We are doing a few colleges on the east coast and in the south, she is lukewarm on Tulane but so far they are the most responsive (great flyer showed up two days after we signed up for the visit) and I think she would appreciate a lot about the school. Any suggestions on things for us to do that might be high impact?
Thanks!
Hi @AlexDad2016
Is she a junior or senior? Is there an overnight stay involved?
One day makes things pretty tight by the time you sit through the presentation and do the tour. Does she want to sit in on a class? If yes, of course that leaves less time for other things. If no, then there is time, potentially. Also, when would this visit take place, approximately if you don’t know exactly yet?
We will be there the evening of the 5th, and all day the 6th, leaving the morning of the 7th. She is a Senior, 32ACT and 3.9 UW GPA. Wants to do biology but also interested in politics so maybe a poly sci minor.
Should have added we are signed up for a 9AM tour on the 6th. Hoping to show her some “wow” things on campus or close by.
I assume you mean October. So that means you probably already have hotel reservations. Can I ask where those are and if you are renting a car (which I don’t recommend, personally)?
Sorry I keep delaying a direct answer, but these things make a difference when visiting Tulane.
No car and staying at the Bourbon Orleans. And thanks for helping me out!
Being from South Louisiana and having lived in NOLA for 10 years as a young professional and law student (all pre-Katrina), I’d recommend having a casual dinner the night you get there (I recommend the Napoleon House). That will give her a nice feel for the NOLA ambiance. If you want to go somewhere a little fancy, one of my family’s favorites is Mr. B’s. OK, the day of the admissions event – take a cab. Don’t rely on the streetcar, b/c that can be unpredictable and you don’t want to be late. Plus, the streetcar will let you off at the St. Charles side. My recollection of the admissions event is that it starts in the UC which is off Freret Street. I’m not sure where the smaller tours commence – fallenchemist would know. After the event, then take the streetcar back to the French Quarter, y’all will enjoy the slow, leisurely pace. You might want to spend the rest of the day in the French Quarter poking around. Tujague’s I hear has had a resurgence and the food is supposedly good again (my husband enjoyed a 3 hour lunch there recently). I don’t think that as a student she would spend much time hanging out in the French Quarter, but it definitely is something to see. If you are lucky, there could be a show at Le Petit Theatre or you could catch a movie at the cool movie theater in Canal Place (a mall at the end of Poydras Street). Another option is the House of Blues – I think they might let minors in with a parent to see a show. Have fun. My daughter is super into Tulane and didn’t think she would be. Then we visited – New Orleans is intoxicating – and she is hooked. PS: Have her read The Confederacy of Dunces before you go!
I have a bit of a different opinion than luckymama, but only as regards spending that much time in the FQ. For this visit, I think you and your D will want to see what the area around Tulane is like and see where students more typically go. Here is the thing, as I see it. You are staying on Bourbon Street. That is tourist NOLA, not local NOLA. Most students stop hitting Bourbon Street after 2 visits, except when they have people in from out of town that want to see it. But the FQ has a lot more to offer, as luckymama implies. Royal Street has antique shops and bookstores that are great, and some art galleries. There are also modern galleries in the Warehouse district on the other side of Canal from the FQ. So depending on your exact schedule, you can wander around the FQ the evening you arrive and just window shop on Royal and observe Bourbon Street. I just think it is really important to tell her upfront that the first thing she will see of NOLA is not at all representative of life at Tulane or everyday life in NOLA. Of course, one thing you and she will have to do either that evening or the next is make it down to Jackson Square, see the St. Louis Cathedral and all that is around there, and have beignets at Cafe du Monde. That’s a must.
I completely agree with her about taking a taxi that morning to the campus. The streetcar is wonderful and you should take it back to the hotel that evening, but you don’t want to rely on it to get you to Tulane at a certain time. I think these daily tours start at the admissions office in Gibson Hall, which is on St. Charles. I think the event she is thinking of is a larger one that is moved to the LBC (Tulane’s UC). But admissions can confirm.
You should be done with the tour and all by lunch, and I think they give you a voucher for lunch at Tulane. So after that depends a bit on whether she wants to sit in on a class. If yes, since you are there on a Thursday the class is likely to start at 1:00 and last until 2:15. I can help you with that separately if she wants to sit in, if not it is moot, obviously.
But either right after lunch or later you could do any of the following:
Take a walk through Audubon Park right across from Gibson Hall. It is quite large and has the local zoo and is a bit like the largest quad any campus can possibly have. No, Tulane doesn’t own it but being right across the street like that, students take advantage of it constantly. If you walk all the way through the park you hit the Mississippi and an are called The Fly where students have picnics and hang out a lot as well, especially on weekends.
You could then either take the streetcar (or walk, actually) further uptown and check out the Maple and Oak Street areas. There is a diner just off the corner of St. Charles and South Carrollton called the Camellia Grill that is an absolute institution. You will have already had lunch, but if you are in the mood for a shake or something after walking Audubon, it is worth stopping in.
Or you could take the streetcar down to Washington, hop off, and see one of the old cemeteries there. More to my point, though, you can keep on walking south (to the right as you hopped of the streetcar) and you will not only see some very nice homes (you are in the Garden District there) but in 5 blocks you will be on Magazine Street. This is a popular shopping and dining area You will also have passed Commander’s Palace, one of New Orleans great restaurants. Emeril and Paul Prudhomme both got their start there. Not a bad choice for dinner, btw. But I think jackets are still required for men? Not sure. Seeing Magazine isn’t exactly touristy, but it is local flavor and more pertinent to what Tulane kids might do on a weekend if they need to shop, want to hit some different place to eat, etc.
If you aren’t totally exhausted by then, you could check out the live music on Frenchman Street. Or find out if there is a special act in town in one of the clubs elsewhere in the Marigny section.
There are so many great restaurants. Emeril has a couple, the Brennan family has a few that are all great (Mr. B’s was mentioned, and I think they have reopened the original Brennan’s on Royal, close to your hotel), I have a few favorites closer to Tulane and in the Garden District. It depends on what you like and what kind of experience you are looking for.
Hit me up with a Private Message about the course option. That will need to be squared away if she wants to do that.
As you can see, lots of options, and that only scratched the surface compared to if you had a couple weeks instead of a day+. Plantation and bayou tours, cemetery tours, City Park, and more. Lots to see and do, which is good to know if she chooses Tulane and you have more visits in the future.
Thanks to both of you so much for the recommendations! I read Confederacy of Dunces 20 years ago so maybe it’s still around someplace. Booked a table at Antoine’s for our dinner the last night. Hopefully it’s decent! Fallen thanks for the heads up regarding her sitting in on a class. I will check with her and PM you if she wants to do that.
Antoine’s is still great.
I went to graduate school at Tulane way back in the mid-nineties so I’m sure much has changed but I l was much more of a fan of the Garden District, the little shops and restaurants on Magazine Street (met my husband at the CCs coffee shop on Magazine near Jefferson) and Audubon Park. Liked the Central City neighborhood, too. Loved the quirky Rock-N-Bowl, with live music, zydeco dancing alongside of folks just there to bowl. There’s really nothing like NOLA! I miss it so much. Have fun !
@inthegarden thanks!
Definitely spend your afternoon in Uptown which is where the Tulane students spend 90+% of their time. There’s three main drags around campus – Carrollton/Oak Street (west of campus), Magazine Street (south) and Freret Street (east).
If you have time and it fits in, take the slow streetcar ride back downtown. Maybe hop off to walk around the very cool Garden District (around where Commanders Palace is) a bit and then hop back on.
After dinner, walk down Royal Street to check off St Louis cathedral and Jackson Square, then proceed to Frenchman Street to check out the music scene (where my music loving TU student went a lot).
Done!
@northwesty Merci beaucoup!
I was impressed with the frequency of the streetcars on our visit two weeks ago. But we stayed on St Charles so easy 15 minute ride (or less) to Tulane.
You should do local food for lunch or a snack. Shrimp or oyster Po-boy is a must. I also love muffulettas and was sad I didn’t have time for one last week.
Sometimes the streetcars come frequently, sometimes they don’t. On our last trip to NOLA, we waited 45 minutes for a streetcar that never came. We were so worn out from standing in the heat that we abandoned our plans and went back to the hotel. Next time (in a couple of weeks!) we will plan on a taxi for important missions, like getting to Tulane on time.
Thanks Sportsman! You are making my mouth water!
“You should do local food for lunch or a snack. Shrimp or oyster Po-boy is a must.”
+1
Based on my extensive research conducted while my kid attended TU, Parkway’s surf n turf is the best po-boy. But Parkway’s location is a pain to get to without a car.
If you walk from TU’s campus through Audubon Park down to the Magazine Street corridor, you’ll find some good ones – Domilise’s, Guy’s, Mahoney’s, Casamento’s.
This recent Bon Appetit article mostly confirms my findings.
http://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/navigator/article/louisiana-new-orleans-po-boys
While not NOLA cuisine strictly speaking, Dat Dog on Freret is a fun place for lunch, Popular with TU students and close to campus.
Funny how these threads about visiting Tulane often turn into food discussions. =P~