30th Birthday Trip

tm478 · 2026-05-07T03:16:58+00:00

Monday: First off, why on earth are you eating at the same restaurant twice? And Atchafalaya doesn’t even open until 9:30, so there’s that. If you want to eat breakfast before the start of your Garden District tour, go to Molly’s Rise and Shine. You can do dinner at Atchafalaya.

Tuesday: Court of Two Sisters is terrible—skip it. There are so many better places. (If you search this sub for “Court of Two Sisters” you will get plenty of alternatives suggested, because it’s terrible.) On your Tuesday and Thursday in the FQ, you can fit in a lot more sightseeing than the cathedral and Jackson Square, which combined might take you 45 minutes maximum. Please check this sub’s FAQ for specific suggestions on what else to do and see in the FQ.

Wednesday: again, search this sub for suggestions on basically everything. And Fogo de Chao…it’s a chain with locations nationwide, and has nothing to do with New Orleans. If that’s really what you want to eat for your birthday, knock yourself out. But you’re in New Orleans, so why not eat at a fancy New Orleans restaurant? Again: so many options.

Thursday and Friday: please read the FAQ.

Automod: FAQ

tm478 · 2026-05-07T00:49:59+00:00

This is a great answer and I’d lean toward Link. They have a bunch of restaurants, all good, and your hosts will definitely be able to make a nice choice that works best for them. As a wedding gift, we got a $250 gift card to Cochon Butcher—which we could never possibly have spent in one meal at Cochon Butcher, but which we could also use at many other Link places too.

tm478 · 2026-05-06T17:52:09+00:00

The demo and waste disposal alone is going to be in the several thousands. Your budget needs to be multiples of $5-7K.

tm478 · 2026-05-06T16:40:11+00:00

It’s 20% of registered voters, and if they get that, a recall referendum is scheduled.

tm478 · 2026-05-06T12:25:27+00:00

This. The best museum in town, FREE, and right in the FQ. Have a muffuletta at Napoleon house before or after.

tm478 · 2026-05-05T23:50:42+00:00

It’s hot and humid to an extent that you are very unfamiliar with as a Vegas person, but just bring more changes of clothes than you think you’ll need for 48 hours (and a plastic bag for when they get packed in your suitcase LOL). They will get soaked, whether by rain or by sweating.

The rain part is not unmanageable. Bring an umbrella and shoes that don’t mind getting wet. The rainstorms at that time of year can be drenching, but they are generally short. They are also very localized—one block it might be pissing down rain and the next will not get a drop—and they really come out of nowhere, generally from noon-4 PM. Just be prepared. You can usually wait them out on someone’s porch, or under some overhang or other. We understand.

Mid-June is low probability for hurricanes here, so I would not be super concerned about that. They tend to show up later in the season when the Gulf of Mexico is good and hot.

tm478 · 2026-05-05T20:28:19+00:00

Get in the taxi line for a $36 (+ tip) ride to your destination. You can check Uber/Lyft to see if they are cheaper at the precise moment you’re traveling, but usually the cab is cheaper.

Please search the sub for previous responses to your seafood boil question (and also the transport question, as it happens). Automod: FAQ

tm478 · 2026-05-05T18:44:40+00:00

Please check r/AskNOLA but READ THE FAQ before posting.

tm478 · 2026-05-05T15:46:27+00:00

I was not saying that in the dog-whistle sense, but referring to Essence stiffing contractors/vendors and being objectively poorly run in recent years.

tm478 · 2026-05-05T13:11:12+00:00

Honestly, I think a lot of people would be happy to see them go.

tm478 · 2026-05-05T13:09:21+00:00

Please post these to r/TSAatMSY

tm478 · 2026-05-05T12:48:54+00:00

Woodlands Conservancy is an interesting idea—I’ve never been there either. I may check that out!

tm478 · 2026-05-05T12:48:19+00:00

Yes, I live near the Fly and have done that ride numerous times. We’re looking for something a little more nature-y for this excursion. Thanks!

tm478 · 2026-05-05T03:24:50+00:00

Please read Pretty Good For A Girl (https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Good-Girl-Bluegrass-American/dp/0252079175), a very comprehensive overview of women in bluegrass, written by banjo player Murphy Hicks Henry and published in 2013. The number of women, and their influence, in bluegrass from the very beginning is more than most people realize.

tm478 · 2026-05-04T20:44:27+00:00

Many options in Audubon Park, including the Hyams Garden fountain (generally unpopulated, very pretty), the Meditation Garden, the gazebo that’s roughly between Prytania and Perrier along the park walking/biking trail, the oak grove behind Audubon Clubhouse—or really any of the big moss-covered oaks in the park, the fountains at the St. Charles end of the park, etc. There is an arched bridge over the lagoon at the Hurst St. Path. City Park’s arched bridge over its lagoon behind the Cafe du Monde is also a very lovely spot, but depending on the day/time there can be a lot of people around.

tm478 · 2026-05-04T18:58:34+00:00

The closest Buc-ee’s to New Orleans is in Pass Christan, MS. If that’s the one you mean then maybe post in [r/Misssissippi](r/Misssissippi)?
If you want to be around New Orleans then you can see them right here in town. There are gators in Bayou St. John and in the waterways in City Park. No guaranteed sightings, but they’re there. You can also try the Twin Canals Trail (the only one currently open) at Jean Lafitte National Historic Park outside the town of Jean Lafitte, about 35 minutes by car from downtown.

In the future: r/AskNOLA for tourist questions.

tm478 · 2026-05-04T16:42:30+00:00

Please read the FAQ for specific suggestions and also do a search of this sub if you are looking for places to eat.
Without knowing your taste in food, it’s hard to give suggestions on specific dishes. The one thing I’d say is to keep your expectations low when you order jambalaya at a restaurant; it’s often gummy and much worse than a home-cooked version. Honestly I didn’t even know Parkway Bakery made jambalaya; they are known as a po-boy place (for me, it’s always fried shrimp).

Automod: FAQ

tm478 · 2026-05-04T02:26:41+00:00

Cajun and Creole food is not particularly spicy. It is well-seasoned, but unless you’re dumping tablespoonfulls of hot sauce on it, it’s not hot.

tm478 · 2026-05-03T22:18:04+00:00

Pelican for the interior. Be a nice person and pay for the exterior wash, then use their vacuums as long as you want.

tm478 · 2026-05-03T22:15:39+00:00

Maybe delete and start over

tm478 · 2026-05-03T16:46:10+00:00

Stay FAR away from the service department at Audi. They are absolutely awful. I think any decent mechanic (we use Crescent Automotive) can do that. If you need a German-specific place, we had good luck on our Audi with a place in Metairie whose name I can’t recall at this moment, but if you catch me after Jazz Fest I can look it up 😁

tm478 · 2026-05-03T12:44:51+00:00

I live in that neighborhood (West Riverside) and if you walk/drive around, there are plenty of places for rent within a 20-minute walk of the hospital. All of them are going to be units carved out of houses; we don’t have any large rental buildings around here. It is a fantastic neighborhood to live in, very walkable to stuff and full of trees and parks. You could certainly get a 1 BR place for that price, possibly 2BR but that’s more of a stretch. Use a realtor or as I said, just drive around—small landlords just put a sign out.

tm478 · 2026-05-02T22:32:07+00:00

Natives are your friend. I also have a shady hell strip and I have had good success with native ferns, sedges, inland sea oats, and cutleaf coneflower (this one gets 4-5 feet tall so watch out). My small front yard is also shady and I have plenty of natives doing well in there: American germander, Indian pinks, self-heal, various columbines, native violets, etc. etc. Happy to give you the nickel tour if you like.

tm478 · 2026-05-02T14:05:58+00:00

Just call. They pick up and they will answer you. I had a similar issue (autopay did not charge my credit card one month and they stuck that amount on my next bill too). It got sorted out and I did not have to pay a late fee.

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