Top Mid City Recommendations to Do Before or After Your Walking Tour of New Orleans’ St. Louis Cemetery #3
Okay, you have booked your tour of St. Louis Cemetery #3. But what can you do before or after the tour? First things first, how to get to St. Louis #3.
GETTING THERE
The easiest, of course, is to take a cab or an uber and have them drop you off right at the main gate (the one with the fountain in front).
I have had some adventurous customers walk from the French Quarter – it is a straight shot up Esplanade Ave, which starts at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Ave) and ends at the New Orleans Art Museum). It is about 2 miles. Give yourself about 45-60 minutes to do the walk. Along the way, you will walk underneath Interstate 10 elevated above Claiborne Avenue, and walk by rows of Victorian homes, multiple Creole mansions, the Free People of Color Museum (2336 Esplanade Ave), the Edgar Degas House (2306 Esplanade Ave), and even the Hare Krishna Temple (2936 Esplanade Ave).
You can also take the streetcar from Canal Street. Make sure you take the Canal Streetcar (the red one) and the "City Park/Museum” line (NOT “Cemeteries”). It stops at the intersection of Wisner Ave and Esplanade, a block away from the St. Louis #3. The streetcar is SUPPOSED to run every 16 minutes but they are often not the most reliable so please allow plenty of time to get to your destination. Once you arrive, if you need a pit stop, the Shell station located at 3494 Esplanade Ave has a bathroom, water, and snacks.
The final streetcar stop for the City Park/Museum Streetcar line.
If you drive, you should be able to park nearby, just make sure you are not blocking any driveways or are in any loading zones!
LOCATION
St. Louis #3 Cemetery is in the historic Bayou St. John/Fairgrounds neighborhood, a relatively unknown neighborhood to tourists but beloved by locals. The area is full of restaurants, shops, and activities. Here are some recommendations that you can do before and/or after your tour of St. Louis Cemetery #3. All of these recommendations are within a few blocks of the cemetery and an easy and safe stroll. Be warned, I am a seafood junkie so my recommendations lean toward that. But I have also included what my friends and family members love too for a more balanced review!
COFFEE, BEIGNETS, & SNACKS
FAIR GRINDS COFFEEHOUSE (3133 Ponce de Leon): Located steps off Esplanade Ave, this coffee shop is a hotspot for locals. They have a large selection of fair trade and organic coffee and tea, fresh juices, and pastries and sandwiches. You’ll find people in the shop, outside in the courtyard or sitting on the street bench in the front enjoying their paper, book, or catching up on local gossip. Open from 6:30AM to 1:00PM. Check ahead - they close during the summer.
CAFÉ DU MONDE (56 Dreyfous Drive) Located in City Park in the building referred to as “The Casino” because of its Spanish Mission Revival design that some felt looked like a Mexican “cantina,” it is about half a mile from St. Louis Cemetery #3, and is much more accessible (with far less a wait) than the French Quarter location, with the same quality. Famous for its beignets, pronounced “ben-yei,” or as locals like to call it “ben-YAY,” the fried square of dough drenched in powdered sugar is sure to add a bounce to your step. They also have a gift shop. The coffee is served black or au lait, which means it is half coffee and half hot milk. They also serve milk, juice, and soda. Once you get your beignets, you can sit inside or outside. Weather permitting (if you’re feeling generous), you can toss pieces of your beignets to the geese and ducks gathered nearby, or take a picture on the beautiful stone Langles Bridge, or gaze onto Popp’s Bandstand (a replica of the Temple of Love in Versailles) where local yoga groups or dance krewes regularly practice. Usually local musicians play outside, adding to the ambiance. They are open from 7:00AM to 9:00PM. Note - If you take the walk from the cemetery, make sure you check out the Dueling Oak (located on the corner of Dreyfuss drive across from the Museum), a 300-year-old oak tree that was one of the most popular spots for duelists to settle their differences with guns or swords.
CANSECO’S ESPLANADE MARKET (3135 Esplanade Ave) or TERRANOVA’S SUPERMARKET (3308 Esplanade Ave) are both locally-owned supermarkets that are great to pick up snacks and beverages before or after your tour. Canseco’s offers general food, including a lot of local beers and baked goods. They are open seven days a week from 7AM to 10PM. Terranova’s is family owned for over 95 years! While you can get basic snacks and drinks there, their specialty is their legendary fresh sausages - complete with an old-school butcher counter. Locals come far and wide to place their orders at that counter. If you have a place to cook these or take them home, highly recommend wandering to the back and checking out everything they have to offer. Terranova’s is open 8:00AM to 6:30PM Monday to Friday and 9:00AM to 6:30PM on Saturdays. In the summer, they close at 3:00PM on Saturdays.
LUNCH & BRUNCH
There are multiple places to enjoy a meal before or after your tour. All of these restaurants are approximately a five-to-seven-minute walk from St. Louis Cemetery #3.
CAFÉ DEGAS (3127 Esplanade) –Named after the French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas, Café Degas is the longest running French Bistro in New Orleans and it’s easy to see why, as the place is effortlessly casual and charming. My personal recommendations are the crawfish ravioli, the cheese plate, mussels, and crab salad, but my friends drool over the hanger steak and escargot. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours for brunch: Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 11AM to 3PM. Lunch is offered Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11AM to 3PM. Dinner is Wednesday to Sunday from 5PM to 9:30PM.
1000 FIGS (3141 Ponce de Leon – located next door to Canseco’s but on a different street – blame New Orleans’ unique geography) is a tiny Mediterranean restaurant. Their brussels sprouts and roasted cauliflower are excellent. Their falafel has a local cult-like following. If the restaurant is full and the weather is agreeable, I suggest getting it to go and crossing the street to ALCÉE FORTIER PARK (3100 Esplanade Ave), a small triangular park bounded by Esplanade Avenue, Grand Route St. John, and Mystery Street, and sit at one of the benches and enjoy your meal al fresco. 1000 FIGS is open Monday to Saturday from 11:00AM to 9PM.
SANTA FE (3201 Esplanade Ave) – A classic Mexican restaurant that serves typical fare such as tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, tamales, and nachos. For something different, I recommend the crawfish empanadas or the seafood fajitas. The gazpacho with lump crab meat is excellent as is the Salpicon de Mariscos (seafood salad). My friend can’t pass up the fried green tomatoes or their Santa Fe burger. It has outdoor seating and on weekends they typically have a two-piece band that is always delightful. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 11AM to 10PM. Closed on Mondays.
LIUZZA’S BY THE TRACK (1518 N Lopez Street): Hands down, one of my favorite places for lunch. It is the quintessential neighborhood hangout. You will see cops, construction workers, and high society all crammed around small tables enjoying a hearty meal. It’s small and not exactly glamourous but has good food and lots of it. My beer-drinking friends love that the beer mugs are kept in the freezer! My favorites are the crawfish etouffee, shrimp remoulade, and creole gumbo. I’ve had multiple friends say their Reuben is the best they have ever had. My brother always gets the BBQ shrimp poboy whenever he is in town. This is the place for classic local fare, but they also offer salads, hamburgers, etc. You can’t go wrong with the gumbo and any of their poboys but DO NOT ignore their daily specials they have written on the board at the entrance. This is not a place where the waitstaff are going to take time to describe the specials to you, it’s up to you to check out the board. I always snatch up the shrimp stew when it is available. Open Monday to Saturday from 11AM to 8PM. Open on Sundays only for Saints games.
ATTRACTIONS & EXCURSIONS
SYDNEY AND WALDA BESTHOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN (1 Collins Diboll Circle). This is one of my favorite attractions in the city. I visit every few months and never get tired of it. I always recommend it to those on my tour who are looking to continue their outside art experience. The Sculpture Garden opened in 2003 and was originally a five-acre garden with approximately sixty sculptures. In 2019 it expanded to approximately eleven acres and ninety-six sculptures. The expanded area is connected to the original garden by an existing lagoon. A wide range of primarily modern and abstract sculptures are effortlessly integrated in the exquisitely manicured garden of winding paths, magnolias, live oaks, and reflecting pools. Some of the more popular older sculptures (which are a mix of 19th and 20th century) include works by Henry Moore, René Magritte and Pierre-August Renoir, and Louisiana local George Rodrigue’s famous Blue Dog. A favorite spot for photographs is the familiar Love sign by Robert Indiana. Almost all the recent additions are from the 21st century and works such as a 4-foot skull by Katharina Fritsch and History of the Conquest by Hank Willis Thomas, which is a large bronze sculpture of a child riding a snail, will surely become must-sees. The Sculpture Garden is accessible via three entrances, and the museum offers a free audio guide, accessible through your cell phone. It is less than half a mile and about a ten-minute walk from the cemetery and is FREE! Open daily from 10AM to 6PM (April to October) and 10AM to 5PM (November to March).
CITY PARK (1 Palm Drive) Cross over Bayou St. John on Esplanade and walk straight into one of the oldest urban parks in the country! The over 150-year-old park made an extraordinary recovery from Hurricane Katrina, which damaged every building in the park and killed more than 2,000 trees. The park and its volunteers repaired all the buildings and planted more than 6,500 new trees. The 1,300-acre park has the largest grove of mature live oaks in the world, some being 600-800 years old. Along Lelong Drive are rows of crepe myrtle trees (which bloom from mid-May to mid-October) that replaced the original magnolia trees that were lost in the hurricane. Immediately to your right is BIG LAKE. This artificial lake is modeled after Lake Pontchartrain.The ZEMURRAY TRAIL is a 3⁄4 mile stroll around the lake where you will find local wildlife and art installations. You will also find the SINGING OAK TREE (also known as the Chime Tree). The large wind chimes that ring a pentatonic (five notes per octave) scale were designed by artist Jim Hart. The largest chime measures 14-feet long. Personal boats are not allowed, but across the lake is WHEEL FUN RENTALS where you can rent a kayak or a paddleboat shaped like a swan. You can also rent bikes and surrey bikes with a canopy to explore more of the park. There are so many things to see and do in this gorgeous park so keep in mind that I am only listing recommendations that are close to the entrance.
NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART, “NOMA” (1 Collins Diboll Circle). The museum opened in 1911 with only nine works of art. Today it holds a permanent collection of more than 40,000 pieces, notably French, African, Japanese and American art, and is one of the top art museums in the South. It is about a ten-minute walk from the cemetery. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for active military and seniors, $8 for University students. Free for children 12 and under and to Louisiana residents every Wednesday. It is open Sunday to Friday from 10AM to 6PM and Saturdays from 10AM to 5PM.
BIT MORE OUT OF THE WAY BUT WORTH IT
PAL’S LOUNGE (949 N. Rendon): Want to have a cocktail with locals? This is my favorite neighborhood bar in New Orleans (and I am not alone, it is frequently voted best neighborhood bar). It is always packed with a wide variety of people (and dogs). They even have a drink named after actress Helen Mirren (a fan of the place) called the ‘Helen F***ing Mirren’ which is made from moonshine, vodka, and a habanero lollipop. One of my favorite drinks in the city is from there – the gingerita. If you are fans of ginger (and vodka) it is a must! Tip – if you get a double you get it in a Pal’s go-cup. I took my sister and her husband here when they visited and then took them all over the city for its famous cocktails – Ramos Gin Fizz, Sazerac, Hurricane, etc. Their favorite drink was the gingerita. If your afternoon lingers into the evening, not to worry. Pal's frequently has excellent food truck vendors that set up at night. Also, if you are looking for a good baby gift? Like any good New Orleans bar, they also sell onesies with their logo on it. Open 3PM until…
PARKWAY BAKERY & TAVERN (538 Hagan Ave): Serving up poboys for over a hundred years! Too many poboys to list but I am partial to the fried oyster poboy while my friend from Arkansas has to get the James Brown poboy and Gravy Cheese Fries (it is as decadent as it sounds) every time he is in town. Their chicken and sausage jambalaya is also a favorite. They have plenty of craft cocktails – my favorite being the Frozen Porch Swing Cocktail – and they serve classic sodas to go with any of their meals – Barq’s Root Beer and Fanta Orange Soda. They have lots of seating outside and inside. And you can always get your meal to go and enjoy it on the bayou a block away!