleries and designer restaurants, as well as five museums, including the renowned Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), which can hold up to 5,000 for receptions. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is a thoroughly modern facility featuring a spacious atrium and spectacular views from a rooftop garden. The National World War II Museum brings the “war that changed the world” alive, and groups enjoy 1940s themes such as Casablanca, USO shows and swing dances.
The Garden District
Describing the Garden District, Mark Twain wrote, “These mansions stand in the center of large grounds and rise, garlanded with roses, out of the midst of swelling masses of shining green foliage and many-colored blossoms.” This is still an apt description today, and a walking tour of these 19th century Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian and Creole townhouses will give your group an up-close look at the residential grandeur.
Get past the wrought iron fences by booking a mansion. Elms Mansion sits on half an acre of manicured gardens on St. Charles Avenue. The Columns Hotel boasts a spectacular mahogany staircase, a wide columned porch and the famous Victorian Lounge. Magnolia Mansion resembles an elaborate wedding cake and features over-the-top Victorian decor, a 4,000-square-foot courtyard, and—only in New Orleans—a resident ghost.
Of course all those wealthy homeowners needed a place to wine and dine, and in 1880 Commander’s Palace opened. This turquoise and white Victorian institution still draws locals, foodies and groups to its upscale Creole cuisine served in quirky yet genteel salons.
Uptown
Uptown is a rambling grid of oak-lined streets, mom-and-pop shops, designer boutiques, spas, coffee shops, artisan bakeries, pet salons, po’boy shops, soul food shacks, gourmet restaurants and live music bars. It is also one of the city’s loveliest neighborhoods.
“People are just astonished when they come Uptown because it is so different from the Quarter,” says long-time Uptowner Beverly Gianna. “It is so lush and green and fragrant with jasmine.”
Gianna, a 30-year veteran of the New Orleans CVB and currently an events and marketing consultant, highlights the diversity of Uptown venues, from the funky vibe of legendary music club Tipitina’s to the Old Southern elegance of the Audubon Tea Room, a spectacular ballroom on the grounds of the Audubon Zoo.
Though St. Charles has long been New Orleans’ most elegant address, parallel Magazine Street is its most buzz-worthy. Running from the Garden District through Uptown, Magazine offers six miles of art and antiques crammed into colorfully restored 19th century shotgun houses.
“This is the most eclectic shopping destination in the city and a truly cultural district,” says Dinkler, whose Custom Conventions offers Magazine Street “shopping and more” tours.
“More” includes New Orleans ArtWorks, a renovated 1800s warehouse that houses glass-blowing and printmaking studios. It offers seminars, lectures, “make-and-take” demonstrations, a gallery and a zillion different ways for groups up to 200 to get involved.
Carrollton and Mid-City
“You want to see neighborly New Orleans, come down to Zydeco Night any Thursday,” says Johnny Blancher of Rock N Bowl, a Carrollton music (and bowling) institution. “The regulars act as ambassadors for the music, teaching newcomers how to dance Cajun.”
For groups, Rock N Bowl hosts authentic New Orleans parties with brass band music and jambalaya amid murals depicting old New Orleans.
Carrollton’s Oak Street is a throwback to a long-gone time when folks strolled up and down main street seeing and being seen. It teems with brightly colored buildings housing boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants and The Maple Leaf Bar, which has been showcasing New Orleans music for decades. Their Tuesday night Rebirth Brass Band shows offer your group a local’s glimpse of foot-stomping, horn-blowing, life-loving New Orleans.
Mid-City is home to City Park, a 1,500-acre Eden filled with centuries-old oak trees, graceful botanical gardens, and the Pavilion of Two Sisters, a stately venue overlooking the gardens. Also in the park is the New Orleans Museum of Art, a grand dame structure offering event space from marble-columned art galleries to a French courtyard overlooking a modern sculpture garden.
Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish calls itself New Orleans’ Gateway and, as home to Louis Armstrong International Airport, it is indeed the entry point for most visitors. But this vast metropolitan area is also a gateway to two of Louisiana’s most venerated cultural characteristics: bayous and Cajuns.
Moving south, the bustling suburbs of Jefferson tumble into bayous teeming with moss-draped cypress trees, wild orchids, gem-colored insects, and snap-jawed alligators long as kayaks. The 20,000-acre Barataria Preserve offers canoeing, kayaking and walking tours of the swamp.
The Bayou Barn goes a step further, throwing a Cajun party right in the swamp. Groups dance to Zydeco, listen to Cajun storytellers, and fill up on cochon de lait (spit-roasted pig) or a seafood boil of shrimp, crawfish and crabs pulled fresh from the Gulf that morning.
Captain Milton Walker of the Louisiana Swamp Tour Company takes groups deep into the Barataria Bayou for an informative tour that includes Cajun history and tales of the pirate Jean Lafitte, who once ruled these murky waters.
St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish (Northshore to the locals) offers a country escape just 45 minutes north of New Orleans, with eco-boat tours through Honey Island Swamp, biking and horseback-riding along Tammany Trace rail trail, fishing charters on Lake Pontchartrain and several small towns where being neighborly is a way of life.
Abita Springs, founded in the late 1800s, grew up around the town’s natural springs.
“Abita reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting—but southern style,” says David Blossman, president of Abita Springs Brewery.
The town boasts just a single traffic light and a clutch of 19th century buildings housing bed-and-breakfast properties, restaurants and galleries, including the Abita Mystery House, jam-packed with quirky collections of everything from Southern folk art to alien action figures. Groups can also tour the Abita Springs Brewery followed by a reception in their French Quarter-style tasting room.
Nearby Covington offers several uniquely Northshore venues. Historic downtown features covered sidewalks lined with19th century storefronts housing gourmet restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, antique stores and art galleries, making it is a favorite with spousal groups. The Rivers Retreat Conference Center sits on the Little Tchefuncte River and offers ample meeting space surrounded by piney forest. Annadele’s Plantation, an 1830’s mansion, offers award-winning Louisiana cuisine in a series of elegant dining rooms. Pontchartrain Vineyards produces wines to complement Louisiana’s rich cuisine and offers group tours and a lovely reception area overlooking the vineyards.
—Candy Lee LaBalle is a native of New Orleans and a frequent contributor to Meetings South.
For More Info
Jefferson CVB 504.731.7083 www.experiencejefferson.com
New Orleans Metropolitan CVB 504.566.5011 www.neworleanscvb.com
St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission 985.892.0520 www.louisiananorthshore.com
