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Mardi Gras advice

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JonathanW_rivals

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
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I know the Paddock likes to party. I'm taking someone to Mardi Gras next year, and neither of us has ever been.

I found on one website suggesting to book your room by Sept.
Found on another the parade schedule. Looks like over 60 parades the last week and a half, but almost none in the French Quarter, many in Uptown, and some in surrounding towns.

Looking like going to be $400/nt to stay near French Quarter, which I assume is where you want to be (?).

I'm leaning towards being there the Sunday and Monday before Fat Tuesday, to fit into the rest of our travel plans. But maybe I have to adjust the other parts if not being there Tuesday is missing the point of going.

Any advice would be appreciated!!!
 
E

entropy13

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Apr 27, 2010
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JonathanW said:
Any advice would be appreciated!!!
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Open mouth kissing the police officers on duty for the festivities is an expected and respected tradition at Mardi Gras, yet is one that's usually left unspoken. So, be sure to do your part.
 
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Anon1640710541

Heisman
Nov 14, 2002
40,454
53,048
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Misconception about Mardi Gras is that it’s just a bunch of x-rated drunken titty flashing debauchery. I mean, that’s what happens on Bourbon Street, but I’ve never been to the French Quarter during a single Mardi Gras parade. I’ve lived here 10 years. The skankiness is off the charts.

I would stay in the Quarter because that’s where the hotels are, but if you’re there the whole weekend, you’re truly missing all the fun. It’s the same as any other weekend, just with 10x more people. Awful, really.


Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Fat Tuesday the parades are amazing. It’s extremely tough to get around because streets get blocked off, but your best bet is to rent one of those Uber type bikes and hit the parades. Thursday, Friday and Sunday will be the Uptown route (north on Napoleon, then a right/east on St Charles). Saturday is the enormous Endymion parade thru Mid City.

Post up somewhere along the parade route with close access to a bar so you can buy beers and use the bathroom. If you’re about halfway thru the route, the parades are over by 10ish. Then head back downtown and see some tits and drunken idiots. Holler when it gets closer and I’ll give you more intel.
 
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Anon1640710541

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Nov 14, 2002
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Great place to watch Uptown parade route: Napoleon/St Charles. Maybe I’m biased since I’m a few blocks from there, but Fat Harry’s and Superior Seafood are open for food, beer and bathrooms. You can stand right there on either side of the street and have a blast. Tough to beat. Your only problem will be getting back home afterwards.
 
J

JonathanW_rivals

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Jan 3, 2003
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PTI (pti) said:
Misconception about Mardi Gras is that it’s just a bunch of x-rated drunken titty flashing debauchery. I mean, that’s what happens on Bourbon Street, but I’ve never been to the French Quarter during a single Mardi Gras parade. I’ve lived here 10 years. The skankiness is off the charts.

I would stay in the Quarter because that’s where the hotels are, but if you’re there the whole weekend, you’re truly missing all the fun. It’s the same as any other weekend, just with 10x more people. Awful, really.


Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Fat Tuesday the parades are amazing. It’s extremely tough to get around because streets get blocked off, but your best bet is to rent one of those Uber type bikes and hit the parades. Thursday, Friday and Sunday will be the Uptown route (north on Napoleon, then a right/east on St Charles). Saturday is the enormous Endymion parade thru Mid City.

Post up somewhere along the parade route with close access to a bar so you can buy beers and use the bathroom. If you’re about halfway thru the route, the parades are over by 10ish. Then head back downtown and see some tits and drunken idiots. Holler when it gets closer and I’ll give you more intel.
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Thanks so much!!!
I did see that most of the parades are Uptown.

Was thinking full day Sunday and Monday. Sounding like Saturday-Sunday could be better.
I am not a party’er, she isn’t either but is closer than I am. But she wants to go for a “big” birthday occasion.
 
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Anon1640710541

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Nov 14, 2002
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Saturday Sunday would be amazing.

The Endymion parade (Saturday) is twice the size of any of the others, and they roll straight into the Superdome. Sunday is easily my favorite and they all follow the Uptown route.
 
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Anon1640710541

Heisman
Nov 14, 2002
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Monday is Harry Connick Jrs parade, which might have the prettiest floats. But it’s kind of a low key day.
 
L

lex cath

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Jan 6, 2016
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JonathanW said:
Never do, always front
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My advice is this do not take your wallet at all, take just one credit card and that’s it. It’s just not the pick pockets there are teams that roam certain bars and do surveillance on drunk people in small groups. They will wait till you leave and shake you down in front of everybody but you will be surrounded making it look natural talking to people walking by while one has his hand on your shoulder acting like you are friends and nobody pays attention while this guy tells you he will stab you unless you hand over your money or cards so that’s why just take one and of course they will take your phone but pull the SIM card and replace with ones they have ready when they leave. The plain clothes cops know this racquet and are good at sniffing it because it’s out of place. Stay out of heavily crowded steeets and have a great time. Oh and don’t give your card to the waitress to pay, do it yourself because they have those chicks on the payroll to scan your card. Enjoy Louisiana 🍺
 
J

JonathanW_rivals

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Jan 3, 2003
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PTI (pti) said:
Saturday Sunday would be amazing.

The Endymion parade (Saturday) is twice the size of any of the others, and they roll straight into the Superdome. Sunday is easily my favorite and they all follow the Uptown route.
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Just 2 weeks away. Staying 1/2 way between Canal St and Poydras St, 4-5 blocks from Harrah's.

Any restaurant suggestions? Not necessarily anything fancy. Just want "good"!
And are assuming it might be wise to make reservations.
 
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B

BCD

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Dec 30, 2002
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Never bend down to pick up beads that hit the ground. Let it go man, it ain't worth it.
 
G

GeraldV

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Aug 4, 2019
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Jacques Imos is a wonderful dinner spot.

Also, it’s probably a bit out of the way; but I had a great meal at Ralph’s on the Park about a decade ago. We were the last table there and Chip Flanagan, the head guy, came out and drank with us for a bit.
 
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jameslee32

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Mar 26, 2009
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B

Beatle Bum

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
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I went for Mardi Gras in the 80s. Would NOT want to stay in the French Quarter. Go visit and see the idiots peeing from balconies and then go back to your hotel on St Charles along the trolly line. And, go to at least one neighborhood parade. They are more traditional. The big parade, Endymion, was not entertaining, IMO, unless you love beads and hearing people say “show me your tits.” The FQ is much more fun during times away from Mardi Gras, IMO.
 
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LowerLevelSeatA

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Jun 2, 2005
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JonathanW said:
Just 2 weeks away. Staying 1/2 way between Canal St and Poydras St, 4-5 blocks from Harrah's.

Any restaurant suggestions? Not necessarily anything fancy. Just want "good"!
And are assuming it might be wise to make reservations.
Click to expand...
You should have stayed at PTI’s (assuming he still lives there). Was he not nice enough to offer? Maybe he will cook you a meal at least. Then no worries on reservations, dress code, etc.
 
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thabigbluenation

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Jul 19, 2012
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Don't go. Wait till mid April and go and you will get the same miniaturized version. 1/3 the crowd. Actual access to everything and have more fun. Unless you are just you want experience it don't.
 
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roguemocha

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Jan 30, 2007
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JonathanW said:
Never do, always front
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One of those weirdos eh? That would drive me crazy. I don’t like anything in my front pocket but maybe my phone.

I’ve been once when I was around 21-22 and I would love to go back to NO but I’ll never go for Mardi Gras again. Too crowded and trashy around the bourbon street area. It was people getting arrested and dudes crowded around chicks with their tits out like the internet doesn’t exist.

NO is a great cool town, I just can do that type of stuff anymore.

If you like it though, check out Fantasy Fest in KW, you’d love that too. It’s flipping wild.
 
J

JonathanW_rivals

Heisman
Jan 3, 2003
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Kingseve1 said:
**** hole. Don’t go. Save your money. Bunch of crazy mothr****ers. Take her skiing
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Funny that I’m taking my son skiing at this moment.
But no, MG is what she wanted to do, I really have little to no interest in it. And I knew she liked Disney, so I added that onto the end.
 
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Anon1640710541

Heisman
Nov 14, 2002
40,454
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There’s a big misconception about Mardi Gras among out of towners who either watch it on tv or come for the experience and stay on Bourbon Street the whole time. That’s like going to Louisville for the Derby, buying an infield ticket, then partying on Fourth Street.

Don’t do that.

Mardi Gras is a month long series of parades hosted by social organizations. Their dues are used to host the parade, build the floats, design the costumes, pay the walking groups and bands, etc. It’s amazing. And very family friendly. And all you have to do is leave your hotel and walk up St Charles Avenue a mile or two to watch on the Uptown route.

My favorite parade is Bacchus. Sunday before Mardi Gras and rolls in the afternoon/evening. You’ll see a huge LED lit alligator float whose mouth opens and shuts and breathes smoke with 50 riders onboard, followed by a HBCU marching band, followed by a walking krewe (ex: 100 dudes dressed up as Elvis riding on pimped out scooters). Repeat that process about 30 more times. And that’s only 1 of about 50 parades. It’s incredible to watch.

If you stay on Bourbon, you’ll be jam packed around a million other fat drunken puking publicly urinating losers whose only mission is to watch some fat girl show her tits on the street and get molested.
 
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Popquiz81

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I was in New Orleans back in 2014 staying off Magazine the day after Mardi Gras and they had an Irish parade where they threw cabbage at people. It was a blast.
 
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Anon1640710541

Heisman
Nov 14, 2002
40,454
53,048
113
Some cheap eats:

Willa Maes for fried chicken
Steins (Jew deli)
Parasols or Domilises for po boys
Superior Seafood or Pascals Manale for happy hour oysters
Coops Place for cajun
Charlie’s for steak
Blue Oak for bbq
Deanies for bbq shrimp
Port of Call for burgers
Dragos for chargrilled oysters
 
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