New Orleans/Central Business District

• Art galleries line Julia Street. Evenings of the first Saturday of the month are festive with new exhibits opening.

• Audubon Aquarium of the AmericasA fine aquarium at the foot of Canal Street. Take advantage of the combination ticket, which enables access to the Aquarium, the adjoining Entergy IMAX Theatre, and the Audubon Zoo located uptown (shuttle provided).

• Entergy IMAX TheatrePart of the Audubon Aquarium

• Smoothie King Center

  phone: +1 504 587-3822 (box office), +1 504 587-3822 (guest services)
  address: 1501 Girod St
  Located beside the Superdome, the Smoothie King Center (originally New Orleans Arena) hosts smaller shows & sporting events. Most notably home to the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans.

(WT-shared) Infrogmation at wts wikivoyage

• Morial Convention Center

  phone: +1 504 582-3000
  The first part of the city's large convention center complex was built during the 1984 World's Fair and is named after a former mayor.

• National World War II Museum

  address: 945 Magazine St
  Formerly the "D-Day Museum". Exhibits on the United States in World War II, both on the battlefronts and the home front. Expansions in recent years include a restaurant, the "Victory Theater" presenting multi-media historical presentation, and the "Stage Door Canteen" featuring live music shows in the style of WWII era USO shows.

• Ogden Museum of Southern Art

  address: 925 Camp St
• Walking tours of the buildings of the "Old American Quarter"

• Harrah's Casino

  address: 228 Poydras St
  The state's only land-based casino (there are riverboat gambling venues in the suburbs). Located across from the Aquarium.

Live entertainment

• Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue). Casual bar with local rock and other bands.
• FQB, on the 3rd floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal. Th-Sa nights jazz bands and singers, in the style and atmosphere of an upscale pre-WWII era jazz club. They serve good meals as well. Not cheap, but truly swank.

• Howlin' Wolf907 South Peters in the Warehouse district music venue. They host a good variety of local and visiting acts; definitely get a hold of their schedule in The Gambit, a weekly paper. (Note: if you visited here before Katrina, they are now a block up the street from their former location.)

• Mulate's

  address: 201 Julia Street
  At Convention Center Boulevard. Cajun music.

• Orpheum Theatre

  address: 129 University Place
  Home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (as of summer 2011 still closed for post-Katrina repairs; the Philharmonic is playing Uptown at Tulane University and other venues)

• Saenger Theater

  address: 143 N. Rampart St
  At Canal Street. The most gorgeous of the city's beautiful old picture palace theaters. Still closed as of summer 2011, but there have been repeated claims of reopening soon.

• Le Salon

  phone: +1 504 596-4773
  address: 300 Gravier St
  Swanky hotel bar often has good jazz pianists, vocalists, and small combos.

• True Brew

  phone: +1 504 524-8441
  address: 200 Julia St
  Coffee house often has music or theater performances.

• Art at the galleries along Julia Street.

• Meyer the Hatter

  address: 120 St. Charles Ave
  Has been selling a wide selection of men's hats here since 1894.

• RiverwalkOn a pier along the Mississippi Riverfront and physically connected to the New Orleans Hilton. In addition to a variety of shops, hosts a fine view of the Mississippi River.

Budget

• Cafe Du Monde

  phone: +1 (504) 218-7993
  address: 500 Port of New Orleans #27
  Sells chicory-flavored coffee with New Orleans Beignets.

• City Greens

  phone: +1 504 524-2822
  address: 909 Poydras
  Soups, salad, wraps; breakfast & lunch.Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
• Mothers 401 Poydras. Great "po' boys" (New Orleans style sandwiches); Located at Poydras @ Tchoupitoulas in the lower CBD. Try the "debris" po'boy, made with the bits of beef that remain in the pan once the main cut is removed. The bread pudding is also famous and very good. Weekday lunch crowd of local business people, but the line moves fast.

Coffee and snacks

• PJ's Coffee popular local chain with locations at 622 Canal Street and 644 Camp Street.

Mid-range

• La Boca

  phone: +1 504 525-9205
  address: 857 Fulton St
  Argentine steak house.
• Genghis Khan, 201 Barrone in the Barrone Plaza Hotel. Central Asian & Korean.

• Merchant

  phone: +1 504 571-9580
  address: 800 Common Street
  Crepes, quiches, sandwiches, salads.

• Mulate's

  address: 201 Julia Street
  At Convention Center Boulevard. The other well known Cajun place.
• Tomas Bistro 755 Tchoupitoulas. Contemporary Creole. Dinner nightly. +1 504 527-0942

Splurge

• Emeril's

  phone: +1 504 528-9393
  address: 800 Tchoupitoulas St
  In the Warehouse District.

• Grill Room at Windsor Court HotelContender for best restaurant, but very expensive; Located in the CBD just down from the Casino. They also serve a fine high-tea.

• Herbsaint

  phone: +1 504 524-4114
  address: 701 St Charles Ave

• Palace Cafe

  phone: +1 504 523-1661
  address: 605 Canal St
  French Creole, noted for the seafood and duck dishes, and the luscious white chocolate bread pudding.

• Restaurant August

  phone: +1 504 299-9777
  address: 301 Tchoupitoulas St
  Renown Chef John Besh's signature restaurant featuring Contemporary French with a focus on local ingredients. Menu balances seafood, fowl and meat. Try either the 5 course tasting or the John Besh "Degustation" menu which changes nightly.

• Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue). Casual joint with good jukebox

• Gordon Biersch

  phone: +1 504 522-2739
  address: 200 Poydras St
  Handcrafted beer brewery and restaurant.

• Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar

  address: 701 Tchoupitoulas
  Relaxed. All-you-can-eat crawfish party Sunday evenings.

• Sazerac Bar

  address: 123 Barrone St
  In the Roosevelt Hotel. Sip signature drinks like the original Sazerac cocktail or the Ramos gin fiz.

• Whiskey Blue

  address: 333 Poydras St
  Swank upscale bar

Budget

• Hostelling International

  phone: +1 504 603-3850
  address: 1028 Canal St
  This hostel offers both shared dorms and ensuite private rooms. Bathrooms for dorm guests are in the hallway, but they are all single-use. Dorms also have security lockers. Free breakfast and free wireless internet available.

• Les Carillons

  phone: +1 504 566-9200
  address: 842 Camp St
  Towards the upper end of the CBD, close to the Julia Street art galleries.

Mid-range

• Embassy Suites New Orleans - Convention Center

  phone: +1 504 525-1993
  address: 315 Julia St

• Hilton New Orleans Riverside

  phone: +1 504 561-0500
  address: 2 Poydras St
  3-star Hilton located on the banks of the Mississippi River, in storied New Orleans, Louisiana adjacent to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and only three blocks from the French Quarter.

• Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Convention Center

  address: 300 Julia Street
  Located two blocks from Morial Convention Center

• Residence Inn New Orleans Downtown

Splurge

• Hyatt Place New Orleans Convention Center

  address: 881 Convention Center Blvd
  Located across the street from the New Orleans Convention Center and offers upscale lodging.

• Hyatt Regency New Orleans

  address: 601 Loyola Avenue
  Near the Superdome and City Hall. Reopened in late 2011 after major renovations.

• InterContinental New Orleans

  address: 444 St Charles Ave
  Luxury hotel located on the St. Charles Mardi Gras parade route.

• International House Hotel

  address: 221 Camp St
  Boutique style hotel 2 blocks from the French Quarter.

• Le Pavillon

  address: 833 Poydras St
  One of the fanciest hotels in the city with the exception of the Ritz Carlton and Windsor Court. Elegant French and Old South stylings in the lobby. Featuring a Sunday "Jazz Brunch" with live music as well as a rooftop jacuzzi.

• Loft 523

  address: 523 Gravier St
  Boutique hotel 2 blocks from the French Quarter.

• Ritz-Carlton

  address: 921 Canal St
  Top notch hotel in what had been the Maison Blanche Department Store building. It's the Windsor Court's rival for finest in town.

• The Roosevelt

  phone: +1 504 648-1200
  address: 123 Baronne St
  One of the city's grand old hotels; reopened in 2009 after a 145 million dollar restoration modernized the rooms, returned the lobby to its historic glory, and reopened the famous Sazerac Bar and the Blue Room dinner & music venue. The lobby is worth a look even if you're not staying here.

• The Sheraton New Orleans

  phone: +1 504 525-2500
  address: 500 Canal St

• The Whitney

  phone: +1 504 581-4222
  address: 610 Poydras St
  A New Orleans hotel registered as a historic landmark.

• Windsor Court Hotel

  phone: +1 504 523-6000
  address: 300 Gravier St
  One of the finer hotels in town, If you want the tops and are willing to pay top dollar for it, this is the place.

• Main Branch Library

  phone: +1 504 596-2560
  address: 219 Loyola Ave