Fun Things to Do in New Orleans

There are so many fun things to do in New Orleans. Downtown, including the Riverwalk and the 10-square block French Quarter, is restored and enthusiastically welcomes travelers.

At the open air Café du Monde Coffee Stand in the French Market, the tantalizing aroma of dark roasted coffee with chicory welcomes coffee connoisseurs 24/7 as it has since 1862. Many locals drink the brew black, but the menu also offers "café au lait," iced coffee, white and chocolate milk. Truth to tell, it's more than coffee that draws those in the know. It's the café's fabled beignets, light French-style doughnuts, lavishly sprinkled with powdered sugar. The square confections are delectable and, on their own, merit a trip to the Crescent City.

The Garden District weathered Katrina unscathed. Almost 150 years after they were built, the district's palacial residences still flirt like bashful brides behind leafy trees. Anne Rice grew up here, walking to school along First Street, where she later owned two of the white mansions. Before departing for California, she lived in the elegant Greek Revival home on the corner of First and Chestnut Streets. The house, designed by Samuel Jamison, was the setting for her Witching Hour novels. The other house, Claiborne Cottage, was the setting for her novel Violin. Yet another of her houses, 2523 Prytania Street, was originally a Catholic chapel called Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel. Readers familiar with Rice's books may find it difficult to imagine how anyone residing in this gracious neighborhood could conjure supernatural tales of terror and vampires.

Live music, the heart and soul of New Orleans, is everywhere. And, if possible, the local music culture has even more heart than before. Music is the city's language. Crowds gather around street musicians jamming at watering holes like Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. Deacon John and the Ivories are as likely to play sentimental vintage tunes as the hottest jazz this side of Dixie. When the spirit moves them, listeners dance.

Music festivals celebrate zydeco, rock and roll, Cajun, rhythm and blues, gospel, and hip-hop along with the city's own brand of jazz. The Satchmo Summerfest in August honors Louis Armstrong. The Voodoo Music Experience in October is a Halloween themed festival(voodoomusicfest.com). November's Words and Music Festival honors author William Faulkner (wordsandmusic.org). There are many more.

The city's restaurants enjoy a well-deserved reputation for fine food, especially seafood. Newer venues like Cochon, which recently won a James Beard Foundation award, are opening. Such long-time favorites as Antoine's and Brennan's are welcoming diners again with fresh decor. The chef at Brennan's is still dishing up the perennially popular dessert he created, bananas foster, and the exciting dish is still flamed tableside.

Galleries and museums in the Arts District are open for business again, too. In what was once an old furniture warehouse, the intimate Renaissance Arts Hotel offers Southern hospitality and displays the work of local artists. It's also within easy walking distance of several galleries, the National World War II Museum, the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

For further information on what's new in New Orleans, click on www.neworleansonline.com.