Lauren and "The Mistress" were amazing. Lauren has an amazing eye for design and the apartment is perfectly appointed and makes for the quintessential New Orleans experience - bohemian, simple but with fantastic bursts of color and texture, and perfectly located on the iconic St Charles St, right outside a streetcar stop leading out to Loyola, Tulane, Audubon Park, and parts beyond, and in to the French Quarter - 10 minutes between streetcars and 15 minutes to the Quarter. Within a block are several bars and restaurants, ranging from "Tacos and Beer" (guess what they sell) to the schwanky Houston's, which features excellent live jazz... and everything in between. Go a little further into the Garden District and you have arguably the city's best restaurant, Commander's Palace, as well as its best fried catfish and red beans and rice at Joey K's.
And yet, despite so much activity, it all seems rather subdued, and the apartment is a quiet oasis. The beds and pillows are incredibly comfortable - we slept like babies, and so did our toddler, who seldom does. Lauren even left us some amazing cinnamon rolls, which (through sheer willpower) lasted the better part of a week and were still delicious by the last bite.
I don't know how to recommend this place any higher. If The Mistress isn't available when we return to New Orleans, we might have to change the dates.