My husband and I were able to get away for a childless trip for New Year's Day this year. We decided to visit New Orleans for the first time, and we couldn't have picked a more charming house to set up base while we got to know the Big Easy. We flew in from LA on New Year's Day night, which was the day of the Sugar Bowl, but there wasn't any traffic on the 20 minute Uber ride from the airport. I knew we were in for a treat when the Uber driver remarked that we were staying in a nice neighborhood. Since we were planning on walking or taking an Uber around town, we became acquainted with the neighborhood. There's a Rouse's Supermarket catty-corner from the house, where we were able to stock up on beverages and food for our stay, which you'll want to do because the house is so inviting to make yourself feel right at home. The first thing I noticed were natural gas front lamps, which were unique compared to the other houses on the street. There's keyless entry so it's super convenient to get in and out and not have to worry about losing the key. Right when you walk in, you see the soaring ceilings and lovely wood flooring through the house. There's a modern kitchen with an island stove. The interior motif is modern yet quaint with a lot of personal touches from the surveyor tripod lamp to the credenza by the guest room to the leather ottoman that I wish I could find back home. The house has the feel and look of a trendy boutique hotel all while maintaining the coziness of a home. The bed in the master room was very comfortable and didn't at all make me miss my Tempur-pedic mattress at home. My husband suffers from chronic lower back pain, and there wasn't a peep out of him the entire five-night trip. Both bedrooms feature ensuite bathrooms, both stocked with bath toiletries and extra towels. The master bathroom has his & hers sinks, and it was so convenient to have an on-site washer/drier. My sister and brother-in-law met up with us halfway through the trip, and the four of fit very comfortably in the house. The interior space is designed so the master bedroom shares a wall with the guest bathroom and closet, and the guest bedroom shares a wall with the master bathroom, which is something that shouldn't be overlooked. Something else that shouldn't be overlooked is the little backyard area that I wish we could've used because there's a grill out there, but the weather didn't comply with us on this trip. Something else that was incredibly handy was how everything was labeled in the house, from the light switches to the drawers and cabinets. It seems so intuitive to do that, but most places don't. It really made acclimating to a new place that much easier. You don't realize how far knowing where things are and how things work go in making you feel at home. There are helpful instructions in the house, including tips for places to visit and things to do. There's a Sony home speaker that's Google-enabled, and that little tings fills the entire house with sound. There's a smart flatscreen TV located above the fireplace in the living room, so you can log into any of your streaming services from home.
The neighborhood around the house invites you to turn your vacation into a staycation, which we did for the most part.There's a neighborhood bar called 45 Tchoup across the street from Rouse's and a little restaurant called Dick & Jenny's right next to it, if you want some local eats and a dive bar. If you go back down the street in the opposite direction toward the house, there's the Port Orleans Brewing Co for a cool brewery and gastropub. There's also Ms. Mae's a few blocks down the street on Magazine Street, which is a 24-hour bar (I didn't even know those existed). We found ourselves wandering down Magazine Street a couple of days during our trip. Magazine Street is an eclectic thoroughfare with trendy shops, galleries, and restaurants that give you a definite feel of the local culture. We spent a couple days on Magazine Street... lunch at Mahony's one day and Mona's Cafe another. We had beignets and coffee for breakfast at The Vintage on Magazine, then visited the Belladonna Spa one day, and got donuts at District Donuts Sliders Brew.
If you want to venture outside the neighborhood like we did a couple days, the French Quarter is only a 15-minute drive/Uber away. We saw Bourbon Street to get that out of the way, but if you're in NOLA for music, you have to go to Frenchman Street. There are music clubs lined up and down the street, and whole vibe and scene was electric. There was even an impromptu brass band playing a concert on a street corner one night. We spent a couple nights hopping from club to club taking in the scene.
All in all, we LOVED our first NOLA trip and we realize there's still so, so, so much more to see and do. We're already planning our next trip, and you can bet we're going to be staying here again.