See Nola

Free Cheese with Cheese

Mix upscale chain hotel with free "spirit tasting" (booze) with complimentary chair massages with a show of local art and you get the weekly "Get In The kNOwLA." Get it? There's also live entertainment and free cheese plates. This happens every Wednesday in the JW Marriott lobby (614 Canal Street) from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.   

The Ferry

"The Algiers ferry?" you say. "But I'm not going to Algiers." You are now. The ride is free for pedestrians and provides a view of the French Quarter that few visitors bother to see--but is worth the trip. Once you get to Algiers Point, there are several walkable and worthwhile pubs, including the Crown & Anchor. The ferry ride, which is admittedly a little short, begins with a 180-degree turn that we've never quite figured out but it still is sort of mildly amusing. Service begins at 6 a.m. and continues until midnight. $1.00 per car charge from the Algiers side. To take the ferry, look for the pier at the foot of Canal, next to the aquarium.

Iron Rail Book Collective

511 Marigny St. (Marigny) 504.944.0366. Cash Only. 7 Days: 1pm to 7pm. Inside a corner of an old, large warehouse sits The Iron Rail Book Collective -- a kind of underground activity center that sells, lends and displays radical/anarchist/punk literature. They also stock hardcore, hip hop, punk and metal music. This amazing and entirely unique space is run by a group of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers. It's a great place to stop by for information about the latest show, radical art project, protest or book. Especially fascinating is the Aboveground Zine Library, which holds one of the largest zine collections in the south. Free internet.

City Park

(Mid-City) Map.  Sprawling, beautiful, unkempt & currently under serious construction, City Park offers acres upon acres of green space for locals & tourists who are looking for a day off from honky tonk & "big ass beers." All is not calm, however, for this grand urban park known for its collection of Southern Live Oaks. Katrina caused over 43 million dollars in damage to an area almost twice the size of New York's Central Park. Revenue generating attractions such as the Amusement Park, Botanical Gardens & Golf Courses were shutdown, forcing drastic staff cuts. But there is hope.

Moon Walk, River Walk

Off of Decatur Street, past the French Market, over the railroad tracks, across from Jackson Square, over the Artillery Park, behind JAX Brewery you'll find the great Mississippi River. The Moon Walk & the River Walk are pedestrian areas running along the east bank of the Mississippi. The River Walk is essentially a commercial mall, while the Moon Walk is a nice place to relax & sneak a drink. There are post-storm plans to further open up the east bank to pedestrians, bikers, runners in obnoxious neon jumpsuits. The plan is called "Reinventing the Crescent," and will transform 4 miles of old maritime port into parks, cafes & theaters. While we're all for ambitious, big shoulder architecture, we would be happy to trade the money our town fathers have set aside for the "internationally prominent waterfront" for a sewer system that works.