New Orleans

I’ve always wondered why the NBA team in Utah is called the Utah Jazz, when clearly New Orleans should have kept that nickname. Though, I’ve never actually been to Utah, so maybe they do have some jazz over there, but I sure didn’t see any pelicans in New Orleans. 

Maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough or maybe I was too distracted by the never ending partying on Bourbon Street, but no matter where you were, there was jazz all around you. 

While I got my fair share of jazz in New Orleans, there were plenty of other things I wanted to check off my to-do list. The best part was that you barely had to leave the French Quarter area, which seemed to have everything you needed for a quick weekend trip.

One of the first items on my checklist was to find a place with $1 oysters. I spent maybe three minutes looking before stumbling on Red Fish Grill on Bourbon Street, which had exactly what I was looking for. I’m sure there were other spots, but this was the first place I saw and the first place I went, so this is the one place I’d recommend for $1 oysters. 

While slurping down a dozen oysters, I noticed a Krystal restaurant across the street. I’d never been but had heard of it thanks to the classic White Castle films back in the day, and Krystal was basically an equivalent right? This was my chance to finally try those legendary sliders. Hopefully, I didn’t offend anyone here. 

I won’t bore you with my three day itinerary, but 95% of it was eating. Whether it was collecting beignets like Infinity Stones (I made it to four of the five Café Beignet locations), or eating gumbo, jambalaya, and po’boys. I’m pretty sure I gained five pounds of pure stomach fat during the trip.

There were also plenty of unique museums to check out, like learning about Marie Laveau at the Voodoo Museum ($10 - smaller than it looks), exploring the Pharmacy Museum ($10), drinking free alcohol at the The Sazerac House, or visiting The Historic New Orleans Collection (free). I have to say, the latter was the best place to use super clean bathrooms (#2), and they even have lockers for your bags. I 100% recommend this museum if you have a couple of hours before checking in or after checking out of your hotel. Plus, you’ll learn a bit about New Orleans history as well.

But to burn off all the food one must eat while partying on Bourbon Street, you also need some exercise, so I went looking for basketball courts. 

Like most major cities I visit, I usually stay in the city center or touristy areas, which can make it tricky to find public courts. Space is valuable, and sometimes there just isn’t room for one. Still, I was able to check out two courts near the French Quarter area: 

• Lemann Park & Playground 

• Comiskey Park Basketball Court 

First, I went to Lemann Park, less than a mile from Bourbon Street. Unfortunately, there was no one there when I arrived. One of the rims was bent, either from thunderous dunks or from neglect, but either way,  my pickup basketball instincts told me it probably wasn’t a hotspot for good runs.

Next, I headed to Comiskey Park, which looked more promising thanks to a roof over the court, similar to some I’d seen in Houston. More cities should have these since they make basketball possible year-round, no matter the weather. On the way there, I did pass by a Trader Joe’s, and a pedestrian I chatted with mentioned ‘Dont’ b-lieve dis Trader Joe’s gone be open fo long, cause it ain’t nevah gonna make no money. All dem items gon be snatched right off dem shelfs’.

Not the greatest start as I made my way there but I was determined to play pickup basketball. 

When I arrived, there was one guy shooting alone and another sleeping (snoring loudly) in the stands. I sat on the bench debating my next move, find another court or work up the courage to ask if I could shoot? Fortunately, before I could even say anything, the guy shooting passed me the ball and motioned for me to take a shot. Sometimes, the only thing stopping us from having fun is our own hesitation.

He turned out to be one of the coolest people I’ve met during my pickup basketball travels. No one else showed up, but we spent the next hour playing HORSE and doing three-point drills. I haven’t ‘practiced’ shooting in a long long time, but this was totally worth it! 

He did mention that if you come later afternoon or evening time, there will be pickup games everyday, so if you are in the New Orleans area and want a quick pickup basketball game, make sure to stop by the Comiskey Park basketball courts! 

Conclusion 

While I never got to play a full pickup game in New Orleans, I still got to shoot around with a local and learn a lot about the city from him. He gave me tips on where to eat and what to see. Sometimes, it’s better to ask a local than to ask ChatGPT or Google!

Travel Tip

Take the New Orleans Streetcars to get around. I'm not sure how much it cost or if it requires an app but they payment system was broken on the streetcars I got on so it was pretty much free. Comes fairly often and gets you all over New Orleans!