Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Beyond Bourbon Street: Exploring Lesser-Known Neighborhoods

New Orleans is so much more than Bourbon Street and the lively French Quarter that most tourists flock to. Venture into the city's lesser-known neighborhoods and you'll discover a more authentic side of the Big Easy, with hole-in-the-wall eateries, hidden architectural gems, and a vibrant local culture.

One such area is Bywater, just downriver from the French Quarter. This hip enclave is home to New Orleans' thriving arts scene, with street artists painting colorful murals on seemingly every available surface. Take a stroll down Dauphine Street to spot some of the neighborhood's funkiest works, stopping into quirky galleries and cafés along the way. Don't miss the Music Box Village either, an outdoor art installation made from repurposed instruments and found objects.

Head across the Industrial Canal to visit St. Claude Avenue, the main drag in the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods. This is a fantastic spot for catching live music, with legendary venues like the Saturn Bar and Hi-Ho Lounge pulsing with blues, zydeco, and everything in between. Check out Frenchmen Street too for its incredible concentration of jazz clubs, drawing enthusiasts from all over.

For a taste of the city's Vietnamese heritage, venture east to New Orleans East. Along Alcee Fortier Boulevard you'll find an abundance of delicious pho shops, banh mi bakeries, and grocers stocked with Asian produce. Don't miss Tan Dinh, a bustling café serving up fragrant Vietnamese iced coffee and some of the city's best spring rolls.

Leafy Audubon Park offers a peaceful escape in Uptown New Orleans. Have a picnic under the sprawling live oak trees, rent a pedal boat to explore the lagoon, or stroll along the 1.8-mile walking path encircling the park. Don't miss the Audubon Zoo located within, home to exotic creatures like orangutans and Komodo dragons.

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Hole-in-the-Wall Eats: Finding Authentic Creole Food Off the Beaten Path

New Orleans is a foodie's paradise, but you have to know where to look to find the real local flavors beyond the tourist traps on Bourbon Street. Venture into the lesser-known neighborhoods and hole-in-the-wall joints to discover authentic Creole cuisine that captures the city's rich culinary heritage.

Start your food tour in the historic Tremé neighborhood. This is the oldest African American neighborhood in the U.S. and where jazz was born. Swing by Lil' Dizzy's Café for soulful Creole fare like their signature trout Baquettaire, smothered in a rich lemon butter sauce. Everything is made from scratch here using local ingredients. Don't leave without trying their flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits.

Next, head to Mid-City for a po' boy at Parkway Bakery & Tavern. The dining room is no-frills, but their shrimp and roast beef sandwiches have developed a cult following. Get the debris po' boy, packed with succulent shredded beef and gravy, but be warned - you'll need lots of napkins. While you're in Mid-City, grab a sno-ball, New Orleans' answer to the snow cone, at Hansen's Sno-Bliz to cool off.

You can't visit New Orleans without trying gumbo, and Sammy's Food Service & Deli is known by locals to have some of the best. Situated in a tiny shotgun house in Central City, Sammy's gumbo is rich and deeply flavored, loaded with shrimp, crab, and andouille sausage. Get there early at lunch though, as they often sell out.

No Creole food tour would be complete without trying fried chicken, and Willie Mae's Scotch House has been dishing out crispy, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth fried chicken since 1957. The restaurant is nothing fancy, just a few tables in a small house, but one bite of their chicken will tell you why there's always a line out the door. Be sure to get mac and cheese as a side too.

For pillowy, warm beignets buried under a blanket of powdered sugar, skip Café Du Monde's touristy location in the French Quarter and head to Morning Call Coffee Stand in City Park instead. This legendary spot has been serving fresh beignets and chicory café au lait 24/7 since 1870. Grab a table under the shady live oaks and watch the world go by.

Finally, satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of creamy, decadent bananas Foster bread pudding from The Praline Connection. The soul food restaurant serves up innovative takes on Creole classics, and their bread pudding made with bananas soaked in rum is sublime. It's the perfect sweet ending to your New Orleans food adventure.

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Hidden History: Discovering New Orleans' Overlooked Museums

Tucked away off the beaten path, New Orleans has some under-the-radar museums that offer a fascinating look at forgotten chapters of the city’s storied past. Venture beyond the crowds and commercialized attractions to uncover these hidden history gems.

One such overlooked museum is the Backstreet Cultural Museum in Tremé, dedicated to the history of the city’s African American street culture. Mardi Gras Indian suits, Second Line parade umbrellas and hand-sewn suits are on display, each a work of art. Founder Sylvester Francis will regale you with tales of the characters and communities behind each mask and suit if you call ahead to request a tour. Preserving this history ensures traditions are passed on to future generations.

The Bywater area houses two hidden history havens: the Beauregard-Keyes House and the Old U.S. Mint. The Beauregard-Keyes House illuminates life in the 19th century Creole community and the contributions of its former inhabitants, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard and author Frances Parkinson Keyes. Hear the story of how Keyes restored the dilapidated home to its prior glory.

On nearby Esplanade Avenue, the Old U.S. Mint showcases incredible Jazz Age architecture and the role of the building in everything from its original purpose coining money to serving as a Coast Guard base during wartime. Don’t miss the excellent exhibits chronicling the city’s musical heritage, including instruments used by jazz greats like Louis Armstrong.

For military history buffs, the National WWII Museum in Central Business District provides a comprehensive look at the war and its impacts. State-of-the-art exhibits like Final Mission: The USS Tang Submarine Experience bring history alive in gripping detail. Over an entire day, you can take in the sprawling museum’s extensive galleries, conflicts covered, oral histories collected and artifacts like vehicles, weapons and uniforms from the war.

While the Cabildo on Jackson Square covers the history of rule under various world powers, from the Spanish in the late 18th century to Napoleon to Louisiana’s induction as a U.S. state, the nearby 1850 House in the Lower Garden District has been virtually untouched since that time. It offers a window into life for a prosperous Creole family before the Civil War. Costumed guides really make the experience.

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Green Spaces: Relaxing in the City's Secret Gardens

Tucked away between the colorful rows of shotgun houses, Creole cottages, and stately mansions lie some of New Orleans’ hidden green spaces: secret gardens that offer a respite from the city’s pulsating energy. These verdant havens provide the perfect spot to relax amid blooming flowers and towering trees, offering a moment of zen in the Big Easy.

One such urban oasis is the courtyard garden at The Columns Hotel on St. Charles Avenue. Cross the cast-iron gate and you'll feel like you've been transported to another world, with ivy creeping up the brick walls and fountains burbling gently under the shade of magnolia trees. Grab a mint julep at the bar and let the sounds of the courtyard fountain and chirping birds melt your stress away.

The lush grounds of the Longue Vue House & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark built in 1939, is another retreat. Stroll through 8 acres of immaculately designed gardens showcasing azaleas, camellias, and over 300 other plant species. Pause to take in views of the garden’s centerpiece, an elliptical pond reflecting the home’s neoclassical architecture. Have a picnic on the great lawn under sprawling live oaks.

Located near the historic bayous, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA is ideal for art and nature lovers. In addition to housing over 60 sculptures from famed artists like Louise Bourgeois, the garden’s footpaths wind through lily pad ponds, trickling fountains, and moss-covered oaks. Bring a sketchpad and let your creative side flourish amid the beauty.

Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, may seem an unlikely oasis. But with its garden-like aisles and striking above-ground tombs shaded by trees, it’s a peaceful place to contemplate mortality against a backdrop of flowers and greenery. Marvel at the elaborate stonework and sit a spell listening to birdsong among the ancient graves.

New Orleans City Park is home to one of the world’s largest and oldest groves of mature live oaks. Have a picnic and relax in the dappled sunlight under these majestic trees, some over 600 years old with trunks 16 feet around. Rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard to explore the park’s scenic waterways, or take a ride on the City Park Railroad through this urban forest.

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Tuneful Treasures: Tracking Down Local Live Music Hot Spots

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz and a mecca for music lovers from all over the world. But to experience the city’s live music scene like a local, you need to know where to find the hole-in-the-wall venues tucked away from the tourist traps on Bourbon Street. Follow your ears down side streets and alleyways to discover intimate concert halls, neighborhood bars, and steamboat cruises pulsing with the authentic sounds of New Orleans.

For straight-up jazz, Preservation Hall in the French Quarter is a must. The dusty, standing-room-only venue has been showcasing jazz greats since 1961 in a setting so intimate you can feel the music reverberating through your soul. Sets here are raw and electrifying, taking you back to jazz's early days. Arrive early to grab a spot up close or you’ll be craning your neck from the back.

Head to the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood to check out music haunts like the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street, where you can catch gypsy jazz, Dixieland, and swing nightly for a $10 cover. Nearby Snug Harbor dishes up sultry vocal jazz and Brazilian beats in a cozy, retro setting harking back to the 1940s. Don't miss their acclaimed Jazz Bistro series on Thursdays.

Maple Leaf Bar in the Carrollton neighborhood is home to the legendary Rebirth Brass Band every Tuesday night. Their energetic funk and hip hop-infused brass keeps locals dancing all night long. Professor Longhair’s on Friday and Saturday nights is another iconic Maple Leaf experience, with boogie woogie piano that will transport you to the Big Easy's early R&B days.

For live local music with river views, hop aboard the Steamboat Natchez during their Evening Jazz Cruise. As you cruise along the Mississippi, some of the city's best jazz musicians serenade you from the deck below twinkling city lights. It's a magical New Orleans night to remember.

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Shopping Secrets: Scoring Deals at the City's Best Vintage Boutiques

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Street Art Surprises: Spotting Stunning Murals Around Town

Big Easy Insider: A Local's Guide to the Hidden Gems of New Orleans - Festival Finds: Joining Locals-Only Celebrations

Beyond the tourist-packed Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, New Orleans has a calendar jam-packed with quirky, locals-only festivals that provide a window into the city’s diverse cultures and vibrant spirit. From parading baby dolls to ceremonial skull haunts, these offbeat celebrations offer an authentic experience of the real NOLA.

Deep in Tremé, follow the Second Line parade during the Baby Dolls Festival for a rollicking glimpse into this unique tradition. Legend has it African American women too poor to join Mardi Gras krewes instead dressed up as baby dolls, strutting and dancing through the streets. Today, troupes of colorfully-costumed women carry umbrellas, wave fans and shimmy down the route, playfully engaging spectators with hip shakes and flirty gestures. The joy and jubilation is infectious.

Each Halloween, the city celebrates its Hispanic heritage during El Dia de los Muertos festivities. At St. Roch Cemetery in the Bywater, candlelit altars honoring deceased loved ones line the aisles during this All Souls’ Day commemoration. Elaborate skull makeup and costumes abound as people sing, dance and parade through the atmospheric above-ground tombs well into the night.

Don your finest purple, green and gold finery for Chewbacchus, a quirky mashup of Mardi Gras and pop culture. This unofficial parade features homemade floats and tongue-in-cheek krewes like the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchanalians and Mystic Knights of Mayhem, skewering everything from politics to pandemic policies with raucous irreverence. Catch flying throws referencing sci-fi, fantasy and other beloved fictional worlds.

Held on Fat Tuesday itself, the Society of Saint Anne honors the patron saint of housewives, seeking to empower women and promote social change. This all-female krewe parades Uptown in handmade outfits, casting a spell on spectators with witchy voodoo dolls, potion bottles and magic wands among their throws. Celebrate these fab femmes as they reclaim the streets on Carnival’s final day.

Grab your skates for the Big Easy Rollergirls Crescent City Clash bout, where you can watch New Orleans’ all-star roller derby team take down challengers with ferocity and flair. With action-packed jams, nail-biting point spreads and quippy player nicknames, this rowdy regulation matchup displays the team’s athleticism alongside the sass and spirit of NOLA. Let the fast-paced fun and halftime hijinks entertain you at Mardi Gras World.

Embrace the retro at the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival, bringing together the spirits industry’s finest. Attend spirited seminars, shake up new skills at hands-on workshops, and sip vintage cocktails inspired by iconic bars of yore during this toast to classic mixology. Discover new flavors at the Spirited Awards or develop your palette at tastings with celebrity bartenders.