<p>I will be visiting Tulane next week for Destination Tulane as she attempts to make her final Decision and I have some logistical questions. I have never been to New Orleans.</p>
<p>The paper work from Tulane suggests that parking is a major problem and it would be better to take cabs than to rent a car. This goes against my normal way of doing things, however car rental rates for my time period are very expensive and it will cost about $200.00 for car rental and parking for the 2 days 1 night we are there. </p>
<p>Is it a bad idea not to have car? We are staying at the JW Marriott on the edge of the FQ, and I assume we will want to go to dinner in the evening, and see at least some of what the city has to offer.</p>
<p>Is there any place special you would recommend for dinner on a Monday night or anything we must see outside the campus?</p>
<p>My daughter is planning to visit some classes on Monday and do the formal program on Tuesday. The class visit procedure seems a little loose. You pick a class from their list, and show up a few minutes before class and ask permission from the professor. I welcome comments from anyone who has done this as to how it works out.</p>
<p>My son did his visit on the 14th. My husband and son arrived on Monday, visited Tuesday and flew back on Wednesday. You really have no need for a car. Go to the ground transportation level by baggage claim. You will see booths for the airport shuttle. They go to all the hotels. Its $15 each way per person. You can purchase your return shuttle fare at the same time.
My H and S went to Giacomo’s on Oak street for dinner.It was a place recommended by my sons Tulane counselor. Their specialty is Cajun/Creole if you’re interested. It was a “hole in the wall”, but the food was excellent. If you’re staying on the edge of the FQ, there are lots of places to eat there.
My H was able to buy a multi day pass for the street car at the hotel. The street car can really get you to alot of where you would want to go.
My S didn’t visit any classes as there was not a great selection on Tuesday that he was interested in. He decided after the visit to enroll at Tulane.</p>
<p>Septmbr - Man I HATE to be without a car, anywhere … and that includes NYC! Let’s see, $40 from airport to hotel in NOLA, and $40 back. Yes parking near the FQ is a hassle (which is why we stay out by the airport and drive downtown), but taxi’s won’t save you much IMHO. (BTW, Hotwire works for cars too.)</p>
<p>Suggestions:
(1) The streetcars are great. Take advantage of them if you can.
(2) Our family likes an early dinner on Johnny White’s balcony overlooking Bourbon Street.
(3) Parking near Tulane is not usually a problem. If you’re headed for the south end of campus (near St. Charles) you can park along Audubon Park. If you’re headed for the north end of campus you can park along Audubon Boulevard.
(4) Take a walk through Audubon Park (and maybe the zoo)
(5) If you like old movie theatres, check out McAlister Auditorium
(6) For fast food, try Bud’s Broiler just north of campus. It’s known for burgers, but I like the catfish sandwich too.
(7) Camilla Grill. (Ask anyone.)</p>
<p>PS, There are several ways to get to Tulane from the airport. If you’re driving, I recommend taking I10 to downtown, and taking the St. Charles Street Exit. Many, many visitors miss this exit on their first attempt and end up crossing the Mississippi on the Mississippi River Bridge. YOU DON’T WANT THIS. Study the map carefully, and enlist the aid of a navigator to help you count down the exits. JMH advice.</p>
<p>I completely agree that having a car is a bad idea in New Orleans. Just a hassle, you don’t need it. Where you are staying, you can get to the streetcar easily, it is the only way to go (not literally, I mean as a superlative) to get to Tulane from downtown. There are so many fabulous places to eat, all the ones mentioned here are great. Also there is Pascal’s Manale just off the Garden District, and then you can walk through the District after and get a feel for the real charm of New Orleans. You just walk back the few blocks to St. Charles and then cross over. If you want to go to one of the pricier restaurants (Emeril’s, Commander’s Palace, etc. etc.) you will need reservations. You need them at Manale’s also, but shouldn’t be a problem. If you go to Manale’s get the BBQ shrimp. Forget the name of the dish, it is misleading, but it is FABULOUS (as long as you don’t mind wearing a bib, lol). Oh, and if you walk through Audubon Park (and you should) when you get to Magazine Street walk down it. There are lots of shops and small places to eat and it gives you a feel for one of the areas the kids can go off campus.</p>
<p>So much to do, so little time. Have fun!! PM me if you want more info.</p>
<p>Also, I know that seems loose about the classes, but it works fine. The profs are used to all the visitors and are great about it. You can even see the current schedule of classes online and if there is something she really wants to sit in on that is not on the official Destination Tulane list, just e-mail the prof and ask if it is OK. They might be having an exam or something that day, but otherwise my D had no problem with any of them she asked when she went for Honors Weekend. In fact, I would say their replies were absolutely enthusiastic.</p>
<p>I always rent a car when I visit - but you can manage fine without one - but it does take awhile to go from the FQ to campus with the streetcar - give yourself enough time.</p>
<p>If you want a special place to eat near campus you could try Brigsten’s or Dante’s Kitchen. Jacques-Imo’s on Oak is good too - just a little more casual. In the FQ I recommend Mr. B’s or GW Fins. Casamentos on Magazine is still open if you like raw or fried oysters (they close in months without ‘r’). And Joey Ks on Magazine has great po’ boys for lunch. Jacques-Imo’s super casual outpost - Crabby Jacks - which is out towards the airport has excellent po’boys (good for the plane ride home). I second the Camellia Grill.</p>
<p>It does take twice as long or more from the FQ to Tulane by streetcar for sure, but then, you do get to just sit and take in all the gorgeous homes and other interesting sights.</p>
<p>Wow! thanks for all the great suggestions. I wish we had more time.</p>
<p>I have tried hotwire, priceline, and other various possible booking sites and for some reason the rated are just high for my dates. I do hate to be without a car however. </p>
<p>If I decide not to rent a car I will plan to take a taxi from the airport to the school on Mon AM and school to airport on Tues Evening. Also I will try to take one from hotel back to Tulane on Tues AM. (hopefully cabs are readily available) We may try the street car Monday Afternoon to get to the hotel, but I want to be sure I can find the hotel. Maybe another taxi. The price difference may not end up that large. Admissions says they will store you luggage if you don’t have a car.</p>
<p>I can hardly believe we are doing this at this late date. In the past year and a half we visited about 20 schools. Tulane was the only school she applied to that she didn’t visit, and some how it has made it to the final 2. Fate is a funny thing</p>
<p>Taxis near your hotel will be plentiful. From campus Tulane will have to call you a taxi, and it can take about 15 min sometimes. Just so you know. You will have no trouble finding your hotel from where you would get off the streetcar. Just tell the driver which hotel you are at or the cross streets it is on and they will tell you the right stop.</p>
<p>^ It’s four miles and 15 minutes by car. A half hour should be safe ONCE YOU ACTUALLY GET ON THE STREETCAR. Be aware that streetcars tend to run to their own schedule, rather than the “every ten minutes” listed in the brochure!</p>
<p>On the good side, there should be a full complement of streetcars running during rush hour … that should be in your favor!</p>
<p>^^ And the streetcars run down the center median so they aren’t affected by the traffic on St. Charles (which can be slow during peak times if you’re driving).</p>
<p>(If you do drive from the FQ to campus - I’ve found it’s faster to take I-10 to Carrollton Ave.)</p>
<p>There is a taxi stand at the Tulane campus but it is not always with a taxi sitting there. The cab from the airport to the FQ is $25, so for three people a taxi is cheaper anyway. I would suggest take a cab to school the first morning since you are somewhat time critical, then experiment with the streetcar going back to the hotel. You just stay on the streetcar until it ends and it is at the edge of the FQ, where you hotel is located. New Orleans is decieving, not a huge city but great amenities, like efficient and convenient public transportation. I laughed when I read your comment about Tulane making it to the finals without a visit. My S visited 14 schools, accepted to 10, applied since the Tulane app was free. As time marched on none of the other schools went the distance. We did the 11th hour visit to New Orleans, 2 hours later he said, " I can’t imagine being anywhere else" and is now finishing year two, having the time of his life, making good grades and loving a very interesting city. I must say from a parent’s viewpoint, it is exceptional to have a child based in such a fascinating city. Every time we visit we are torn between the many things to do (great war museum, cooking classes, parks, the bayous) and visiting with our child! The FQ is something everyone does once, as my S says, it is an expensive tourist trap for middle agers–not part of the Tulane circuit. I would pass on Fins but agree with the other dining suggestions. One last thought about the causal attitude towards class visitation–why should it be hard? This is the South, people are friendly, laid back and welcoming and Tulane reflects this.</p>
<p>If you need a taxi to go back to the airport, arrange it a pickup time / place with the taxi driver who brought you in - or get their card and call them before you’re ready to go.</p>
<p>The trolley cars do travel on the center median (mostly). But all the cross streets also cross the tracks so the trolley’s also have to obey the traffic signals. So, rather than “not” affected by traffic I’d say they are “less” affected by traffic.</p>
<p>$1.25 each way, exact change. Dollar bills accepted. Keep enough $1.00 bills and quarters in your pocket.</p>
<p>We drove from Chicago to New Orleans and stayed in the French Quarter and only used our car on one occasion - to drive to Slidell for a “swamp tour.” Otherwise, we relied upon the St. Charles St. streetcar to get back and forth from campus. The streetcar stops on Canal St. and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes for one to arrive. Once we got on, it was about a 30 minute ride to campus. Since the activities for Destination Tulane begin at 8:00 am (for registration), we left our hotel on Bourbon St. at about 7:00 am and arrived on campus by 7:50 am.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the advice, heading there tonight.</p>
<p>i had to post a reply since I am in the same boat. I lost count of how many colleges my daughter has seen between her visits and when we took her on her brothers’. we have been in the midwest, the northeast, carolinas, virginia florida and texas. </p>
<p>And here we are with 18 days to go and Tulane’s in the top two.</p>
<p>My neighbor has a daughter who is a freshman, same thing happened, she went to Destination Tulane and dropped all the others. Maybe we should learn to start with Tulane and not bother with the rest!</p>
<p>Hi rosa. Actually that does happen a lot. Great campus, the charm of New Orleans, students that are very nice and love the school…I constantly hear that visitors that visit a lot of campuses, like yourselves, see more kids in Tulane gear at Tulane than other kids in their colleges’ stuff at other campuses. Also for the most part profs and administration are extremely helpful and friendly.</p>
<p>Of course, that doesn’t happen for everyone, and that’s what the process is all about. But I think Tulane is one of those schools that changes minds more from a visit than most.</p>