Some of The Many Places to Visit in New Orleans (a very incomplete list)
(Note: all places listed below – in fact almost everywhere in New Orleans – has inconsistent hours. It’s always best to call in advance to confirm they are open).
**If you are in New Orleans on a Sunday afternoon at 1pm, be sure to go to a secondline. They are amazing. They are usually listed at wwoz.org/new-orleans-community/inthestreet
Backstreet Cultural Museum, 1116 St. Claude Ave. http://www.backstreetmuseum.org/ (Don’t miss this place! Great spot to connect with and learn about local cultural traditions like Mardi Gras Indians and secondlines. The neighborhood around the Backstreet – Treme – is great to walk around). Another place to learn about Mardi Gras Indians is the House of Dance and Feathers 504-957-2678 (Lower Ninth Ward – appt required)
Congo Square—Located in Louis Armstrong Park along Rampart St. (often there is live drumming on Sunday afternoons).
Community Book Center – 2523 Bayou Rd 504 948-7323 (Great place to go for conversations).
New Orleans Museum of Art – Free sculpture Garden is lovely on a nice day. The museum is in City Park, which is also nice.
Whitney Plantation – The only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on slavery. One of the only museums in the entire country to discuss slavery. About 45 minutes outside New Orleans, only reachable by car. whitneyplantation.com.
Radical local history tour (not always available): http://www.hiddenhistory.us/walking-tours
Alternate conscious local history tour: Know NOLA Tours – knownolatours@gmail.com 504 264 2483
Material Life – 6038 St. Claude Ave – Afro-centric gift shop.
Studio Be – Powerful art installation by brilliant young Black New Orleans artist. Wednesday to Saturday, 2pm-8pm, through 2018. http://brandanodums.com/project/studio-be/
BlackStar Books and Caffe 800 Belleville St (On the West Bank of New Orleans)
Some local and interesting restaurants (With a leaning towards spots owned by people of color, and/or with a social justice mission)
Bennachin (West African, in the French Quarter. Good vegetarian and meat options) – 1212 Royal
Praline Connection (Soul food) – 542 Frenchmen
Cafe Abyssinia (Ethiopian, uptown) – 3511 Magazine
Boswell’s Jamaican Grill – 3521 Tulane Avenue, Midcity
Café Carmo (Brazilian Restaurant in CBD with great Vegan options) 527 Julia Street – 504 875-4132
Lil Dizzy’s (Creole Restaurant in Treme where local Black politicians and other leaders eat – mostly just a lunch spot) 1500 Esplanade Avenue
Bacchanal – Wine bar with great atmosphere in outdoor garden. Serves food as well, and often has live music. Not a very local crowd. 600 Poland Avenue at far edge of Bywater neighborhood.
Pagoda Café (7th Ward Breakfast and lunch, sandwiches and other delicious café food) -1430 N Dorgenois St, (504) 644-4178
Casa Borrega (Mexican food with great art and atmosphere, sometimes live music, in Central City) 1719 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
Café Reconcile (Central City restaurant, basic southern food served by staff of youth that face neglect, violence, and generational poverty.).1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. Liberty’s Kitchen, on Broad St and on third floor of the DXC Technology Center at 1615 Poydras in the CBD, has a similar mission.
More pricey and traditional restaurants:
Jacques-Imo’s (Cajun) – 8324 Oak Street (504) 861-0886
Dante’s Kitchen (Contemporary with fresh locally grown food) – 736 Dante Street, 861-3121
Bayona or Mondo New Orleans (both Susan Spicer, contemporary)
Herbsaint (Euro-Southern cuisine) – 701 Saint Charles Avenue
Dooky Chase (Creole cuisine) – 2301 Orleans Avenue (Classic place where civil rights leaders would eat, and now local Black politicians gather -very limited hours – call to check in. Often only open on Fridays for lunch)
This list was compiled by New Orleans-based journalist Jordan Flaherty.