New Orleans may be down, but the city certainly isn’t out. Months after the city has dried, life is beginning to return to some sense of normalcy. But not everything is back. The following locations, some off the beaten path for the college-age crowd, are places that have reopened recently.. While you’re waiting for your favorite restaurant, bar or music club to reopen, give these venues a test drive.
Snug Harbor626 Frenchmen St.,949-0696www.snugjazz.com
Doors open at 8 p.m., with sets starting at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
In a city that’s famous for jazz music, you’ve got more than enough venues to choose from to hear a live show. But for a truly unique opportunity, venture a few blocks outside of the French Quarter to Snug Harbor.
If you’re planning an outing to Snug Harbor, make sure to arrive early. Some of the greats of modern jazz, such as R&B vocalist Charmaine Neville and pianist Ellis Marsalis, frequent the club and put on intimate performances mere feet away from the crowd that packs the indoor theater and usually overflows onto the sidewalk.
While it’s not a dinner theater, there is a restaurant in the club with a menu that includes traditional New Orleans fare, sandwiches and steak.
The Royal Orleans’ Rooftop Observation Deck 621 St. Louis St.
While New Orleans isn’t as busy as some cities, there’s enough hustle and bustle to make you want to get away from it all every now and then.
A little known oasis is in the heart of the French Quarter on the roof of the Royal Orleans Hotel. An observation deck gives sweeping views of the city’s skyline, the rest of the French Quarter and as far as the eye can see in any direction.
This is a great spot to stop and soak in the city from a different angle – literally.
Angeli on Decatur 1141 Decatur St., 566-007711 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
The sheer fact that this is one of the few restaurants in Orleans Parish open past 8 p.m. is good enough to make this list, not the mention the affordable menu. Stop in for a bite after a set at Snug Harbor.
The FlyOn the riverfront in Audubon Park
Before Katrina did some rearranging, The Maroon was going to recommend spending some time on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Needless to say, the south shore of the lake will be out of commission for some time – with restaurants washed away and work being done to reinforce and repair the floodwalls and levees.
If you’re new to Loyola, there’s ample space at the Fly to bring a group of friends to play football or have a small get together. Like the rooftop of the Royal Orleans, it’s another place to take some time to sit and do nothing, this time right on the banks of the Mississippi.
The Half Moon1125 Saint Mary St., 522-0599
Do yourself a favor and leave the Uptown watering holes behind for just one night. The Half Moon Bar, with its laid-back atmosphere, is a great place for a game of pool with a few friends.
The crowd is usually thin compared to Bruno’s or The Boot, but the bar is anything but dead.
