New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the U.S. The city is full of culture and there’s a lot to do in town. My first time visiting New Orleans, my wife and some friends went to spend New Year’s Eve. It was a 4:45 hour drive from the panhandle of Florida. When we got to the city it… was… COLDDDDDDDDD. We were dressed and prepared for chilly weather, but it was colder than we expected. It was so cold outside that my fully charged phone died in 3 minutes. Besides the cold weather, here are 7 things to expect when visiting New Orleans during New Years Eve. Please feel free to share and subscribe!
1. Expect Amazing Food!
We arrived in New Orleans around 10:32am and dropped our bags off at the hotel until our room was ready. We ate breakfast at Creole House Restaurant and Oyster Bar. The breakfast was THE BEST breakfast I’ve had to date. In the evening we ate dinner at Mother’s Restaurant. The food was really good. The place can seem a bit sketchy at first, but the business is just located in an older building. It is a smaller establishment, so be prepared to stand in line to wait for a table.
2. Expect Bourbon Street to be packed
During New Year’s Eve, Bourbon street was very crowded. The street was packed shoulder to shoulder and it can be very uncomfortable for those who don’t like others bumping into them. Also, some people may be drunk and you can accidentally get hit with some beads from someone tossing them from the balconies above. When we saw how crowded it was, we went into a bar and hung out there and waited for the crowd to go down and moved to an area that was less congested.
3. Expect a windchill if the forecast predicts cold weather
I am still surprised how cold it got. The wind was howling, and the Mississippi river was raging. The wind was so strong that some of us had to hide behind the edge of buildings and wait for the wind to subside for us to continue walking to where we were going. Some of the locals said that it has gotten that windy in the past so make sure that you are prepared for the possibility of a windchill and dress appropriately
4. If the college football playoff is hosted there, there will be a lot more people than usual.
When we arrived in New Orleans the Alabama Crimson Tide were playing the Clemson Tigers at the Superdome and I swear the entire state of Alabama was there. There were some Clemson Tiger Fans but Alabama fans definitely showed up, which could also explain why Bourbon Street was extra crowded. With sports fans in the city you will want to make sure that you arrive early to restaurants and bars to get a seat because most places can get really crowded and you will most likely have to wait a long time before you are seated. So, remember to be strategic in where you choose your hotel.
5. Scammers
Scammers are everywhere and we had to be mindful of them. There was a guy trying to sell us tickets to the Saints game, but I am a New Orleans Saints fan, and I knew that they were not playing in the SuperDome, in fact, they had an away game that same weekend. Someone who didn’t know that information could have gotten scammed out of $300 that he was trying to sell the ticket for. Also beware of the not so obvious scams with tickets to musicals. If you are interested in doing things in the city, make sure that you buy your event tickets at the theater or on an online site that sells authentic tickets.
6. Possible TV time on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve!
This one was really fun. I remember my wife calling her mom to ask her if New Orleans was on TV for New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. New Orleans was one of the cities featured during the live New Year’s Rockin Eve celebration on TV, but we all know they were more preoccupied focusing on the New York site. We then found out that we were too far away from the “Party Zone” to be on TV. So, next time we go to New Orleans, we will have to make sure we are in the New Year’s Rockin Eve Party Zone if we want a chance of being on TV.
7. Some streets were messy
I think this is just a thing to expect in the U.S. with some of the major cities. There were some areas in the city that seemed a little trashy. Now granted, they could have just had a party earlier and they could have had a plan to clean the street after New Year’s, but there were some areas on the outskirts of the city that were very messy.
8. Beware of your surroundings and where you’re going
Some streets in New Orleans are not walkable, so make sure that you map out where you need to go. At night it can be nerve wracking walking down the wrong street and you end up in a place you have no business being. Do not be like that person in the movie that wants to walk down a dark alley to check out what’s down there. Don’t be that person…it’s not safe.
9. Expect a great time!
I’ve been to several cities in the US and New Orleans was one of the most fun. There’s so much that I didn’t get to do so I will definitely be going back to visit some of the museums and try more of the restaurants. Also, I would like to see the Pelicans and Saints play. If I am lucky, I will visit Baton Rouge to see the LSU tigers play as well.
Overall, I had fun in New Orleans for New Years, and I do plan on going to New Orleans for New Year’s again. Have you been to New Orleans During New Years? If so, what did you do when you were there? How was your experience when you visited? What are some recommendations you want to share with others? Did you experience the freezing wind? Please share your experience and comment below. If this post can help someone who is interested in visiting New Orleans for New Years, please feel free to share my post. If you are new to my website please subscribe 😊.