Written by Lauren Toppenberg
Living in new Orleans is like going to Disney World for a week—there’s no way you can do everything that you want to do in your first year. There are many awesome bars and clubs in the city, and most let 18 and up through the door—and they tend to serve drinks to whomever gets in. Students agree that frat parties are the places to go at the beginning of the year in order to meet people, but going out to bars and clubs off campus is preferred. A lot go to bars that are within walking distance of campus, and these tend to have a large college clientele. If you want to go to the Quarter, it will only cost you $2.50 to get down and back, and there’s always a street party going on down Bourbon (but mostly by tourists). Plus, the clubs down there have good dance music, drink specials, and lots of characters.
The most popular local place is The Boot, a bar across the street from Newcomb Hall and visible from JL. It’s the place to meet up with all your friends before you head out for your night on the town, or the place to regroup after party hopping to all the frats. The happy hour on Friday nights is really popular, and it is usually packed until 9 p.m. After that, however, it’s usually pretty empty until 2 or 3 a.m. If drinking isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it. The French Quarter has tons of music and other types of performances going on every evening of the week. However, because it’s farther away, most choose to stay near campus and party at the bars nearby. Drinking and bar hopping is definitely the most popular form of entertainment, but it’s definitely possible to find sober fun—it just takes a little searching.