The Window Seat: New Orleans Archives

Posted in: New Orleans

By: Jessica Tyler
October 12, 2007

As a seasoned San Franciscan, I can tell you a lot about the Golden Gate Bridge. I can also talk your ears off on the subjects of crooked Lombard Street, funky Haight-Ashbury, our fleet of highly polished retro-chic cable cars, or even eccentric local legends Emperor Norton and Frank Chu.

My grasp of San Francisco lore unravels, though, once the subject turns toward the city’s spookier aspects (excepting, of course, the infamous Zodiac Killer. He’s got his own blockbuster film, after all). Otherwise, I don’t know much about the haunted parts of the Bay Area. Ghosts, ghouls, and graveyards--this fascinating side of the city always seem to come alive as Halloween approaches at this dark time of year.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member kona.

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Posted in California, Educational & Historic, Entertainment, Family & Kids, Festivals & Events, Holiday & Seasonal, Louisiana, New Orleans, San Francisco
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Doing Good While Traveling: This Week In New Orleans

By: Amy Ziff
May 09, 2007

This weekend I was in New Orleans for Jazz Fest – it was awesome. And New Orleans is definitely able to show tourists a grand ole time – just like before. Only, well, a little different. Katrina changed the people of New Orleans as much as it changed the foundation of the land. When everyone talks about the culture of New Orleans – the music and the food and the history – this storm is now a part of all of that. Everyone you talk to has a story.

It was my first trip back post Katrina. And I wanted to learn as much as I could about how things were now. I have to say that everything I've read and heard about New Orleans is true. New Orleans is very much ready for tourists to return. I stayed in the W on Poydras Street – just outside of the quarter. It was vandalized and set on fire after the storm. You'd never know. I walked along the warehouse district and Magazine street is thriving. The nearby Garden District's gorgeous homes are still standing proudly. And of course the French Quarter buzzes around the clock. Bourbon Street shows no signs of Katrina whatsoever. And yet, the city still needs help.

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Posted in New Orleans, Travel News
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New Orleans Jazz Festival

By: Rachel Berg
May 01, 2007

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival began this past Friday and I’m completely jealous of everyone who will be able to attend. The line-up includes the likes of Ludacris, Gillian Welch, and Harry Connick Jr., plus local favorites like Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic, and the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars (regarding the latter, I can say from experience: you’ve got to see it to believe). Also, Joss Stone plays, hosts a private event, and volunteers to build homes for musicians uprooted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

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Posted in Festivals & Events, New Orleans
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Zagat, Show Me The Way

By: Jennifer Gaines
March 07, 2007

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a planner. Chance, curiosity and spontaneity drive my travels more often than not, and the word itinerary unleashes some sort of overt chemical reaction that makes my head hurt and my palms sweat. One thing I consistently rely on, however, is the Zagat Survey. After all, a good meal isn’t something one leaves to chance.

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Posted in Culinary Travel, Guides & Planning, New Orleans
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New Orleans Soul

By: Jennifer Gaines
February 20, 2007

To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in New Orleans for this year’s Mardi Gras festivities. As I do with any getaway, I did my research before I left and found out that popular areas such as the French Quarter and Garden District were up and running, ready to accommodate tourists once again. I hadn’t been to NOLA since pre-Katrina times and was eager to see this rebirth with my own eyes.

I wondered if the contagious spirit of this vibrant city would infuse its visitors just as it did in the past. Would the courtyard at Pat O’Brien’s still be packed with intoxicated tourists who go there to knock back a Hurricane or two before begging for beads on Bourbon Street? Would freshly baked beignets topped with heaps of powdered sugar still beckon patrons to Café Du Monde’s canopy-covered patio? Would jazz musicians dot the sidewalks, propelling those make-you-wanna-dance tunes through the air for all to hear? Basically, would all-things-NOLA still make New Orleans, well, New Orleans?

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Posted in Festivals & Events, New Orleans
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