To start I highly recommend not staying on or around Canal Street. Most of the large hotels and deals that you will find will be in that area, however, the street lacks soul and culture and when you walk out the front door, a plastic tourist trap is not what you are looking for.
Airbnb is probably the best way to stay in new orleans. Much of the flavor of the city is on the side-streets and scattered in beautiful neighborhoods so this is where you will also want to be.
If you can try to stay in the Marigny or Bywater, on the far-end of the quarter (close to esplanade) or uptown or in the upper or lower garden district.
Beautiful renovated church, school house, and covent in the Marigny that is perfect place and location for anyone coming to visit New Orleans.
The ACE Hotel has become quite the hot-spot in town and the default location for celebreties, musicians, and techies who come to visit the city. They have everything you would come to expect from a hipster hotel but done with a tasteful NOLA twist. I lived in this hotel for about a year and a half so it holds a lot of great memories for me.
To me this is New Orleans. While it has now become a pretty busy place for locals and out-of-owners alike, sitting outside in a back yard eating amazing food, listening to amazing live music, meeting incredible people, and drinking far too much wine is a big part of what this city is about. Get there early if you want to get a table and if there is no where to sit, definitely try to make friends with people and sit at their table — they’re probably wonderful new friends that you just haven’t met yet.
Another great outdoor restaurant, but this time of the french country variety. They specialize in natural wines and canned seafood (think really-high scallop rillettes, or canned squid). They also have amazing cooked dishes and you can easily sit in the garden for many many hours.
In my opinion, this is the best restaurant in the French Quarter. The Monkey Business cocktail is one of my favs on the planet and the ambiance feels very New Orleans at the turn of the century mixed with a touch of Brooklyn’s attention to detail.
Expensive and a little stuffy, but some of the best classic new orleans food in the city. Expect fancy dishes with less-normal animals like frog, alligator, rabbit, etc.
Maybe the best Israeli food in the world. The James Beard Award winning restaurant.
The Marigny and Bywater are my local hangs... Vietnamese in the back of Lost Love Lounge is always a nice one (they show movies sometimes during dinner on a projector)
Usually empty but has great hand-pulled noodles.
Amazing food! And their spicy marzano pizza is to die for.
Better New York style pizza than you have ever had in New York.
Rum style cocktail bar in the French Quarter with great food and usually a pretty good crowd. Definitely get a classic daiquiri.
This is where the locals drink great cocktails and get rowdy. It’s a bit of a dive bar but fun and good for a last drink of the night. Typically there will be a bunch of bartenders from the quarter hanging out there.
Classic New Orleans cocktail bar in the Rosevelt hotel
Classic New Orleans cocktail bar in the quarter
My favorite hipster dive-bar. Drab a drink and then walk across the street to Sea Cave Arcade and play old console video games.
Another favorite bar-tender hang out.
Where the tattooed weirdos all hang out.
Where the locals hang out late night.
An amazing outdoor musical art piece that they sometimes throw concerts at; a must see for sure whether there is an event there or not. Go there during the day and play around on all of the installations.
There's nothing like watching a sunset from crescent park in the bywater... go walk over the rusty rainbow as the sun is setting on a cloud-filled day so wonderful.
Massive 300 year old oak in a beautiful park that is wonderful to climb and hang out around.
A classic video game arcade for adults. Something that you can only find in New Orleans.
If you want to see some interesting art and strange objects, go to "Ms. Rau's" Antiques on Royal St in the quarter. Walk all the way to the back and ask to see the player piano, and then ask to see the secret painting collection. It’s like a private museum where everything is for sale and very few people know that it exists.
Tuesday Nights is Rebirth Brass Band which is one of the most famous jazz bands in the city. Buy tickets and get there early to get up front.
Saturday Night at St Roche Tavern is Bounce Night. It's weird as fuck and something to experience if you're not familiar with bounce music.
Depending on the night, check out any or all of these places (they are all on the same block)... they host all sorts of strange nights and All Ways tends to do a lot of jazz and swing. Mondays at 9:30 at Siberia Lounge is Comic Strip — Which is exactly what it sounds like… comedy and burlesque.
Legit Voodoo supply store.
Seriously, it’s a shit hole. As is just about anything on or around Canal St or much of Decatur in the Quarter. Avoid all the tourist shit.