We love NO and have been many times, but not since Katrina. We would like to come back next summer.
After reading many of the posts here, most people seem to feel safe inside the FQ, which is great news. We will probably stay at Club La Pension near the end of Decatur St. (the Canal St. end, not far from Harrah%26#39;s), so it%26#39;s inside the FQ, but barely. We like to stroll around in the daytime as much as we can. We are 60-ish and husband has mobility impairments, so we have to consider what we can and can%26#39;t do, and I suppose we look like easy marks. We%26#39;ve always felt safe but have had safety concerns since Katrina. Also, it seems several popular restaurants have closed, some posts have said waiters are still tense %26amp; surly, St. Charles line not running, etc. Others seem to indicate things are very rosy in the FQ.
Is the FQ pretty much like it was pre-K?? We are eager to return, but don%26#39;t want to be disappointed--we love the memories we have of the place.
Also, we%26#39;ve never needed medical services before, but hubby does have some health problems and we%26#39;d like to know medical services are up to par, just in case.
Additionally, if it matters, we are train buffs and prefer to come in on Amtrak, just for the train ride. The station is beside the Superdome. We of course take a taxi to the FQ. Anyone foresee any problems with this? We can fly in if we must; we definitely don%26#39;t want to drive down.
As we do have some limitations that most don%26#39;t, we will greatly appreciate any info, advice, %26amp; experiences that recent visitors can share. TIA--
Decatur St./Canal St. area safe %26amp; back to normal?
You are worrying WAY too much. The Quarter is cleaner and safer than pre-Katrina. If you%26#39;re expecting it to be EXACTLY like pre-Katrina, you may want to reconsider your trip. A major disaster happened here, after all! Some stores and restaurants have indeed closed, while some others have opened for business--there are dozens of new eateries in the downtown and French Quarter areas alone. I think you%26#39;ll find that the things you liked about New Orleans are still here and hopefully you%26#39;ll make some great new memories. Plus, the crowds are down from pre-2005 levels and that makes it a little less hectic.
As for health care, Tulane Medical Center is operational downtown and will meet any emergency needs you may have. There%26#39;s also Touro and Ochsner-Baptist, both just a few miles away in the uptown area.
Decatur St./Canal St. area safe %26amp; back to normal?
Thanks for your prompt info!
We don%26#39;t mind that it%26#39;s not exactly as before, but wanted to be sure it%26#39;s up %26amp; running, I guess, and that we%26#39;d be OK staying on the edge of the FQ.
What really worried us, in addition to a few of the posts, was that when my daughter and her husband were recently there on a combined business/pleasure visit, they were advised upon arrival to not walk even one block in the daytime, to get a taxi even for very short distances. This was near the FQ, but not inside it. (Don%26#39;t know exactly where. Actually, she was in a national moot court competition, so it would have been a courtroom or legal building. You%26#39;d think those folks would KNOW and not be overly paranoid??)
They did also spend some time in the FQ and said it seemed fine as always to them.
I probably do worry too much! I think we%26#39;ll be back next year--
Amtrak station OK?
Anyone else with suggestions? Thanks much--
I was just in the FQ this past Sunday evening and did feel safe. There were quite a lot of people out and about but it was not overly crowded at all. We took our 15 month old son there for the first time and felt safe to have him there. That said, we also were back at our hotel before it got dark--mainly b/c he has an early bedtime but also b/c there%26#39;s really not much NO night life that a 1 year old needs to see and be around. We stayed in the Central Business District this time and actually drove from there to the FQ and back (we parked in the lot behind Cafe Du Monde). It was easier that way for us since we didn%26#39;t want to walk from the CBD.
I did feel like a few things were ';off'; about some of the places we went, but I think that is to be expected after Katrina. We ate at the Gumbo Shop on St. Peters for dinner and got in without any wait--first time that%26#39;s every happened to us! The food was good for the most part, although my jambalya tasted like it had been sitting for a while. My husband%26#39;s gumbo, however, was wonderful! I thought some of the servers there seemed a little ';tired'; but our actual waitress was very nice and good. We had beingets at Cafe Du Monde later that evening and enjoyed that as well. It was surprising to see how many empty tables were there. Service was a little ';off'; here as well, just a bit slower than usual and a drink order was wrong but quickly corrected.
We also went to La Madeleine%26#39;s for breakfast the next morning. The workers there did not seem quite as friendly as the old group that was there before the hurricane (except for Greg--what a nice man!). There were things they were out of that we wanted and some things I got to go were wrong. I read another post on this board that pointed out that a lot of people now working in the restaurant business weren%26#39;t doing that before Katrina, so we need to give them some slack. I think by the time you visit, things will be going along even better than they are now.
We have been twice since Katrina and going again October 25-28 never had a problem or felt unsafe. We stayed in the Faubourg Marigny area which is on the opposite side from the CBD area(sorry locals I know I just butchered that but still not familiar with the correct way to give directions and locations, lol)
Anyway go and have fun!!! I still cant believe what a bad rap New Orleans is still getting. Yes they have problems but dont all places have their fair share also and they have not experienced the devastation New Orleans has. I know here in Huntsville Alabama we do and it appears everyday to get worse. Just pay attention to your surroundings and use common sense like you would visiting any other area you are not familiar with.
Some of my family thought we were nuts for going and they had this awful image in their head from what the media has portrayed. I was even apprehensive myself at first but coming here on TA getting the real info of the area from the locals soothed my mind.
We went for our first time before Katrina hit in April and to tell you the truth I felt more safe visiting afterwards. So go have a great time and enjoy what kind of fun you can only have in New Orleans!! Plus eat all the yummy foods and if you like jewelry there are still great places to find artists lovely creations(a great place on Decatur Street and of course on Royal)
Also we went on a Post Katrina Tour with Tours by Isabelle and I highly recommend it since it will be your first time back. Hopefully they have made progress since we went last October but I was so stunned at the devastation to not only the poor but working middle class and upper middle class. Everyone was effected and the tour was a real eye opener. Be forewarned though it is very moving and emotional. There wasnt a dry eye in the tour van.
www.toursbyisabelle.com
Celena
Lee, La Madeleine in the FQ has been closed since the storm and won%26#39;t reopen. Did you go to the one at Riverbend (St. Charles/Carrollton) or to another coffee shop?
Also, the Amtrak station is fine. Same old bus/train depot as before. Quick cab ride to anywhere in the FQ/downtown areas.
Lee, I see from another post that you did indeed visit La Madeline at the Riverbend location. Just didn%26#39;t want anyone to think that the Jackson Square store had reopened.
I%26#39;ve always liked La Madeleine, even if it is a Texas-based company. LOL. Amazing how many people thought it was unique to New Orleans.
Cajunwave,
The first La Madeleine%26#39;s I ever went to was the one at Jackson Square--like you, I thought it was a NO place! Imagine my surprise when I looked them up on the internet and found them in Dallas! Now, every time we visit Dallas, we visit a La Madeleine%26#39;s too and come home with bread and pastries.
Yes, we went to the La Madeleine%26#39;s on St. Charles and Carrolton--it%26#39;s the only one left in the area, from what I understand. I think the next time I%26#39;m in NO (and there%26#39;s no telling when that will be), my goals are to try Crossiant D%26#39;Or (I%26#39;m so sad to have missed it this time) and Cafe Beinget. I have seen it several times but never really knew if it was good or not. After reading these boards, I see lots of recommendations for it.
Oops-Cajunwave, I see that you did not think La Madeleine%26#39;s was unique to NO--just pointing out that others did. I was one of them!:)
My wife and I visited the FQ a few months before Katrina. We went back last June and to be honest nothing much had changed. yes there were a number of homes for sale but most everything else hadn%26#39;t changed much. You shouldn%26#39;t worry about it and it is very safe in the quarter.
buster, I am a 56 year old grandmother and my husband is 59 so we are close to your age. New Orleans is my favorite place in the world. Please, do not believe the horror stories that you hear, they simply are not true. As I mentioned in another post, my husband and I are bringing our 3 granddaughters to New Orleans in December (ages 8, 12 and 15) and I certainly would not do that if I felt that I would be putting them in danger! The French Quarter and Garden District are as beautiful as ever. One good thing about katrina was that it forced my husband and I out of our usual routine of visiting only our favorite spots over and over, since some of them had closed, and we had to discover some new places. You might find that some of your favorite places are no longer there, but take that as an opportunity to discover a new place, a new restaurant to try, a new shop to explore, etc.
Don%26#39;t be afraid, just use common sense like you would even in your own city. Come and enjoy New Orleans just like you did before Katrina.
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