Dear Students: here is your sixth blog topic. Visit some place in New Orleans that you’ve never been before and blog about it. You can blog about any place you like, but it should be a specific place: a building, a park, a street, etc. If you want to blog about the French Quarter, find some particular part of the Quarter to write about. This blog should be posted some time BEFORE our class on October 27. Respond by hitting the RESPONSES button underneath this entry, and make sure your post is at least 250 words. Happy blogging!
Blog Post #6: Visit to a New Orleans Place Sunday, Oct 19 2008
Uncategorized 7:32 pm
I grew up in New Orleans and there are many places I have not visited. I was literally confined to the westbank and my mom would sneak away to the French Market. I always wanted to go but she would always say next time. I finally went last month with my friends. I was in awe because I finally got to go. It was so full of culture. I felt as if I was at a flea market in Morocco. Although it’s like only half of a block under a shed it felt like so much more to me. I brought a dress and a ring. The jewelery is very unique. All around the French Market there are horse and carriages, cars blurring around, chattering from bars and restaurants,tourists roaming the streets in complete awe, and others trotting to and from work. There in the middle of it all is the French Market with costumes, jewelry,clothes,gadgets,and an array of other things. You stand there feeling as if for a moment the world has stopped spinning and time is frozen. I think that’s the effect not only the French Market has on people, but all of New Orleans. The Big Easy makes you feel as if problems are temporary and there is no need to stress or worry. The French Market is now my spot of choice simply because it’s close to everything yet it feels like a world of its own. I love that place dearly.
Terinisha: isn’t the French Market great?! It’s a wonderful idea for a place to visit for students not from New Orleans, since it brings so many elements of our city together. And the Market has been renovated since Katrina; it’s getting even nicer than it was before!
I know there are plenty of different cultural aspects of New Orleans for me to site and visit and blog about but I have not been there yet so, therefore, I am going to blog about the one place I have been to which is Bourbon St. I recently moved to New Orleans Louisiana a couple of months ago for school. My friend who was from Maryland told me so much stories about how she had been to this place and so many things happened. I wanted to experience what she had experienced; I wanted to have stories to tell too. One of the weekends we were not busy me and my friends went out to Bourbon St. I imagined it would be something like New York’s main attraction streets with performers and shopping centers and big buildings but it was nothing like that. Bourbon St. was an extra long slim street with about 300 people squeezing on it. I saw a lot of things I would definitely not see on a daily basis if I was at home. Bourbon also had little clubs and restaurants that people would stay in to enjoy themselves. One thing that was on Bourbon St. that you could never possibly see anywhere else would be the old fashion French looking buildings they have. A lot of people go on the balcony and throw off different color beads. That was something I thought happened only during Mardi Gras but apparently they do that every weekend. I love the way Bourbon St. is setup because something new happens every time and you never know what comes next, it’s truly amazing to me.
Since I am a New Orleans native, I always thought I knew everything about my city. But since I was given this assignment, I have come to realize that I have not experienced my fair share of the unknown New Orleans. I decided to act like a tourist in my own hoem town something I have always wanted to do with a group of my friends. We stopped in the lobby of this hotel on Canal Street and asked to see one of the night tour guides of the French Quarters. We took the Vampire Tour into the night life of the supernatural side of New Orleans. I was fascinated by the difference of how some of the most familiar streets seemed so alien to me as our tour guide was pointing out Vampire hang outs. The night tour gave me a new perspective into the super natural world that we live so close to yet never notice. Like for instance, there is a little shop I can recall passing every day with my grandmother on her way to work on Canal Street. This shop looks very normal. Its small and if you blink you just might miss it. Can you imagine how curious I was when this same little shop was the number one hang out of New Orleans’ night life? I was amazed at all the different types of people, with their obvious differences in culture, coming in and out of this little shop specializing in the newest Goth trends. This little outing gave me a farther in sight into the uniqueness of my city. I enjoyed being a tourist in my own hometown.
Tannielle: the next time you are at Bourbon Street try walking all the way down from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and notice how the street changes as you move from Canal to Esplanade. There are several distinct Bourbon Street personalities to notice, including a residential one.
Ishanek: thanks for the story about the Vampire tour! I see those tours often when I’m in the Quarter at night, but I’ve never done one myself.
Since I have been here in New Orleans I havent really gone to far.but i have been to the french quaters. One of my friends that’s from new orleans insisted that I go with her to the french quarters she went on and on for days so I said ill go.it was really something different for me and was a great experience it reminded me of home a little I believe their called flea markets here in new orleans but we call them swap meets in california so that was something new I learned.Me and some of my friends went to cafe du monde and ate beignets I loved it, it was a bit messy but I enjoyed them and im ready to go back already. New orleans has alot of great landmarks and many places to go.Just being in new orleans is amazing, in a city that was onced destroyed by a hurricane. And that has recovered and is still recovering is just a blessing. New Orleans is still standing strong I have many things to take back home with me.
Being from California our food cuisine is very different. From our fast food restaurants to candy shops. Our restaurants, fast food joints and even our candy treats are not made with as much soul as New Orleans food, unless the meal is being made from our mother’s cooking or from our grandparents cooking. But here in New Orleans every food joints food is made with soul. I just been introduced to a Beignet at the Cafe Du Monde down in he French Quarter. The taste of the beignet was the most delicious treat i had ever had. The way the hot bread like was engulfed in the powder sugar made my tonsils water. I never knew how good it was. Around school i hear people always talking about this. When i tried it for myself i knew it was not a myth to how good it was. It was very filling since they give you a plate full. Another thing i was introduced was a praline. Pralines top off every candy. The hot fudge with nuts engraved in to it had my sweet tooth nagging for more. That candy right there is so addicting because i kept going back for more. Im not a big fan on nuts, however if its in a praline then i am for nuts 100%. To me its amazing how these treats are made. If you look at the name they do not even sound attractive to even eat. Praline sounds like something in the sardine category and beignet sounds even worse. But overall i enjoyed both of these treats at the restaurants. And i can see myself returning occasionally back to them every once and a while.
The place that i went to was the French Quarter and the Lake Shore mall.i think thats whats its called. The French quarter was a very nice looking place and to me it looked like it held some great memories to many different places. I walked slowly down the side walk and saw the people that posed as statues. It amazed me that they could be so still for such a long period of time. I heard the music that was being played by individuals on the street. On one side there was a man with a saxaphone and then on the other side there would be people dancing. I stopped in the one cafe and had benyaes. The soul of the french quater just seemed very upbeat and alive. The Lakeshore Mall i think it was called was a fun place. i tink that there ice cream is amazing and they had all different types of things you could buy. And what i really liked was the place you could buy any candy but they made it in front of you and made you a active member in what they were doing. The mall was really big and tiring after a while but it was still fun.
I sat in my room bored out of my mind last week. I took me an hour to realize that I was hungry. I called one of my good friends that has been living in New Orleans for about two years. I asked her if she knew about any good restaurants in the city. She thought that this was funny because she says that New Orleans is known for its great food. She told me she would pick me up and take me to Bubba Gumps. I had never heard of Bubba Gumps and it definitely did not sound like a place that I wanted to eat at but I was hungry and craving something different. When we got there we were greeted by a lady that said “welcome to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.” I quickly realized that the entire restaurant was based on one of my favorite movies Forrest Gump. After we were seated, a waitress came to our table to take our drink orders and explain to use the there was a sign on our table that would let her know when we needed anything. When the sign was flipped to “Run Forrest Run” she would not bother you but when you flip it to “Stop Forrest Stop” she would stop at the table to see what you need. I thought this was a great idea because I previously had been to a restaurant with horrible service. I was with out a drink during the entire time I ate my meal. The food at Bubba Gumps was great and I am proud of myself for trying something new. I will definitely be returning during my stay in New Orleans.
Joanna: which landmarks are you referring to? Your comments are a little non-specific.
Tynishia: thanks for the interesting comparison of California and New Orleans cuisine. I think California food might be a tad bit healthier!
Zsa Zsa: your comments are a bit non-specific. In fact, they could apply to many places besides the ones to which you refer.
Talasha: thanks for the review of Bubba Gumps. I’ve never been there, though I do know about the Forest Gump connection.
Being a freshman at Xavier University, most of my weekends are spent lounging around the dorm with friends or out club hopping around the city. Over the past weekend, because most of my friends didn’t have the money to attend most of the parties going on, we decided to go to the Lakefront on New Orleans east. It was on a Friday night, and being there for the first time was really nice, and exciting! It was breezy the night we decided to go out, but the scenery of the lake made everything perfect being away from campus. It can be extremely overwhelming being at school here at Xavier with the amount of workload. The transition from being a high school student to being a college student can be very difficult at times. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on school work when you’re homesick and missing every moment of being at home. While being at the lake, for the fist time in a long time I got a sense of being at home with my family. I remembered not even paying attention to my friends, but watching the water and trying to remember the memoires as a child being around water. The feeling was so comforting, and was so warm to feel a sense of my old lifestyle. Being near the lake, I felt something that I never got being on campus. I received a sort of comfort there that I didn’t receive while being on campus. As a third culture kid from Thailand, I grew up in Pattaya, Thailand, where I was constantly near the ocean. The lakefront was absolutely beautiful, and it was great first experience, not just for me, but for my other friends who were also new to New Orleans. Not having to worry about grades, professors, and the busy life as being a college student was actually nice for a change. The lake was great, it was a time where I could be myself, and a place where I could smile and feel complete. My Friday night was different from all the others, but it showed me that I’m not so far away from home after all.
Jade: thanks for a splendid description of the New Orleans lakefront. It’s something of a joke among Xavier faculty that half of the Xavier students don’t even know that there is a lake (or a lakefront) in New Orleans. I’m happy you know about it, and now your classmates do too!
There are a lot of places in New Orleans that you pass by but never look twice at. When I told my mom about what we had to do for class she said okay lets go. The whole ride to downtown New Orleans i was thinking, I’ve been everywhere here. When went on Conti St and Dauphne St and parked. Then she led me to this tall 2 story building, that i’ve seen before, which was a museum. Not just any museum, but a wax museum known as Musee Conti Historical Wax Museum. I never knew it existed here. It was based on New Orleans past over 300 years of history since the settlers. It also has a haunted dungeon. The wax figures helped it come to life. It made me wonder where did my ancestors come from. It was amazing t me. Its a great tourist spot, and fun for any age. Well I believe from France in roots, because of New Orleans, and yes I’m creole. So maybe I’ll visit those odd places I always pass up on my way to Bourbon or Decatur and see whats inside. Next, haunted hotels…
Kalia: my wedding reception was at the Wax Museum two years ago! They have a beautiful room on the second floor for parties and receptions, plus we had access to the entire museum. It was lots of fun.
Yesterday, my father decided to take me out with him while he was in New Orleans. He said we were going to Bourbon St. I had heard my friends talk about Bourbon St., but I had never been. The ride over was nice. We parked at a parking garage and walked the rest of the way. When we finally reached Bourbon St., my senses were assaulted with music, food, and people hanging out in the street. As we walked, I saw people gathered around a Lambourgini taking pictures. I could hear blues playing to one side of me and jazz playing on the other. I could smell the overwhelming smell of freshly baked bread coming from a pizza restaurant. We stopped in on a couple of bars. It amazed me that no one asked or checked for ID. Music played while a football game played in the background. I was surprised to see them serving shots in test tubes. They played songs from back-in-the-day to present. We left and continued walking down Bourbon. We passed a few buildings and came to a block where there was nothing but motorcycles for as far as the eye could see. Some of the bikers were standing in the street conversating. Others were sitting on their bikes watching people pass by. On the walk back to the truck, I looked around at the different restaurants and architecture. There was a restaurant with people coming out. They were all dressed formally. About a block away, others waited outside for a table to become available. The buildings surrounding them were magnificent. They showed a hint of older days with a combination of the present. I’m glad my dad took me out with him that night. It gave me a chance to get out and see New Orleans for the beautiful city it it.
Erica: thanks for the vivid description of Bourbon Street. I almost felt like I was there!
I visited Bourbon Street for the first time this weekend. It was familiar but a longer distance. I was born and raised in Memphis TN and Bourbon is like my very own Beale Street located in Memphis. The only difference is Bourbon is less strict about under age teens and on Beale in Memphis securtiy is STRICTLY enforced.personally, i think bourbon is way better and more fun because the whole street is 10 times the size of Memphis’ famous two block Beale Street. However I like Memphis better than New Orleans!!!! There is no place like home!!!! ~JC~
I was very skeptical on coming to Xavier especially not knowing if a lot of things were ruined because of Katrina. I mean you hear all the time how things arent back up, I mean even when I came to visit the school the city kind of turned me away but I came anyway. I’ve been a few places since I’ve been here but none like where I went a few hours ago. I went to a church called the City Cathedral off of Chef Menteur Blvd. and it was exciting. I went because a senior here named Lauren suggested that I come & watch the play that they were having this Sunday night. So I went there & I didnt regret one moment of it. The way that they worshiped wasnt what I was use to but the message was still the same. One thing that shocked me the most was the fact that it was very bi-racial, there wasnt a huge black population or a huge white population, it was very mixed together. Another thing that shocked me was that there were a lot of youth at the church, way more than what Im use to at least. This is different for me especially with all the stories that you hear about New Orleans and all the bad things that go on here, but you never hear about the good. The good things that they have here like City Cathedral.
Jessica: thanks for the comparison of Beale and Bourbon, but your description is short on detail.
Zavia: thanks for the interesting description of City Cathedral. I’ve never been there.
Although i reside in New Orleans for quite some time, I never really did alot of sightseeings. I guess it’s because time didn’t allow me to do so, or i just thought i’ve seen everything there was to see? lol. But anyhow, this past weekend my friends asked me if i wanted to go to the Oyster Fest. located in Gretna and although i was reluctant about it at first, i gave in. Being a typical teenager who’s used to the nightlife/party scene, this was actually something NEW. We played all types of kiddy games, and spent ample amount of money trying to make the the ring fall into a tiny whole. There was also all you can eat oysters for cheap! It was something fun and productive to do and I’m actually anticipating the next Oyster Fest.!
Thao: are you referring to the St. Cletus Oyster Fest? We would appreciate some more descriptive details!
Im new to New Orleans and I’ve gotten off campus quite a bit. I’ve been to clubs, restaurants, movies etc..but one place in particular caught my attention. I feel that Cafe Du Monde is something that I would never be able to find anywhere other than New Orleans. Located near Bourbon Street, the atmosphere and food combine to make an experience so simple yet complex. The live music entertaiment is always different and entertaining. Its cheap menu that is most famous for its beingeits and coffe makes it affordable for everyone. My favorite part of the cafe was juust being able to relax and enjoy myself. I feel that cafe du Monde is definetly one of the more unique new places I have been to in New Orleans
Daniel: what specifically about the food and atmosphere did you find interesting? Give more details!
With my mom being a New Orleans native, I’ve visited many places. Of course, I’ve taken the usual elementary school field trips to the zoo and to the aquarium, in which I found very unique in the since of as soon as I stepped off the bus, I got this “New Orleans” vibe. This city in itself is just one of a kind. While here for a summer program here at Xavier, one of my friends that is from New Orleans asked if I had ever been to the River Walk. I’d always heard about it but I never visited it before. So she suggested going to sit on the River Walk and have beignets and coffee. It sounded like a great idea, so I took advantage of a good time and tagged along. It was for me, breath taking. We went at night so the view was to die for. The bridge that goes across the river was lit beautifully. You could see the skyline of all of the buildings it was just a great experience! I would not have traded that moment for anything! The one thing that I wished to see that I didn’t get to see was the ferry that is so famous. That’s probably going to be the next excursion that I participate in. I’m so glad that New Orleans is trying to come “back to life”. I think that post Hurricane Katrina showed the strength of the city and the people that live here. It shows their courage, and pride in their city. New Orleans has so much to offer. I plan on taking a lot more “many field trips” around the city. This city is filled with history.
Arianna: thanks for the nice description of the River Walk! It’s one of those New Orleans spots that for some reason gets lost in the shuffle.
My father took my sister and I out for a night on the town. It was very interesting since we never really spent quality time with after he and my mother separated. It was cool because he was a completely different person than the one I had known. He had decided to take us to Bourbon Street to hang out. I had been to Bourbon Street one time prior to this visit with my best friend in the whole world. The difference from then and now is the scenery. When I went with Joshua (my best friend), we mostly walked and talked. I didn’t allow myself to pay attention to my surroundings. This time, I paid close attention. There was a certain feeling in the air. It was as Bourbon had it’s own groove that stood apart from the rest of New Orleans. My dad took us to a club by the name of Club Razoo. It was very interesting in a corny kind of way. I wasn’t expecting the music and the people to be so down to earth. The music they played wasn’t too different from the music I listen to at home. It was a little bit of Vanilla Ice, M.C. Hammer, and whoever sings the “Big Butts” song. There was a wide variety of clubs there that told me Bourbon Street, itself, was a melting pot. There was a club, however, that made me feel like I was another person in another time in place. I didn’t enter this club because it wasn’t the type of dancing my father is fond of. It was a ballroom dancing club that I would have loved to take my brother to. And even though I glanced at it for a moment, I felt as if I were standing in front of the lovely couple that were dancing. It was extraordinary and marvelous. I would give anything to have that feeling everyday. It was magical.
Erielle: thanks for the interesting description of a day on Bourbon Street.
While visiting New Orleans for the first time this summer, my mother and I explored the down town area. We spent some time just walking around looking for the French Quarters and we found this restaurant called Mother’s that my cousin told us about. I was told that whenever I visit New Orleans that I had to try some of Louisiana’s gumbo. We ordered gumbo and it was the best gumbo that I ever had. I love the way that New Orleans food tastes. It has its our flavor that is undescibable. The only place in Milwaukee that you can get any food that tastes like that is at Popeyes. After that we explored the French Quarters. As we walked we talked about the different type of architecture of the buildings and some of New Orleans history. I love the different type of arcitecture New Orleans has.
Since being in New Orleans for school, I haven’t been back to Mother’s for any of its amazing gumbo, but I have visted other restaurants in French Quarters. A couple of my friends and I visited Charters and Cafe’ Maspero. The food was great. It’s hard to find good seafood in Milwaukee. For my next visit to the downtown area I’ll make sure that I go mothers for a bowl of gumbo.
Charity: Mother’s has great food, but it’s not in the French Quarter. It’s on Poydras Street, in what locals call the “CBD” – Central Business District. It is fairly close to the Quarter.
As my place that I visited in New Orleans, I decided to go to the Bestoff Sculpture Garden in City Park. The Bestoff Sculpture Garden was full of a few acres; maybe five to be exact, of nothing but priceless masterpieces. This place is great for anyone who loves art, or is also looking for a place to sight see in the city. While also being surrounded by an array, no wait someone else said an “array,” well im just gona say an assortment, of amusement in the near-by area such as,a small amusement park, lagoons, Storyland, etc. These are one of the places that words alone can not express but truly experiancing it on your own in person. If you do not feel endowed with artistic talent by time you leave I suggest you take another walk through. If I were a critic or something I would give it two thumbs up.
Rickey: which sculptures stood out to you as the most interesting? Did you have a favorite?
I visited the World War II museum to listen to a General of the Marine corp. speak about his past experinces in the military and his journey during the wars. Listening to the General speak about his experiences during World War II, Vietnam War, and Pearl Harbor, it shocked me because he has experienced through these wars he still is able to grace us with his presence to share his thoughts and wisdom with us. Over all the museum was a wonderful place to visit even though I am not a fan of history. The museum had airplanes from Word War II, this interested me because someday I would like to be a pilot. I saw some of the equipment that was used during those times and how certain military operations were carried out. Over all the military experiences that was told by the general was fasinating simply because not everyday you would get a chance to meet someone who went down in American history for going through the those wars and still is living, walking, breathing, and living life like there is no tomorrow.
Marlene: what were some of the things the General actually said? Provide some details!
cont.
Bourbon Street is a more diverse version of Memphis’Beale Street. Walking on Bourbon is more intersting than walking on Beale. Beale is only about three blocks long compared to Bourbons 8 or 9+ blocks. Approaching Beale Street….the police checks ID unlike the legendary Bourbon. Bourbon has a lot of strip clubs, bars, and stores while Beale only has a few restaraunts and a few tour stores. These two places cannot really compare to each other because Beale is less known and Bourbon is just all around better.-JC
One important place that I have visit in New Orleans was the famous streets of BOURBON. Bourbon remind me of New York city where no one sleep, as I walk the streets of bourbon with my grand father and uncle proud to know that I would be soon a college student I was very happy and also proud to be the only one in my family who when away. In history class I would read about the Louisiana Purchase and France ruling Louisiana but never would I have thought to be here walking the street when history has took place. Bourbon street show me how the people in New Orleans where like even though bourbon was knows for tours who come to drink and have a good time I was impress in how everyone got along while having a good time. I was surprise so to see so many sea food restaurants all around. I was even more surprise to see people walking around with open bottle of alcohol and the cops was not giving them tickets I would say that was the best part while being on bourbon because in New York for anyone to have alcohol while walking around you had to be in your house or in a club. I enjoy being on bourbon I enjoy there sea food and the freshness of there fish I love that everyone is very friendly and are willing to help. I love that I have gotten the opportunity to come to New Orleans and I will take full advantage of exposing other places while attending school here.
Though I am from New Orleans there are many places that I have not visited. I recently visited the New Orleans D-day Museum. The Museum was very educational yet descriptive. There were many visuals of the actions that took place, the weaponry that was used, the transportation used, etc. The reason I found this place to be so interesting is because most of the things you learn about war is mainly about violence and weapons. Well, the museum mainly talked about how the war began and its outcome. It allowed you to have an imagination.
The tour guides were very resourceful and kind. They answer every question very clearly and prompt. Visiting this place not only gave a reason to get out, but it showed me that New Orleans has a lot more to offer than just music and food. It has all the things that other cities may find irrelevant or unnecessary. Most people would probably say that museum like that are not needed because those thing are being taught in school. Well what I’ve learned from my 12 years of being n school is that most students do not comprehend well with things that come from a textbook. Some students learn better from experiencing or seeing thing with their on eyes.
Being a New Orleans has its privileges. Now when I think about New Orleans I think about everything it has to offer such as its food, culture, music, and its educational background. Though New Orleans is small in size it has a lot to offer.
This was my first experience on the most heard about street in New Orleans, Bourbon Street. Fans clad in yellow and gold celebrated until the wee hours in the French Quarter after the B.C.S title game. Chants of “L-S-U! L-S-U!” resonated up and down Bourbon Street after the Tigers claimed their second B.C.S. championship.
Downtown at Ernst Cafe, the headquarters for the Ohio State Alumni Association of New Orleans’ block party, the mood was somber. The crowd that had spilled into the streets since Friday was gone and all that was left was an empty stage. It was in stark contrast to the scene earlier at the Superdome. It was apparent why it was called a home game for L.S.U. Tigers fans made up roughly two-thirds of the crowd and the noise level was insanely high. Exchanges between Ohio State and L.S.U. fans after the Tigers’ 38-24 victory were mostly civil. In fact, it was common to hear, “Ya’ll played a good game,” and “You’ll do it next year,” without a hint of sarcasm. Now I know where the term Southern hospitality comes from.
Mostly, you heard, “I hope you enjoyed New Orleans.” It’s hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this city. The food, the music, the architecture, the nightlife. It can make even a crushing loss more palatable and a coveted victory that much sweeter.