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The Crescent City's shopping is as eclectic as its music, food, and culture. In local boutiques and specialty stores, you’ll find everything from rare antiques to novelty T-shirts, artwork, jewelry, fashion, and foods that represent the city's varied flavors. Up and down Magazine Street and throughout the French Quarter, you'll spot old-world influences intersecting with modern trends, making it easy for even the most discerning shopper to find something new to treasure.
New Orleanians have a deep love for their city and its culture. For shoppers, this translates into pride-centric merchandise, including jewelry and clothing bearing city emblems, such as the fleur-de-lis—the stylized iris design associated with New Orleans since its early days—and Mardi Gras masks, black-and-gold Saints symbols, and humorous statements about political issues and local personalities. Residents strongly support local entrepreneurs, and there are many homegrown stores selling locally made goods.
Make sure to pay attention to some of the city's artwork. Posters designed around Jazz Fest and other special events, for example, often become collector's items. In the thriving arts districts, you'll find contemporary works by local artists alongside renowned names in the art world. The sounds of New Orleans—Dixieland, contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, zydeco, rap, hip-hop, and the unique bounce beat—are available in music stores, such as Louisiana Music Factory and Peaches Records, and at live-music venues including Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor, and House of Blues. Bookstores stock a plethora of local books on photography, history, cooking, and folklore. Clothing stores focus on items that wear well in New Orleans's often intense heat and humidity, with styles ranging from the latest runway fashions to vintage frocks and styles by local designers.
This open-air café and New Orleans landmark serves café au lait (half coffee, half hot milk) and beignets (holeless doughnuts sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar). Take-home products from the café include prepackaged chicory coffee and beignet mix, coffee mugs, and posters depicting the spot. The café's store across the street also sells logo T-shirts, aprons, and other souvenirs. Another branch is in the CBD, at the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk.
Vendors have been selling their wares on this spot since 1791, making it one of the oldest public marketplaces in the country. Today, the French Market includes a large flea market, small produce stands, and retail shops. For the daily flea market, dozens of vendors set up tables inside and outside the covered pavilion, selling inexpensive jewelry, sunglasses, handbags, T-shirts, curios, and food items, like spice mixes and hot sauces. The market generally is open daily from about 7 to 7, but hours can vary depending on the weather.
This 8,000-square-foot retail wonderland is filled with interesting antiques, light fixtures, salvaged items, and art. The antiques come from England, France, and Belgium, and are high-quality yet affordable. The store's selection of salvaged elements, mostly from old New Orleans houses, and art from emerging local artists, allows shoppers to take home a unique piece of the city. The shop also rents bicycles by the hour, day, or week, and runs bicycle tours.
Local artist James Michalopoulos showcases his abstract visions of New Orleans's architecture, street scenes, and personalities in oil paintings, lithographs, prints, posters, and serigraphs.
One of the South's largest glassblowing and printmaking studios has a viewing room where visitors can watch glassblowers at work. The gallery also displays and sells functional and decorative art and sculptures.
This locally owned music shop specializes in vinyl as well as CDs, with a focus on New Orleans rap, hip-hop, and bounce. You'll also find jazz, gospel, classic soul, and a few music accessories. Live shows are sometimes presented in the café at the front of the store.
The name stands for Right Here In New Orleans, which is where most of the artists involved in this upscale co-op live and work. You'll find original paintings in a variety of styles, metalwork, sculpture, ceramics, glass, functional art, jewelry, fashion accessories, and artwork made from found objects. The gallery also holds art classes for children and adults.
One of Louisiana's most successful artists, George Rodrigue (1944–2013) is best known for his series featuring the Blue Dog, which has become a local icon. But it's the images of his Cajun ancestors in stylized Acadiana settings that got the most praise from art critics. His work is available in original paintings and signed and numbered silkscreen prints, mixed media, and sculpture.
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