Art, Fashion, Food & Festivity Found on New Orlean’s Magic Magazine Street
New Orleans. A port that means so many different things to travelers from around the world. For some, it’s a culinary adventure. For others, it’s the history and legacy of the Old South. And for others, it’s a city filled with good times and parties. For me, I enjoy everyTHING -the people, culture, art, music, cuisine, and yes, of course, the celebrations.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
The Port of New Orleans by Ferrantraite
As a port, New Orleans welcomes cruise ships from Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, offering a variety of itineraries to Mexico and the Caribbean. The port of New Orleans is distinctly unique because in addition to cruise ships that visit this colorful town, riverboats also make the city a stop on their Mississippi River itineraries.
American Cruise Lines Paddlewheeler
Both Viking River Cruises and American Cruise Lines include the Crescent City as part of their cruising experiences through America’s heartland. Travelers can book a cruise on either a traditional paddle wheeler or a modern riverboat for a taste of the South on the Ole’ Miss.
Most visitors to New Orleans are familiar with its famous French Quarter, Bourbon Street, the French Market and the Garden District. Having visited New Orleans many times previously, I decided to spend a day on the city’s historic Magazine Street to experience its array of locally owned shops, galleries and restaurants brimming with Southern charm, artistry and hospitality.
If you are visiting New Orleans, be sure to book a room at one of Magazine Street’s award-winning boutique hotels, located within walking distance to the French Quarter. The Street is also home to the nation’s official World War II Museum and the renowned Sazerac Distillery, crafter of one of the world’s most iconic spirit and signature cocktails.
Magazine Street
Magazine Street is approximately 6 miles long and aligns with the curves of the Mississippi River. It runs from the Central Business District through the Garden District and further north into Uptown, offering a delightful mix of quaint boutique hotels, historic architecture, shops, galleries, cafes, restaurants, bars and festive fun!
ART
Art aficionados will discover an eclectic collection of galleries on Magazine Street. Too many to visit in one day, but here’s a peek at a few that you’ll definitely want to see.
Art by Christy
An amazing artist with a distinctive talent, Christy lost her hearing at the age of one. Her determination and unwavering belief in herself attributed to her remarkable artistic talent and success. She formally trained at Ringling College of Art & Design, becoming the school’s first deaf student to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Christy’s work is known worldwide, and her intent is to engage the viewer to “see” sounds and “hear” color. She specializes in palette knife painting, but also uses her fingers as brushes to give painting movement and emotion. She works with a variety of mediums including acrylic paint, spray paint, metallics, goldleaf, glitter, glass beads, jewels, and resin. A Louisiana native since the age of 3, Christy is often commissioned to create many of the region’s collectible event posters.
Christy’s studio is colorful and bright, just like her. She is very welcoming and has a true passion for artistic expression. Her bejeweled animals and shimmering fish embody a playfulness that is as uniquely New Orleans as the music that spills out onto its streets. Art By Christy
Potsalot Pottery
Alex and Cindy Williams create and sell their pottery in this delightful shop and studio. Masters of all types of functional pottery for over 25 years, their pieces include coffee and tea pots, vases, pitchers, cups, dinnerware, small bowls, large bowls, lamps, trays and more. Each piece is handmade throughout the process resulting in no two pieces looking exactly alike in color and form.
Alex and Cindy also exhibit and sell handmade pottery by other local artists including Little Leaf Pottery and Bad Ash Studio. They often partner with local restaurants and businesses to create custom dinnerware, sinks, lamps, large urns, and other original pieces of functional décor.
When Alex told me the story about their cute clay Bread Bowls that come complete with his Aunt Carmen’s quick bread recipe, it felt like a warm embrace of southern hospitality-proof that in New Orleans, even pottery comes with a story. Potsalot Pottery
Alex Beard Studio
Alex Beard has been based out of New Orleans for the last 30 years. He is best known for wildlife compositions and conservation efforts via his Watering Hole Foundation dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered wildlife and their environments. He is on the U.S. Board of Directors for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya and his work reflects his frequent visits there. Alex is also a best-selling author and illustrator of a collection of children’s books called Tales from the Watering Hole, with a new release due in 2025. Alex Beard Studio
New Orleans Glassworks and Printmaking Studio
This colorful, shimmering gallery of glass art is divine. Housed in a restored 1800’s brick building with over 25,000 square feet of space, the Studio offers a plethora of experiences and art glass creativity for all ages and interests.
New Orleans Glassworks also features artisans in printmaking, metalworking, glass mosaic art and stained-glass art. Tour their open-working studios and watch daily glass blowing demonstrations free of charge from October through May. (Contact them a few days in advance to see what they have planned for the day of your visit.)
Browse their amazing gallery showcasing a variety of works in colorful glass, prints and metal sculptures. Immerse yourself in one of New Orleans Glassworks’ workshops or private events and receptions, such as Wine + Design, where guests design their own wine glass, which once crafted, is finished by artisans while guests enjoy a fun wine tasting. Commissionable project requests are welcome by the artisans as well. New Orleans Glassworks
FASHION
Having worked in the fashion and retail industries for most of my career, I’m always on the lookout for stylish Things wherever I travel. Here are two I loved visiting on this journey.
odAOMO
I happened upon this fabulous boutique on Magazine Street and the window displays drew me in to discover more. Local designer and surgeon, Dr. Sophia Aojo Omoro is the creative mind behind a beautiful collection of wearable art, jewelry and accessories. It’s truly unlike any fashion collection I’ve seen before – and I’ve seen many.
Branded as odAOMO, each piece is handcrafted from eco-friendly materials by her skilled team in Kenya and produced in limited numbers. The team receives fair wages which positively impact their local villages. The cross-cultural esthetic and design of odAOMO’s collection feel like a celebration of life, infused with Kenya’s bold spirit and the glamour of New Orleans.
From glistening couture designs crafted of brocade remnants, to custom batiks designed in-house, to stunning Maasai hand beaded designs, each piece is truly breathtaking. All accessories are crafted from sustainable materials, including leathers and hides, which are are sourced from local farms and found materials, ensuring no lives are harmed for fashion. Extraordinary vision and acts by an extraordinary woman. OdAOMO
The Bead Shop
What’s a visit to New Orleans without some beads?! But this shop doesn’t just stock traditional purple, green and gold Mardi Gras and festival bead necklaces. This locally owned shop houses an amazing collection of collectible beads and making supplies, It is rated one of the top 10 bead stores in the U.S. When I visited, the shop was buzzing with guests admiring gemstone beads, wood, bone, glass, crystals, pewter, silver, gold, seed beads and so much more.
The creative team does custom work daily, crafting unique jewelry that guests help design. Pick the materials and share your vision. The team will make your dream piece a reality. Or schedule an appointment to visit their stringing room to make your own jewelry, book a jewelry making experience, or reserve a private class. The Bead Shop
FOOD & SPIRITS
What’s a trip to New Orleans without experiencing some delicious food and classic cocktails? We had some amazing dinners during our stay, especially in the Garden District at Ponchartrain Hotel’s Jack Rose restaurant. Service and food were both on point and I look forward to going back. Make a reservation in advance!
Here’s also a few shops that I recommend where you can take a taste of New Orleans home with you!
Current Crop Roasting Shop
Current Crop is a New Orleans-based store where coffee lovers discover the craft of green bean selection and home coffee roasting. Guests learn general roast levels and how to achive them with a French Roast air roaster. But have you ever heard of “Coffee Cupping”? I’m not a big coffee drinker, so I must admit, I had no idea what it was. I sat in on one of Current Crop’s cupping classes and learned so much!
Coffee Cupping is similar to wine tasting where guests taste a variety of coffee from around the world and evaluate the nuances of flavor, aroma and fragrance. It is the globally standardized method of evaluating coffee quality and flavor, acidity, aftertaste, body, and intensity.
Led by Catherine Mansell, the shop’s resident Q Grader and Director of Product, the class of 8 coffee connoisseurs were in for a delicious learning experience. Catherine’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I soon became an admirer of the art of growing, harvesting, roasting and tasting the vast assortment and range of coffee flavors.
The class pointed out how to properly “taste” (you slurp) a roasted coffee. Then you identify the various flavors on the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel ranging from molasses to whiskey, or coconut to nutmeg. Tastes can even include rubber, woody and hay-like! Current Crop hosts classes on Coffee Cocktail Creations led by a local expert mixologist, which I certainly want to take next time I’m in New Orleans.
The shop sells a variety of green coffee beans harvested from farms around the world, including Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, North America, South America, and Indonesia. You can roast your beans at their roasting station, or take some beans, a roaster, grinder, and brewer home with you for a fresh cup of java! Visit the LEARN tab on their website to discover more details about this invigorating beverage. Current Crop Roasting
Sazarac House
The world-renowned Sazarac Cocktail is historically associated with New Orleans and often referred to as a “Taste of New Orleans in a Glass”. The Sazarac House opened in 2019 on Magazine Street and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The historic building, dating to the 1860’s, showcases exhibitions, displays and experiences related to the history of the Sazerac, and the cocktail culture of New Orleans.
A classic Sazarac Cocktail consists of Rye Whiskey, Bitters, Herbsaint, a sugar cube and lemon twist. It originated in New Orlean’s French Quarter. Visitors to the House learn about the colorful - and sometimes shady - history of this world-renowned cocktail and its ingredients, as well as absinth, cognac and other spirits produced by the distillery. Sazarac House
There are three floors to explore at the Sazarac House.
The self-guided tour starts on the third floor where visitors learn the History and Heritage of 19th century French Quarter apothecaries and development of New Orleans cocktail culture.
The second floor introduces visitors to the Art of Craftsmanship in fine spirits today.
The first floor houses the Distillery and the Sazarac House shop, where a wide range of spirits, books and merchandise are available for purchase. Be sure to enjoy a tour and tastings while in New Orleans!
The Vintage
Everyone is familiar with New Orlean’s famous Café Du Monde and their delicious beignets. Those warm puffs of dough sprinkled with sugar are addicting! However, while shopping on Magazine Street, may I also recommend The Vintage restaurant for breakfast, lunch or happy hour.
In addition to great coffee, bubbles, wine, flatbreads, sandwiches and bites, The Vintage’s beignets truly rival those of Café Du Monde. Pick up a bag of their small batch, locally crafted coffee, as well as a package of their beignet mix, and you’ll be able to relive those New Orleans memories at home! The Vintage
FESTIVITY
There is always something fun and festive happening in New Orleans. The city hosts over 130 unique festivals and events throughout the year. These include holiday celebrations, cultural events, food and beverage events, music festivals, art shows and so much more!
I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans one week before Fat Tuesday, during Mardi Gras. The parade season starts in January and ends on Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday each year. These dates vary, so check your calendar for upcoming schedules. The parades follow different routes throughout the metro area, many of which start on Magazine Street and head down St. Charles Street, which is where we viewed two of the city’s most famous processions.
Mardi Gras parades are named after Krewe, which is a social organization that hosts parades or balls for the Carnival season. There are parades almost every day as Mardi Gras approaches and often multiple times a day as the holiday draws closer.
First, we watched the Krewe of Druids, and a day later we saw the Krewe of Muses. Being on St. Charles instead of near the French Quarter, we were surrounded by local families who lined the parade route for hours of fun before the parades arrived. The members of each Krewe appear costumed on the spectacular floats, tossing beads and small toys to revelers along the way.
From its art galleries, to crafting studios, fashion boutiques, and cafes, Magazine Street is more than a neighborhood. It’s a celebration of culture, art, food and festivity that makes New Orleans a city like no other in the world.
Next Voyage - Join me as I embark on a Western Caribbean Cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima ship. We’ll depart from Galveston to the sunny ports of Costa Maya, Harvest Caye, Roatan and Cozumel.
Till then, keep cruisin’ through life, discovering your own special Things!
CHEERS!
