There Is a House In New Orleans

Ride the wave

Frau Schmitt and your humble narrator are innkeepers.  Being an innkeeper is a profession.  It's how we make our living.  We support ourselves as innkeepers and we preserve the property located at 2216 Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans by being innkeepers.  If people didn't choose to stay at La Belle Esplanade, the building wouldn't be the landmark that it is.  We would like to thank everyone who has stayed with us over the years for their help in paying the bills and maintaining the upkeep.  Thank you.

We see ourselves as stewards of this magnificent home located an equal distance between the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street in one direction, and City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art in the other direction.  That picture up top is from the Botanical Gardens in City Park.  It is a pleasant and picturesque stroll no matter which way you turn outside our front door.  

We love living in New Orleans and, more specifically, we love the part of New Orleans in which we live.  Ours is a very interesting neighborhood.  We never know what we'll find when we turn a corner.  All we know is that we are continually pleasantly surprised.

Are you ready?



I was reading about the history of the above song on the House of the Rising Sun Bed and Breakfast's website.  If you want to stay in Algiers when you visit New Orleans, we recommend staying with Kevin and Wendy.  It's very nice in Algiers.  It's quiet.  We live in a quiet part of the city, but it's nowhere near as quiet as Algiers.  It's that quiet.

We don't get to Algiers often, but when we do, we take the ferry.  It's pedestrian only.  $2.00 each way and the view is breathtaking.  

Hallowe'en is over

We've had a lot of people driving to New Orleans recently.  I don't know why.  You certainly don't need a car while you're here.  Being from Connecticut, your humble narrator dislikes any car ride longer than an hour.  Why?  Because that's about how long it takes to get anywhere in Connecticut.  If it's more than an hour, that place is too far.  Plus, I don't mind flying.

We had a whole family come down for Voodoo Fest this past weekend.  They parked their car in the back lot behind our gardens and left it the whole time.  Never used it once.  I like that.  

Other people insist on driving.  If you want to know why I don't like driving, here's a video of two people trying to find a parking space near the French Quarter.  Notice it took them the first 2:35 just to travel two blocks.  Oy vey!  I've got other things I could be doing rather than sit in the car with those two.



Now, if you want to go to a plantation or out in the swamp, then you might want a car.  Of course, Tours by Isabelle will pick you up right at our house and take you out there, too.

People ask all the time if they should take a swamp tour.  "Is it worth it?"  If you are here for two days and you want to spend half your time outside New Orleans, I have to ask you if you think it's worth it.  It's not like you're going to be bored in the city.  But then, some people don't like to be around other people.  In that case, the swamp will probably be for you.

People who choose to go don't regret it.  I can tell you that.  

There is a house in New Orleans

Frau Schmitt took that picture at the top of this page of the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in the Botanical Gardens.  Pretty good work, huh?  She has an eye for composition.  

I took the picture of our house, above.  One of my legs is shorter than the other so every time I take a picture it's at a slant.  

One one final note:

This month marks the 19th month in a row that we've been ranked the #1 bed and breakfast on Trip Advisor not just in New Orleans, but in all of Louisiana.  We are very proud of this fact, but it's only due to the many kind words people have written about us over the past year and half.  We would like to thank everyone who has stayed with us.  You make our profession a pleasure.

À votre santé,

La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.