So often I get asked by family, friends, and clients – “Why live in New Orleans?”. And to be honest, during Covid my husband and I questioned this as well! The city was shut down and all things that made New Orleans unique were put on hold. But let me tell you.. New Orleans is back and better than ever! Between Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and now the time/weather change I am reminded of why we call New Orleans home. We are about to roll into festival season, which is personally my favorite season of them all! See attached schedule for all the upcoming events.
Aside from festivals, there is so much New Orleans has to offer. One of our favorite Saturday morning outings is City Park! You can get beignets, feed ducks, play on the playground, listen to live acoustic music, and roam a market - all in one location! Here is a list of our family favorite weekend activities with links for quick references:
1. City Park – Café du Monde, ducks, playground, music, market, bike rentals, putt putt, and more! https://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/cafe-du-monde https://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/city-putt
2. Storyland/Carousel Gardens Amusement Park – If you have the time and energy, this can be done on the same visit as your City Park visit as is right next door! https://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/storyland https://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park/carousel-gardens
3. Aquarium – The aquarium is located downtown! TIP: park in the Canal Place parking garage and have your parking validated at the desk right when you walk in. This makes parking around $6.00! Address for Canal Place parking - 333 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130 - https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium
4. Zoo – The zoo is located Uptown! During covid you would have to reserve a timed ticket but recently they went back to just walking up to purchase a ticket or use your membership! Parking is free. https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo
5. Children’s Museum – The new children’s museum is great for kids of all ages, especially on days where the weather isn’t cooperating! They have an infant/toddler only area for children 0-4. They also have a great outdoor area. The Acorn Café is a super casual, order at the counter, Brennan’s owned restaurant attached to the museum where you can grab a French Truck coffee, popsicle, or lunch before or after your visit! TIP: One Sunday a month, they have free admission! https://lcm.org/ https://www.acornnola.com/
6. Breweries – All breweries in New Orleans are kid friendly and usually either make their own food or have fun food trucks! There are SO many, but some of our favorites are: Mid City - Secondline, Uptown/Lower Garden District - Urban South, Port Orleans, and Miel. Zony Mash is also great and often has live music and crawfish in the Spring! TIP: follow their Instagrams for up to date info on food trucks, hours, and festivities.
7. Family Friendly Food – Juniors in Lakeview, Blue Oak BBQ in Mid City, Dat Dog by the Zoo, Barracuda by the breweries Uptown/Lower Garden District.
LAST TIP: We get an annual Audubon Membership (zoo/aquarium) and a Children's Museum Membership as a Christmas gift from my children's grandparents every year! This is a great way to make a lot of our weekend outings "free" :)
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