Visiting New Orleans
New Orleans is one of those cities that everyone who's visited has anincredible story about; about the streets bursting with music andvibrance and about the people you meet in bars or on corners or inparks; about the hellos from strangers and the beads hanging from trees,about the heat and the humidity and the culture shock and immensedisparity between wealth and poverty.Despite a sordid history and very real and unpleasant images of naturaldisasters and devastation, New Orleans is an easy place to romanticize.It is, at its heart, a beautiful place filled with true characters;there's a reason it is the backdrop for that one Tennessee Williamsplay, and so many jazz songs that have shaped our musical history. Icould probably write an entire book (or at least an essay) with theimage of an elderly man sitting in front of a typewriter, on hisbalcony, covered in ivy and flora, with a cat tiptoeing between hisfeet; I think I want to be that man someday.
{PLACES TO SHOP}Fifi Mahony's
I originally sought out Fifi Mahony's based on recommendations from friends and the internet, but even if I hadn't, it would have been difficult to ignore their enticing, colorful, and magnetic storefront on Royal Street while walking through the French Quarter. At its core, Fifi Mahony's is a wig shop. They specialize in custom wigs, but also have a salon in the back of the shop filled with ready-to-wear (and mostly synthetic, but beautiful) wigs). But, beyond the sky-high, colorful bouffants, there's a boutique filled with cult cosmetics brands and accessories, as well as a salon tucked away in the back with a lavender-haired maven at work.Fifi Mahony's | French Quarter.934 Royal Street. 504.525.4343.The Shops at 2011
Magazine Street is a long and generous street when it comes to shopping destinations. There are many must stop shops (just try not to go on, like, Easter Sunday), but when I hadn't heard of and was happy to discover was The Shops at 2011 - a collective of independent boutiques, vendors, and antique consigners sharing an enormous space. There was everything from new, luxury furniture to antique typewriters to an adorable vintage straw hat I ended up purchasing for $22 (the perfect spring hat, if I do say so myself).The Shops at 2011 | Uptown. 2011 Magazine Street. 504.525.2240.UAL
My friend and power publicist Lauren Laguarde insisted that I maketime to go to UAL, and even shared a story about a friend who recently visited NOLA and shopped at UAL for all three-days of her long weekend stay. I went home with a pair of Charlotte Olympia heels (pictured above) marked down to about 80% off of retail, making me a very, very happy girl.UAL | French Quarter. 518 Chartres Street. 504.301.4437.Trashy Diva
In the French Quarter, there are three Trashy Diva shops-each dedicated to Clothing, Shoes, and Lingerie, (there's also a location Uptown). Even if you're not arockabilly or retro girl at heart (Dita Von Teese obsession aside, I'vecome to terms with the fact that I'm not), it's a fun series of shops tovisit and help explore your alter-ego. My love even surprised me with aring and Besame Lipstick while we visited the shoe store, and at theclothing store, I fell in love with (and ultimately purchased) a glassand opal necklace made of antique, reset stones. Ali also got me an awesome lip ring and one of Besame's signature red lipsticks. She knows me (and spoils me) so well!!Trashy Diva | French Quarter. 829 Chartres Street. 504.581.4555.
{THINGS TO EAT}
Beignets at Cafe du Monde
Let's get this out of the way: yes,Cafe du Monde is absolutely a tourist destination. Of the nine cafe locations throughout New Orleans, the location at the French Market is probably the most popular.
Cafe Du Monde | French Quarter. 800 Decatur Street. 504.525.4544.Grilled Oysters at Acme
Once the temperatures start rising, I'm somewhat of a fiend for oysters and other delicious raw seafood. Fortunately, in New Orleans, they're not just an al fresco dining favorite, but a year round favorite, and grilled, garlicky, buttery oysters were a new and exciting experience for me. Though you can find varieties of seafood (fresh, raw, or grilled) throughout the city, Acme was repeatedly recommended to us, so it was ultimately where we parked our butts and quelled our appetites. We sat at the bar and enjoyed conversations with the kitchen staff, working behind the bar and shucking oysters, throughout our meal.Gelato at Sucre
Everyone (ie, the internet) will tell you to go to Sucre on Magazine Street for the macarons, but trust me that, while the macarons are good, the gelato is where it's at.Sucre | Uptown/Garden District. 3025 Magazine Street. 504.520.8311.Tivoli & Lee
Tivoli & Lee | Warehouse District. 936 St. Charles Avenue. 504.962.0900.Lunch at August
John Besh is kind of a hometown hero, with a bevvy of restaurants to his credit - and eight out of nine are located in the heart of New Orleans. Of them all, August had a menu that appealed to me most - with a light touch of Cajun flair guiding a menu of international haute cuisine. Though a dinner at August could easily empty your wallet, the four-course lunch prix-fixe at under $30 per person is a relative steal, and the experience was on par with top restaurants like Del Posto and Jean Georges in New York. It was worth every penny from first bite of the savory amusé bouche to the sweet, rich dessert.August | Commercial Business District. 301 Tchoupitoulas Street. 504.299.9777.
{THINGS TO DO}
Visit the Botanical Gardens
True to my Taurus nature, I love being surrounded by flora - especially in controlled settings like a beautifully curated and manicured park in the middle of a metropolis. The warm, humid climate in Louisiana means the Botanical Garden is, I imagine, always lush -- and it certainly was on our early spring visit. There's a Japanese Garden,
Tarot Reading: Despite having much of a theological framework in mylife, I do tend to border on superstitious- and look to Susan Miller(astrologyZone4lyfe) for answers more often than I can admit to withoutsounding crazy. Psychics and Tarot readers, however, need to becertified in order to practice their craft in New Orleans, so it seemedlike the place to sit down for my first reading. I sat with a womanwearing a long velvet dress adjacent to Jackson Square. She lookedweathered, but wise (though certainly younger than her appearancesuggested). She surprised me with her vocabulary and insight, and downright shocked me with how accurate her reading was with my life. Alivisited another psychic at a voodoo house and had a similarly hauntingexperience. Good news for us, independently of each other, both psychicshad very good things to say about our relationship.Play Dress Up
After my visit to Fifi Mahony's and more vintage storesthan I care to admit, and after even just a few hours of soaking intothe festive spirit of New Orleans, I couldn't help but slide a wig overmy tresses, a full face of makeup, and have myself a little photoshootwith Ali. I transformed myself into something out of a Lichtensteinwork, and I couldn't have done it without some major drag inspiration inthe French Quarter.Drink a Cobbler at Bellocq (at The Hotel Modern)
A cobbler is one of thesignature cocktails at Bellocq, served in an icy cold Derby cup andfilled past the brim with crushed ice and a mix of fruit and liquor anddeliciousness. Sip slowly because its easy to forget you're actuallyconsuming alcohol; the presentation (and atmosphere) are perhaps moredelicious than the cocktails!Share Stories with Strangers: I think this is a trademark of the south,but New Orleans (much like Savannah) is different than my hometowns ofNew York and Los Angeles because, if for no other reason (though there aremany), people just come up to you and say hello. "Hello" turns into "how are you"and is reciprocated and before you know it you're talking to a brotherand sister, in their 40s, originally from Ohio, who transplanted to NewOrleans on a whim several years prior. People have more in common thanthey do in difference, no matter where they're from or how old they areor how different they look from you, and you'll learn it as soon asyou're open to starting with "hello."Enjoy Live Jazz on a Sidewalk: You couldn't avoid this if you tried.Really, you couldn't. The streets practically vibrate with the sounds ofa bass and a snare drum and the high pitch of a trumpet. People singwith such soul and heart that you wonder how they've gotten through lifewithout being handed a record deal. More than once I'm pretty sure Icried, just listening to strangers singing and playing their music. Ithink the world would be a better place if we all had as much passiontowards anything as New Orleans' musicians do towards music.
{WHERE TO STAY}
The Hotel Modern
At the recommendation of my friends Kim and Keiko, I decided to checkout The Hotel Modern located in NoLA's Central Business District -- aneighborhood that reminded me a lot of Downtown LA and was filled withequal parts high rises and art galleries. The rooms are spacious, andtrue to the name, modern - and the bathrooms are stocked with Toiletriesfrom C.O. Bigelow. In contrast to our last trip to Savannah where westayed at a B&B, it was a treat to stay in a hotel with a massive(and insanely comfortable) bed with 24-hour service. The hotel housesit's own restaurant, Tivoli & Lee, as well as cocktail lounge,Bellocq (an absolute must-do)!And that's a wrap with New Orleans... Though, cat's out of the bag: I'll be there much, much, much more come August. Details TBA.