Hidden Gems in New Orleans

Blogger: Michael Marchese

Hometown: Irvine, CA

Email: mmarches@tulane.edu

So you’ve already eaten at Café du Monde, strolled through Audubon Park, and had your photo taken in front of St. Louis Cathedral. New Orleans certainly has a ton of great tourist destinations, but once all those bases have been covered, where can a new NOLA resident go to blend in with the locals and experience some true New Orleans gems? Luckily, I’m here to answer that question for you with a list of my own favorite “Hidden Gems in New Orleans.”

1.     Coop’s Place

This restaurant and bar on lower Decatur in the French Quarter has all the makings of a true New Orleans hole-in-the-wall.  The dining experience which awaits the customers willing to brave the sketchy exterior and intimidatingly long line is absolutely worth the wait. In my opinion, the rabbit jambalaya served here is second to none, even the plates served at the city’s ritzier establishments. The shrimp creole and fried chicken are also some of the best I’ve had, so try the combo plate and get all three, plus red beans and rice. Coop’s Place’s low prices, authentic ambience, and high quality local cuisine make this local favorite stand out in a city that’s known for its food.

 

2.     Oak Street

Because most tourists generally don’t make it very far outside of the French Quarter, I consider all of Oak Street upriver from Carrolton to be a “hidden gem.” That’s because this street has recently become a gentrified avenue of trendy clothing stores, coffee shops, local and international cuisine, and bars featuring some of the city’s best live musical performances. Jacques-Imo’s is a Tulane favorite for creole and Cajun specialties, especially during parents’ weekend and around graduation. Squeal and Cowbell offer fantastic barbeque and burgers for all you meat lovers, and Zotz and Rue de la Course both offer great coffee (and a great place to study). During the fall semester, the street comes alive for Po-Boy Fest, a street fair honoring New Orleans’ favorite sandwich.

 

3.     La Crêpe Nanou

For a classy night out on a college student’s budget, this is the place to go. Perfect for date night or celebrating the end of finals with your friends, La Crepe Nanou offers French cuisine in a beautiful art nouveau building located in the Garden District, not far from campus. The Crepe Bourgogne and the Ratatouille are my favorites, but the menu boasts provincial cuisine for a wide range of palettes, including daily seafood specials. A friendly orange cat greets those waiting outside for a table every night, and local art depicting nearby antebellum mansions grace the walls.

 

4.     Piazza d’Italia

This large public space located on Poydras Street in the Central Business District is even unknown to most New Orleanians. A celebration of the city’s Italian heritage and the various architectural styles which were pioneered on the Italian peninsula, this plaza was hailed as a postmodern masterpiece even before its completion in the 1970s. Even after its restoration in 2004, it’s not a popular spot; every time I’ve wandered in, I’ve been the only visitor, and have had free reign of the fountains and gardens to myself. However, it’s a beautiful plaza, and in my opinion deserving of more attention and use.

Have you found these gems yet, and do you agree that they’re worth the search? Are there any gems that you think I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!

Ready to Call it Home Sweet New Orleans?

Deborah Yim

Hometown: Chicago, IL

dyim@tulane.edu

Finally, after experiencing the luxury of Sharp and Monroe, the option of living off campus becomes available! Do you start looking for an apartment or pick which dorm you want to live in next year? After living in Mayer my sophomore year, I decided to venture out and get a place to call my own for the remainder of my college career. I was excited to live with my close friends and have my own room.

Before my roommates and I found and signed a lease for the place we now call home, we had a checklist of things to cover. Figuring out on-campus housing at Tulane can be stressful. We worry if our lottery time to sign up for a room will be soon enough to get our first choice dorm, and if the people we plan to live with will commit under the varying circumstances. Similarly, many Tulane students are out looking for that perfect apartment, just like you are. And most landlords will give their lease up on a first come, first serve basis. It’s a rush to find an apartment, but we wanted to be sure to find the right one for us.

The off-campus housing options around Tulane have varying amenities. One of the first things my roommates and I did was make a list of what we were looking for in an apartment. Our list considered the following:

●      What is our budget for rent?

●      How much will utilities, Internet, and cable cost?

●      How far away are we willing to live from campus?

●      Does the unit have central air and heat?

●      Does the unit have a washer and dryer?

These questions served as guidelines that helped us pick and choose potential apartments. To find out what was available, we looked for listings online at sites like Craigslist, walked around the neighborhoods that we would consider living in to find “For Rent” signs, and asked upper classmen for their landlords’ contact information, or if any seniors were graduating and looking for new tenants to take their place.

After seeing multiple apartments, my roommates and I finally found a place we agreed on. Personally, I really enjoy living off-campus. I was really excited to have my own room, and just the general comfort of a “home.” Bruff is really convenient, but I also like to cook, so I looked forward to having a kitchen to prepare meals and bake. Living off-campus also offers a sense of freedom. There are no RAs around to check up on you, or make sure you’re moved out by a certain date. It was nice to be able to stay in New Orleans a few days after finals and just hangout with friends and explore the city.

As you become more a part of the New Orleans community, you may become less a part of the Tulane community. You’re no longer eating every meal at Bruff or the LBC and spending all hours of the day on campus, which can lead to a slight disconnect. It’s up to you to stay in tune with what’s happening on campus. Living in an apartment may give you more freedom, but it also brings along more responsibilities. If you lived in the dorms, you wouldn’t have worry about paying rent and bills, going to the grocery store, and cleaning the bathroom or kitchen. You can no longer call Service Wave if the air conditioner is broken or rely on the front desk for more toilet paper.

Based on all the pros and cons to living on and off campus, decide which option you think will better suit your lifestyle. Living off-campus gives you more flexibility and freedom, but comes with more responsibilities. For me, having my own place has been really fun and served as a good life lesson. I learned to manage my finances better, budgeting for rent, utilities, groceries and spending money. I also gained knowledge on overall household tasks that I would have never been exposed to living in the dorms. Be sure to weigh out all your options and decide if living off-campus is right for you.