10 Tips to Keep Cool in New Orleans

 

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There’s no ignoring the fact that New Orleans is SO HOT right now, both figuratively and literally speaking. Here are 10 ways the BBC team keeps cool in the Crescent City…

1) Wear Y’Hat

Some might say, “I’m just not a hat person.” We say good thing you’re in New Orleans where you can be anyone you want to be, because when it gets hot, you’ll want to be a hat person. Check out Goorin Brothers hats and the wild head wear from Fleur de Paris on Royal Street.

2) Eat a Sno-Ball…or 4

Sno-Balls are a New Orleans confection made with finely shaved ice and flavored cane sugar syrup. Commonly confused with the snow cone, the ice of a sno-ball is fine and fluffy; while a snow cone’s ice is coarse and granular. Visit Hansen’s Sno-Bliz who lay claim to the first ever sno-ball served in 1936—the homemade syrups and original ice-shaving machines are a New Orleans tradition. We also love Plum Street Snoballs and Sal’s Sno-Balls, or visit Creole Creamery for your homemade ice cream fix!

3) Retail ThAIRapy

New Orleans retailers invest in the finest AC units money can buy and we thank them for it. Shop the Riverwalk Outlets, The Shops at Canal Place, Royal Street shops, or stroll down the Magazine Street corridor for everything from vintage finds and handmade jewelry, to fine silver and cypress furniture.

4) Dress in Linen

The light breezy fabric has been a New Orleans summer staple for centuries. The art world even dedicates a night to the fabric; Whitney White Linen Night is the largest art opening of the year on the first Saturday in August. Hundreds of art lovers fill the gallery-lined Julia Street as they hop in and out adorned in white linen ensembles. The following Saturday has been deemed Dirty Linen Night, along the Royal Street gallery walk.

5) Parasols Are Not Just for Parading

You’ve seen the feathered beaded parasols bouncing behind a brass band in a traditional secondline parade. Whether you’re touring the city or dancing in the streets, parasols are personal shade-makers that keep you cool while you boogie in the heat. Find them at any French Quarter gift store or visit Bella Umbrella on Magazine for a one-of-a-kind brella.

6) Drink a Pimm’s Cup

There’s nothing like this refreshing cocktail with its cool cucumber on a hot summer’s day. Grab this citrusy concoction at Broussard’s, Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone, or go for the frozen version at The Rusty Nail.

7) Visit a Museum

History buffs will love the National World War II Museum and the Historic New Orleans Collection. Kids will swoon over the white alligators at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Art lovers have plenty to explore at the McKenna Museum of African American Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and New Orleans Museum of Art and Sculpture Garden in City Park.

8) See a Movie

New Orleans is the new capital of movie-making. In that spirit, spend an afternoon tucked away with a bucket of pop-corn, AC, and a flick. Travel uptown to visit New Orleans’ oldest operating movie theater built in 1914—The Prytania Theater. Downtown, The Theatres at Canal Place feature luxury seating with full cocktail and dinner menus. You can also find film selections in venues around town hosted by the New Orleans Film Society.

9) Find the Waterfront

Cruise down the mighty Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez or the Creole Queen; fly through the swamps on an Airboat; float along the bayou; relax by Lake Pontchartrain with fried seafood and a cold beverage.

10) Dance

…you’re already sweating so you might as well. Nothing makes you forget the heat and humidity like music! Good thing we have plenty of it spilling into the streets 24/7. When you feel as though you just might melt, let the music guide you. For a complete calendar of Live Local Music visit WWOZ Radio’s LiveWire.

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