![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
One of the chief assets of the French Quarter is its walkability.
It definitely reminds me of parts of Paris, except the traffic through the French Quarter isn't nearly as bad as the traffic in Paris, and I think the air quality here is a bit better, at least for this time of year.
I find it amusing that walkability is such a huge asset here. There are so many fancy hotels tucked into the French Quarter that have figured out various ways to juggle the inevitable American automobiles, such that the cars don't obstruct the street ambience. There are a number of places where people have successfully incorporated contemporary architecture, but the main draw is the older style. In addition to the French elements, I feel like there are some parallels to some of the historic parts of Panama City, and a lot of the brick buildings also reminded me of walking around downtown Chicago.
Then there's the "luxury apartment" where we're staying. When I first walked in, I thought to myself, "Exposed brick. Reclaimed wood. Edison bulbs," although it took me a few minutes to locate the actual Edison bulbs. The space is about the size of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie's old mother-in-law apartment in Phoenix, but with vaulted ceilings, more tile, and nicer countertops. To judge by the furnishings and lack of kitchen implements, no one has ever actually lived there. But it's fine for a conference stay, I suppose, and I'll be able to scrap together a few simple meals during the conference.
I suspect I won't participate all that much in the dining-out culture, unless any of you have really specific recommendations. For instance, my body is rebelling against the notion of that big, famous donut shop, the Cafe du Monde. If I do go I'll probably just visit the branch that's in the outlet mall adjacent to the convention center. I mostly crave fresh fruits and vegetables.
A funny thing about that "outlet" mall: I don't know exactly how the whole pricing scheme works, but it seems to basically be a small step down from a lot of big retailers. Enough to give shoppers a sense of satisfaction over obtaining a "bargin" without a huge loss to the retailers. I was just glad to see a Nordstrom Rack because that's my go-to destination for bra shopping, and I didn't have enough time to go while in Seattle. There's also one in Oakland, but I suspect it gets heavily looted and pillaged.
Anyway: high marks for walkability. This is a wonderful contrast to the last conference I attended, in Orlando.
It definitely reminds me of parts of Paris, except the traffic through the French Quarter isn't nearly as bad as the traffic in Paris, and I think the air quality here is a bit better, at least for this time of year.
I find it amusing that walkability is such a huge asset here. There are so many fancy hotels tucked into the French Quarter that have figured out various ways to juggle the inevitable American automobiles, such that the cars don't obstruct the street ambience. There are a number of places where people have successfully incorporated contemporary architecture, but the main draw is the older style. In addition to the French elements, I feel like there are some parallels to some of the historic parts of Panama City, and a lot of the brick buildings also reminded me of walking around downtown Chicago.
Then there's the "luxury apartment" where we're staying. When I first walked in, I thought to myself, "Exposed brick. Reclaimed wood. Edison bulbs," although it took me a few minutes to locate the actual Edison bulbs. The space is about the size of
scrottie's old mother-in-law apartment in Phoenix, but with vaulted ceilings, more tile, and nicer countertops. To judge by the furnishings and lack of kitchen implements, no one has ever actually lived there. But it's fine for a conference stay, I suppose, and I'll be able to scrap together a few simple meals during the conference.I suspect I won't participate all that much in the dining-out culture, unless any of you have really specific recommendations. For instance, my body is rebelling against the notion of that big, famous donut shop, the Cafe du Monde. If I do go I'll probably just visit the branch that's in the outlet mall adjacent to the convention center. I mostly crave fresh fruits and vegetables.
A funny thing about that "outlet" mall: I don't know exactly how the whole pricing scheme works, but it seems to basically be a small step down from a lot of big retailers. Enough to give shoppers a sense of satisfaction over obtaining a "bargin" without a huge loss to the retailers. I was just glad to see a Nordstrom Rack because that's my go-to destination for bra shopping, and I didn't have enough time to go while in Seattle. There's also one in Oakland, but I suspect it gets heavily looted and pillaged.
Anyway: high marks for walkability. This is a wonderful contrast to the last conference I attended, in Orlando.
