USEFUL info / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (As usual with our web site, you may find out more than you EVER wanted to know, but  this section answers the most frequently asked questions potential visitors have. Many parts have not been been updated since 1998. We get to them as we can. One day, it will be FULLY revised. )

A little humor, 1st. If you're a jaded traveler and you think you've seen everything, here is some food for thought. Click on photo to enlarge. Click  BACK to return to this page.

HURRICANE Recovery, GOOD NEWS NEW ORLEANS.  Everything OLD is still NEW Orleans.  The only thing missing is YOU. Please come and rediscover New Orleans. Everything you have always loved about it is here, and waiting for your return.

 

GETTING AROUND


        How big is the French Quarter?

The French Quarter is only 7 X 12 short blocks, so it's an easy walk anywhere from the main B&B. You can walk from one end of the French Quarter to the other end in only 15 minutes.  It's a short stroll to the St. Charles Streetcar line, Ernest Morial Convention Center, or warehouse/arts district. If you want to save time (and stay out of the heat), during convention season, you can  hop on the *French Quarter shuttle bus that is just around the corner from us (*Vieux Carre Shuttle) that  takes you to the St. Charles streetcar, Convention Center, CBD (central business district), plus the edge of the Arts/Warehouse District (*update 12/06: our city government can't explain to residents, workers, tourists and businesses WHY they made the decision to NOT start back up this vital shuttle). However, the Riverfront and Canal streetcars are a few blocks down Esplanade Avenue and regular busses across the street and on St. Charles Ave.

        WHAT ABOUT GETTING TO OTHER AREAS?

You don't need a car. The Garden District, Audubon Park, Magazine Street, university and Uptown areas are just a trolley ride away. Streetcars will take you to City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art. (You can purchase VisiTour passes from us, that are valid for on and off any city transportation, valid for a full day.)

        Public Transportation:
Most public transportation will only cost $1.25, plus $0.25 for a transfer to another line. Unlimited use VisiTour bus passes are also available and are valid for all city-wide transportation.  These passes are available for 1 day or 3. There is even a bus pass that is valid between parishes (counties) and to the airport. PLUS, there is a FREE  ferry shuttle that takes pedestrians across the Mississippi River to Algiers Point, a very interesting, historic neighborhood. Senior citizens pay only 40 cents to ride streetcars and busses.  (You can purchase 1 day VisiTour passes from us.)
 

        ATTENDING A CONVENTION?

From the B&B, the convention center is a 15-20 minute walk from the residential end of the French Quarter, where we are. During convention season, if it's hot or you're in a hurry, daytime, weekdays, hop on the French Quarter (Vieux Carre) shuttle bus (service to resume in for Fall 2007 convention season), or hop on the streetcar a few blocks down.  Shuttle and streetcars take you to the Canal Street hotels and the Convention Center. Taxicabs are cheap in New Orleans.  If you are like me and would rather have a few moments extra sleep, you can take a taxicab to the Convention Center and be there in 5-minutes. Many conventions provide free shuttle busses from the major French Quarter Hotels. If one is near, you could walk there.

        A CAR IN THE FRENCH QUARTER?

Here’s the down side:  Everything is so easily accessible in New Orleans, that a car is almost a detriment. A car is usually more trouble than it is worth in the French Quarter, particularly if you are only staying a few days. PLUS, you'll have to pay to park it.

Parking in the French Quarter is very limited and challenging. If you don't know how to parallel park, forget it! On street parking is mostly by special resident permit, for only 2-hours, or metered parking (who wants to be constantly feeding a meter instead of focusing on having fun?). Since parking spaces are at a premium, parking lots are expensive, and there are very few public parking lots.  French Quarter signage is poor, so too many tourists have their car towed because they did not understand the signs, or the signs were gone, or yellow lines faded,  and they thought they had parked legally.  LA insurance rates are among the highest in the nation, for good reason.  New Orleanian drivers are aggressive consequently, there are many wrecks. Car burglary and vandalism is also a consideration.

    PARKING RESTRICTIONS in the French Quarter, business and historic districts: Our city is NOTORIOUS for towing and ticketing cars, so be careful careful where you park. Each street is closed one morning every week for street cleaning, so if you park on the street, pay attention to the signs.  Park at least 3 feet from driveways, 20 feet from crosswalks, intersections, or traffic signals, and 15 feet from fire hydrants. The yellow line for no parking zones often is faded, if a parking meter is broken or missing, DO NOT PARK there. Also pay close attention to 'resident parking' restrictions, and some parts of the French Quarter or CBD (Central Business District) have parking meters, but between 4-6pm, parking lanes are used for rush hour traffic . (Plenty of restrictions, huh?). Bottom line is that OFTEN it's easier to pay for parking in a lot, instead of running the risk of being ticketed or towed.

    SPEED LIMIT:  In the city, you won't find a lot of speed limit signs, but you should be aware of rules, because you will be ticketed if you exceed the limit, even if you never saw a sign. Speed limit is 35mph on divided streets.  On one-way or non divided streets, speed limit is 25mph.  School zone speed limit is 20mph, usually from  7:45am to 8:30am  and from 2:30-3:45pm.  Be careful.  Even if you pull into a street in a section where signs are not posted, patrols will pull you over and give you a ticket (they say ignorance of a school zone is no excuse).

ARE YOU ADEQUATELY DISCOURAGED on the car issue?

ON THE OTHER HAND (now you'll really be confused):

        WHEN A RENTAL CAR MAKES SENSE - If you are going to tour Acadiana, the plantations or swamps and bayous. But  . . .  if there are two of you traveling together, you'll probably only break even on savings going by car rather than a van or bus tour. (Typically, almost half of the tour cost is transportation because these areas are about an hour+ away.)

If there are more than 2-persons in your party, a rental car for a day or so might save you money, but think about your navigational skills. You'll have to read a map, pay attention to the road, not the landscape, and potentially get lost.  The upside is you'll discover wonderful little places that you'd never know about on a tour, plus you travel at your own pace! Also, you wont incur taxicab fare, to and from the airport, but you will incur parking expense (parking at the B&B is usually only $10/day with unlimited in/out privileges).

 

IF YOU RENT A CAR: There are several rental car agencies nearby, and most have free transport to take you to their office from the B&B: Avis, Hertz, Budget, Enterprise and Thrifty. Alamo's facility is at the airport. WHICHEVER location you select, ask about TAXES and other add-on charges.  That's where they "Sock it to ya' ".

Lots to think about, huh?  Decisions, decisions. What a bummer when you're coming to have fun.

 

SAFETY in the French Quarter: New Orleans frequently gets a bad rap. If you've heard that the French Quarter is not safe, I hope this section will clarify the issue. Just like ANY big urban area that has inner city dwellings nearby, like in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, you CAN walk safely at night, if you just use good sense and exercise caution.

Daytime: You'll feel comfortable walking in the French Quarter, Central Business District (CBD), Warehouse/Arts District, much of the Garden District, Uptown, Faubourg St. John and Faubourg Marigny.

Nighttime: Lighting in the French Quarter simulates romantic, gas lamp lighting, so many streets in the French Quarter are NOT brightly lighted. Don't be unduly concerned. Our guest book is full of comments from traveling businesswomen and single women about how comfortable they feel staying and walking to & from the B&B at night.

WE CAN HIGHLIGHT A MAP FOR B&B GUESTS: When you stay with us, we want your trip to be worry-free, so we can highlight a map with the best nighttime walking routes we residents use -- just ask. Then, all you need to do is concentrate on having fun. Just like in any big city, use these nighttime walking guidelines: if there is no traffic or pedestrians and the street and it is not well lighted, PLUS if there is no store, bar or restaurant open nearby, you probably should not walk alone. Turn around!  Stay on streets that are fairly well lighted, with other folks walking or driving OR walk in the middle of one way streets, or on the 'neutral ground'. I'm very conservative, because I walk alone at night. Even though I'm no 'spring chicken', I flatter myself thinking I'm STILL a female target. I walk by myself until about midnight and feel comfortable using the guidelines, above.

TAXICABS ARE CHEAP! Most folks who live in the residential areas aren't out walking after midnight, because they must get up and go to work the next morning. We suggest that guests take a taxicab back to their accommodations in the wee hours of the morning. For 2 people, it's about $8 anywhere in the French Quarter, and extra dollar per person.

TAXICAB FROM AIRPORT: Airport to French Quarter taxicabs 2007 are $29 for 1-2 people . 3 or more riders? $12/person +$1 energy surcharge. Fare is a few dollars more  more to Plantation Compound. Rate doesn't include tip, nor wait time in traffic jams.

FRENCHMAN STREET neighborhood: You'll be comfortable walking in some parts of Faubourg Marigny after dark. If you want to go where locals residents go, you'll fall in love with Frenchman St. It's a vibrant neighborhood, day and night. We'll tell you where we locals go.

Esplanade Avenue is the street at the residential end of the French Quarter. Folks walk here late at night because of a couple of restaurants and bars on each end that are open until 1am weeknights, 2am weekend nights  -- one is open 24 hours. Since Esplanade is the only divided/BOULEVARD street in the French Quarter that has TREES in the middle, residents ALSO walk their dogs there before they go to sleep. AND Port of Call restaurant, on Esplanade, usually has a waiting line around to the corner street, because it has the best hamburgers and baked potatoes in the city AND a killer drink, named the Monsoon. The 24 hour grocery, a block and a half from B&B, gives law enforcement officers free soft drinks and coffee, so they hang out there. AND the inn where celebrities stay is in the next block from the B&B. PLUS, there are luxury condo's next door to us.

N. Rampart St., another boundary street of the French Quarter, frequently gets a bad rap by folks that don't truly KNOW our city. Because of the clubs and hotels, it is OK to walk late if you stay on the French Quarter side of Rampart, where clubs and restaurants are open. Rampart has GREAT places we local residents enjoy: Peristyle Restaurant, Donna’s Bar & Grill. Another upscale restaurant has just opened on Rampart, but can't remember it's name -- something like Meaubar (it's kind of trendy). Oh, and there's always Hula Mae's Laundromat where folks do their laundry, late (it's an historic building where there was a famous recording studio)!

SAFETY update: Everyone is always asking, “Is it safe, now?” Folks  who live in the historic districts are beginning to be very impatient with media headlines that make our city look like the crime capitol of the world.

We think our Convention Bureau and Police Departments say it best.
    “Visitors to New Orleans have enjoyed a high degree of safety and security while strolling in the historic and tourism corridor such as the French Quarter, Warehouse District, CBD, Garden District and Audubon Park area, enjoying all New Orleans has to offer. In fact, in July, AAA identified New Orleans as one of North America's top ten most walkable cities."
        UPDATE 9/12/06: New Orleans Police Department reports overall crime and the murder rate are both down more than 50%. Law enforcement agencies are proactively monitoring activity in the tourist areas: French Quarter, the Central Business and Warehouse Districts and other historic areas.
    The crimes that have been reported in the national media predominantly are drug and gang-related violence in the early morning hours in the outlying, sparsely populated neighborhoods of the city which always have been hot spots for unlawful activity. This sort of activity unfortunately happens in many major cities but New Orleans is under a microscope right now making us a target for national news coverage.

    The tourist corridor of the city traditionally has been safe and remains that way today. Part of the charm of New Orleans is that it is a very walkable city with hotels and restaurants near the Convention Center and French Quarter. We ask that visitors be mindful of their surroundings as they would in any major American city, and ask [ B&B] staff if you have questions.

UPDATE 4/4/07:  Convention and Visitor Bureau international news release: The reality is that the areas that tourists and visitors enjoy in New Orleans are as safe as those as in any big American city.
    New Orleans still remains under a microscope for international media attention, often resulting in sensational headlines. Violent crime predominantly is retaliation, drug/gang violence or criminal-on-criminal acts, not affecting visitors or popular tourist areas.
    If your experience is like the tens of thousands of visitors and convention delegates that have come to New Orleans since last summer, you can expect a safe, enjoyable successful visit, with hospitality that is even better than ever.
 

SIGHTSEEING, RESTAURANTS, MUSIC, ETC.

After you make a reservation with us, before your arrival, you will receive an email loaded with information. There will be several  attachments to the email, for those guests who like to plan what they will do while they are in New Orleans: Banana Courtyard's Guides to New Orleans and the French QUARTER "Best Bet Restaurants" and "Sights, Sounds, and Flavor of New Orleans".  Also, we'll send info about Music and a general listing of restaurants. One document  contains sightseeing information (music clubs, famous bars, museums, a list of New Orleans'  historic cemeteries, art galleries, attractions, historic places, tours our guests have raved about, etc.). Another document contains information about restaurants and food (in addition to the well-known restaurants, we'll tell you about the restaurants where folks who live here go. There's even a section named "cheap eats" for budget travelers -- you don't have to spend a fortune in New Orleans to eat well).

Guests staying at the B&B receive a free copy of OffBeat Magazine, that has daily listings of who is playing at what club and what type of music they play. We also have an extensive collection of brochures, tours, and information on sightseeing.

(Uh, oh.  It's the 'whiner' Mary, speaking, again.  Post Katrina, we haven't had time to update the stuff mentioned above.  Since more and more places reopen every day, it's impossible to keep up with.)

 

IN NEW ORLEANS, WHAT IS A B&B? (In the French Quarter, we joke that there should be a 3rd B in B&B. The 3rd B would stand for beverage):

Seriously, typically, a bed and breakfast in New Orleans is owner occupied and has from 1-5 guest bedrooms. You should expect a house with architecture typical of the area's historic past.

MUSIC, RESTAURANTS, SIGHTSEEING: At Banana Courtyard, we are VERY knowledgeable about area attractions, tours, restaurants, music and dance scene, and safety issues. This expertise will prove to be an invaluable asset to discovering "off the beaten path"  things to do and see.

Applicable TAX (and lots of other stuff, like free soft drinks, bottled water, fruit, Granola bars, and welcome beer or wine at main B&B) INCLUDED IN RATE:  MOST of our guests at the main B&B are "European Plan', which means your Continental breakfast is included in price of accommodation, as are ALL applicable taxes, local telephone calls and energy surcharge. At Banana Courtyard, we roll them into our rates so you don't have those hidden charges when you check out. Yep.  A recent nationwide survey indicates that many hotels zap you with extra, unmentioned fees. Here they are, so be on alert:

 Wonder why only CONTINENTAL breakfast ? In New Orleans, your B&B license does not allow you to cook. (Go figure! Don't ask me why it's not just called a BED license?) Worry not. You'll never push away from OUR table hungry.  We stuff you full of breakfast goodies baked at the local bakeries, and there is always fruit and granola bars left out to 'nosh on', if you don't make it to breakfast.

PERSONAL SERVICE, REASONABLY PRICED ACCOMMODATIONS: A  B&B is the perfect selection if you are looking for personal service and reasonably priced accommodation.  Because this is a very popular type of accommodation in New Orleans, it's not unusual for the most popular accommodations, like ours, to fill up MANY months, sometimes a year in advance.

COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE: Contrary to what some people think, you DO NOT have to go out right after breakfast. Your room and the public areas of the house are yours to enjoy, all day long if you wish.  However, most folks want to get out and enjoy all our lovely city has to offer.  On a rainy day or whenever the mood strikes you, feel free to curl up with a good book and just enjoy the ambiance of your accommodations and other parts of  the B&B. The hammock and porch swing are always popular, 1st come, 1st served.

Many small B&Bs run by "Mom" and 'Pop', don't have staff.  Don't expect daily turn downs. Instead, be pleasantly surprised if they happen.  We live at main B&B, so if you need more towels or anything, we're available. We TRY to do turn downs, replenish towels and empty waste baskets, but some days it does not happen.  Hugh is still having problems with his knee replacement, and the banana lady is still hobbling around in a surgical splint, most days.

 

WHAT IS a self-catering accommodation?  In New Orleans, they are typically corporate or vacation houses or apartments in 1800s restored buildings, rented out long term. They  have a living room or seating area, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/kitchenette, therefore breakfast is usually not provided. In OUR self catering accommodations, just prior to your arrival, units are cleaned, fresh linens put on beds, a supply of towels, face cloths, etc., are put out. The kitchens have a coffee maker, usually a microwave, toaster, apt. size refrigerator, and are typically stocked with starter supply of coffee, sweetener, creamer. Our accommodations have ALL the new fangled gadgets you'd expect: heat and air conditioning, TV, telephone, and more. Bakery, grocery, restaurants, coffee shops, and breakfast places are nearby. There is not daily maid service except by special arrangement (fee).

 

WHAT ARE THE RULES?  At Banana Courtyard, we are very laid back. When guests ask me, "Mary. May I come and go as I please?," I tell them, "I'm not Mom".  

Bottom line is our "rules" are use common sense and be courteous. You come and go as you please. When folks come to the French Quarter, they come to have a good time.  Many of you will stay out late, some into the wee hours of the morning.  If you come back at 4am, in courtesy to other guests, just remember not to slam doors, 'bam' around, or shout.

(If little signs around drive you crazy, don't stay with us.  We've got 'em everywhere. Here are examples: please close door when you go into courtyard, because mosquitos and flies will get in if you don't; some guests are concerned about the environment -- if you put towels in hamper, we'll replace them, if you hand them on towel bar, we assume that means you'll reuse them; even with new fangled commodes, you sometimes have to hold down handle to fully flush; please lock door and gate when you leave house; water pressure in N'Awlins ain't what it used to be; please don't lean back on antique bed headboard or it may break like it did with a guest last month; we can serve breakfast between 8-10am. Please call us 30 minutes before you want to eat breakfast, so we can start preparing it; please don't put sanitary napkins in commode.)

Extra guests or visitors:  Fire code, licensing and insurance limit the number of folks that can be here.  HOTELS  have lots of strangers running around. Most guests choose us because of our privacy. We're not like an hotel, so it would be inappropriate for you to have non paying/non registered guests come over (+our rates are based on the number of people renting the accommodation).  You might ask your friends and colleagues to meet you nearby at a bar, restaurant or public place, or ask us if it's OK to have them over and introduce us, so we know who will be in house.  If you want to have a group function, we'll be happy to help with suggestions and arrangements.

 

GETTING FROM THE AIRPORT TO the French Quarter and B&B.