Last week I went to New Orleans for a short visit. Here is a rundown on some of the things I did.
View Larger MapLaurel Street Bakery, 5433 Laurel Street. Katie and I went here for a cup of coffee and pastry or something before lunch. Because we got there around 10:30 or so, their selection had been reduced. My muffin was pretty good, and I guess my coffee was too (I don't really know anything about coffee). Cash only.
View Larger MapMagazine Poboy and Sandwich Shop, 2368 Magazine Street
A poboy (corrupted from "poor-boy") is a type of sandwich that one finds all over southern Louisiana. It's basically a sub with different bread (crunchy-crusted-yet-lighter-and-softer Louisiana French bread, different from a baguette). I suppose you could really fill them with anything at all. I got fried shrimp. Traditional dressings include lettuce, pickles, and mayonnaise. Cash only.
Streetcars
I got to ride in an actual streetcar. It was pretty fun. The seats are reversible so you can choose to see where you are going or where you just were. We got on somewhere in Uptown and rode it to the end of the line and Carrollton and Claiborne. Cash only.
View Larger MapLatter Branch of the New Orleans Public Library, 5120 St. Charles Avenue
This library is inside an old house that is still partially furnished like an old house. A pleasant break in activity.
View Larger MapLafayette Cemetery, No. 1, 1400 Washington Avenue. Because of New Orleans's elevation (or lack thereof) graves are above-ground, which makes for a very different cemetery experience. Familes would stack graves on top of each other inside stone vaults to make huge monuments. A couple were cracked and I tried to look inside, but it was too dark. A lot of movies have had scenes filmed here.
View Larger MapCreole Creamery, 4924 Prytania Street. They pride themselves on having a bunch of wacky flavors.(
Check it.) I got the lavender/honey cone. Cash only.
View Larger MapMushroom, 1037 Broadway Street. Located right near Tulane University, Mushroom started out as a head shop and gradually started selling music. Now it's an okay place to get new releases and if you feel like sifting through their enormous used collection (12 copies of the Rembrandts album, 10 of REM's Monster 8 of Sugar Ray's 14:59, you get the picture), you might find a small number of CDs you are willing to spend money on. I got the Go Team's first album and A.C. Newman's first album.
View Larger MapFunky Monkey, 3127 Magazine Street. A lot of their shirts were hilariously overpriced ($30 for an old Mickey Mouse t-shirt?) but their cheap rack had lots of stuff worth buying. I spent about $20 and got three cool t-shirts. Worth a visit, I say.
The next day Katie made me to go to a bunch of touristy stuff in the French Quarter, like Bourbon Street (so terrible), Cafe du Monde (beignets are good) and the Mississippi River (I guess I can't really call a river touristy).
View Larger MapThe highlight of the Vieux Carré was the Louisiana State Museum, housed in the Cabildo building, which was sort of a town hall/multipurpose building in olden days. The three floors of the museum take visitors through Louisiana's past with paintings, artifacts, and maps to illustrate the zany history of what was a French colony, a British colony, a Spanish colony, a French colony again, and finally a part of the United States of America.
View Larger MapThe main thing I wanted to write about in this entry was Domino Sound Record Shack 2557 Bayou Road. I saw a poster for it in Funky Monkey and asked the cashier if she knew where Bayou Road was. She didn't know. I asked Katie if she knew where Bayou Road was, and she didn't know. I asked Katie's mom, and she didn't know. Eventually we found out, thanks to her sister. It is in an interesting looking neighborhood. There are two rasta stores in walking distance from it. Domino only sells vinyl and tape. One wall of the store is punk records, another wall is classic/indie rock, another is soul/r&b/funk, and another is reggae/"world"/electronic/spoken word, with affordable cassettes scattered throughout the store. I finally was able to buy an Ebenezer Obey LP, along with a cassette compilation the store made with African music from the 60s and 70s, which I still haven't listened to yet. They only accepted cash, so I had to go to the ATM in the corner store nearby. I accidentally went to the Chinese fish market first, whose employees directed me to the convenience store, which consisted of an old fat white dude behind a counter, and 5 or 6 old black dudes sitting on chairs in the middle of the floor drinking cheap domestic beer. As soon as I walked in, the youngest guy saw me and said "It's over there." So I guess people come in for the ATM all the time. If you ever go to New Orleans, find a way to get to Domino Sound. It will make your trip. Bring lots of cash.
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