The Perfect 24 Hours in New Orleans: The Garden District

AFAR

Traveling to New Orleans? Follow this perfect, one-day itinerary exploring one of New Orleans' best neighborhoods: The Garden District. While we love the French Quarter, it's worth going beyond the neighborhood to spend a day in the vibrant, historic neighborhood of The Garden District. Join AFAR Editor Lyndsey Matthews as she shows you the perfect itinerary for a day in NOLA, including the best places to eat, where to shop, and things to do in the Garden District.  Places mentioned in this video include:  Molly’s Rise and Shine Peaches Records Terrance Osborne Gallery Pop Culture NOLA Potsalot Mister Mao Hansen’s Sno-Bliz Audubon Park Mosquito Supper Club Maple Leaf Bar Tiptina’s Bayou Bar  Hotel: The Four Seasons: https://www.fourseasons.com/neworleans/  Read more on afar.com: https://rebrand.ly/goslpyb  ---- CONNECT WITH AFAR Afar.com is a digital and print magazine that publishes travel tips, guides, news, and stories: https://www.afar.com  Get updates on the latest articles, travel news, and more from AFAR by signing up for the AFAR newsletter: https://afar.com/newsletters  Follow AFAR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfarMedia Follow AFAR on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afarmedia Follow AFAR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia Follow AFAR on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afarmedia  ---- CREDITS  Claudia Cardia - Video Editor Jessie Beck - Senior Manager, SEO & Video Elizabeth See - Designer Sarika Bansal - Editorial Director Michelle Heimerman - Photo Editor Lyndsey Matthews - Senior Commerce Editor  MUSIC Kena “Do you” / Musicbed  FOOTAGE / PHOTOGRAPHY Lyndsey Matthews Nicholas DeRenzo (https://www.instagram.com/nderenzo/) Peter Harris (Bayou Bar footage)  CHAPTERS 00:00 Neighborhood 01:01 Breakfast 01:28 Walking tour 01:53 Shopping 02:23 Brunch 03:00 Dessert 03:26 Audubon Park 03:55 Dinner 04:33 Live music 04:57 Nightcap

Transcript

00:00 Hi, Lindsay from afar here.

00:05 New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to return to each year for its delicious food,

00:10 lively music, and beautiful architecture.

00:13 You can find all three of these things in the Garden District and a variety of other

00:17 spots in uptown New Orleans, like the Irish Channel.

00:21 Come with me as I spend the day exploring this beautiful part of the city.

00:28 My preferred mode of transit is the streetcar.

00:31 The St. Charles Streetcar Line takes us on a scenic ride along this tree-lined avenue

00:36 to the Garden District and about 15 minutes from the Central Business District, where

00:40 I'm staying at the Four Seasons.

00:43 Known for its grand mansions, oak-lined avenues, as well as some of the city's best shopping

00:48 along Magazine Street, the Garden District was established as a residential neighborhood

00:53 in the late 1840s and officially incorporated into the city of New Orleans in 1852.

01:00 First we're stopping for breakfast.

01:03 We're at Chef Mason Hereford's Molly's Rise and Shine, a casual breakfast restaurant that

01:08 serves biscuit sandwiches and sides in a dining room decked out in ephemera left over from

01:13 a 90s childhood, just like mine.

01:16 I ordered the Grand Slam McMuffin, which consists of an English muffin with sage pork patties,

01:22 a crispy hash brown, griddled onions, and American cheese.

01:27 After breakfast, we're stretching our legs on a walking tour of the neighborhood's landmarks,

01:31 including the Lafayette Cemetery #1, Commander's Palace, and the Garden District's historic

01:36 mansions.

01:38 Architecture buffs will recognize a wide variety of styles, including Greek Revival,

01:43 Italianate, and Queen Anne Victorians.

01:46 I like wandering at my own pace, but you can also join a group tour with a company like

01:50 Haunted History Tours.

01:52 Looking for some non-cheesy New Orleans souvenirs?

01:56 Head down to Magazine Street, which is lined with block upon block of local businesses.

02:01 Pop Culture NOLA is a Black woman-owned clothing boutique with colorful fashion and fun beaded

02:06 accessories.

02:07 D&O offers New Orleans-themed totes and t-shirts, while Terrence Osborne Gallery sells art by

02:12 local artists.

02:14 Ceramics fans will love perusing the hand-crafted pottery at Potsalot, while Peaches Records

02:19 is a must-visit for vinyl geeks.

02:22 Next we're moseying over to the corner of Chapatulas and Jenna Streets for brunch at

02:26 Mr. Mao.

02:28 Opened in 2021, this is a self-described "tropical roadhouse restaurant" that's unapologetically

02:34 inauthentic from chef/owner Safina Wong and her husband/partner William Greenwell.

02:40 Though they mostly serve dinner Thursday through Monday, I'm here for Sunday brunch to order

02:44 dishes like pani puri stuffed with potato masala and Louisiana strawberries, crispy

02:50 lumpia, and inventive cocktails with names like Thirsty Sarah and Uncle Butthead.

02:56 I was tempted to order everything, but I saved room for dessert since Hanson's Snowblizz

03:00 is just three blocks west.

03:02 Hanson's has been serving Snowballs, cups of finely shaved ice doused with sweet flavorings

03:08 in a rainbow of colors, since 1939, and is still family-run today.

03:14 The selection of flavors is vast, and you can mix and match to your heart's delight.

03:18 I went for satsuma, a type of mandarin topped with sweetened condensed milk.

03:24 A 30-minute walk west, or a 5-minute Uber, is our next stop, Audubon Park, a 340-acre

03:31 public green space in uptown New Orleans.

03:34 Founded in the late 19th century, this park is home to a public golf course, a zoo, and

03:39 more than 1,000 live oaks, some of which date back to the French Revolution.

03:45 Bird watchers take note, the park's lagoons serve as sanctuary to egrets, herons, ibises,

03:50 and plenty of ducks.

03:53 For dinner, we're heading to Mosquito Supper Club, which James Beard Award-winning chef

03:57 Melissa Martin runs from a 19th-century house in uptown.

04:01 Here, Martin serves a multi-course tasting menu Thursday through Sundays at communal

04:06 tables using local seafood from businesses that use sustainable fishing practices.

04:11 We joined a table of other diners, a mix of locals and visitors, to enjoy a family-style

04:16 meal of bright-side oysters, smoked fish dip, crab claws, pickled shrimp, crawfish bisque

04:21 stuffed with crawfish heads, and stuffed crabs.

04:24 For dessert, a wild berry and buttermilk swirl ice cream with an alligator-shaped cookie

04:29 on top.

04:30 Of course, no visit to New Orleans is complete without listening to live music.

04:36 There are so many venues in the Garden District in Uptown to choose from.

04:39 Some favorites include Maple Leaf Bar, Tipitina's, and Bayou Bar.

04:44 After a long day, I'm heading back to the Four Seasons.

04:47 It's located in the Central Business District, just a short walk from the French Quarter,

04:51 making it a great home base for exploring the whole city.

04:55 Before calling it a night, I'm making one last stop at the Chandelier Bar in the lobby

04:59 for a nightcap underneath thousands of Swarovski crystals.

05:04 Thanks for watching this video by far.

05:06 Let us know in the comments below where you'd like us to go next, and what are some of your

05:11 favorite spots in New Orleans?

05:13 As always, like, subscribe, and safe travels!

05:16 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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