Exotic Shopping

In the French Market at on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, this was one of the stalls when we visited.  The variety is amazing and it is fun to shop.


--steve  buser

Technorati Tags: French Market, shopping, New Orleans, African art, art, masks

Multi-layer fun

As the crowds hustle by below window shopping New Orleans French Quarter for Christmas gifts, diners enjoy the cool night air above on Decatur Street at the French Market Restaurant.  Their view includes a look at the quarter and a gaze out over the Mississippi River.

--steve buser

Fiery spirit

Walking along Decatur Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, we came upon this beastly fellow. For a tame dragon, he sure seemed to have a lot of fire in his belly. Sure to make you coffee table come to life.

--steve buser

Pedestrian Friendly without the pedestrians.

The New Orleans sun has quit trying to peek under the live oaks on St. Peter St. along side Jackson Square.

The French Quarter street has been turned into a walkway along here, making the Quarter more pedestrian friendly.

This night, passing showers had shined up the stone walkway and left a breezy evening, perfect for browsing the shops along the walk. Unfortunately, the showers scared away the crowds for awhile, leaving this deserted looking view for the New Orleans Landmark.

--steve buser

Magazine street -- even a sprinkle of essentials

Today we finish our shopping on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans. It's time to go back home and admire our shopping prowess. I just wanted to finish with another favorite shop of mine that I have never been in. I just love the red accents and the white color. The real purpose though is to show you that there are useful shops, too, on Magazine Street. There is a drugstore, hardware store, several restaurants and more. But, hey, you're not going to travel from New York or Minnesota to go to a drugstore. So we concentrated on the fun shopping stuff.

One last link to the Magazine Street merchants website. Check it out.

Curtain exchange

This is one of my favorite stores on Magazine Street. I have never been in it. I just love the gracious porch (I have a thing for porches) and the name of the place. When I first saw it, I thought why would any store exchange new curtains for old? But I think that is just the clever sounding name that draws you in. In any case, this is an example of the many stores, boutiques and galleries that line Magazine Street as it winds through Uptown parallel to the Mississippi River n New Orleans.

--steve buser

Buxom beauty bumptiously buttresses beverages and booty

How about a little different way to show off your bounty?

Our piece de resistance today is a photo of this busty beauty we saw in the window at Miss Spratt's ( I believe) on Magazine Street. Imagine this to place your hors d'oevre tray on for a cocktail party -- it would set the tone for the evening. Nothing like showing your stuff. This photo is another treasure from our window shopping expedition down Magazine Street in New Orleans.

--steve buser

Getting a deal on a dealer's digs

Another photo from our Magazine Street window shopping tour. These dealer digs seem a perfect treasure for that party you are planning next week.

--steve buser

Dragons

More Magazine Street shopping today. How about a pair of dragons from the Private Collection. They are something that ought to convince your guests that you are someone to be reckoned with. (Excuse me -- sentence ending in a preposition. No No. Do over. "They are something that ougt to convince your guest that you are someone with whome to be reckoned.")

You are now getting the idea that the 3 or 4 miles of Magazine Street is a real treasure store of shops, boutiques, galleries and the like.

--steve buser

The great Louisiana purchase on Magazine Street

Magazine Street again. Treasure galore. How about a pair of medieval looking shields. One can never have too much protection these days. And they do bring a sense of stability and permanance to any room. A sense of history and chivalry. Perfect accent pieces if you ask me.

Magazine Street in New Orleans is about a 3.5 mile stretch of shopping opportunities. I am counting the section from about Nashville Avenue to abut in the Felicity Street area. It continues further on downtown, but that has a different character. And it continues on the other end through Audubon Park, but that, too is a different, though scenic part of the street.

Magazine Street takes you back a few years to the time of one-car families, pedestrians, family-owned shops, and family restaurants. It's fun to just park, walk, browse and shop the boutiques, antique shops, galleries and all.

--steve buser

Eye popping shopping on Magazine Street

Pop your room with color. What about this Chinese dragon I found in the window at The Private Collection on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans. No one will ever talk about your house being boring again. I didn't ask about the price, I was pretty sure I couldn't afford it.

The Private Collection is one of a number of boutiques along Magazine Street -- a shopping corridor that was spared the flooding from Katrina. Art galleries, antique shops and more line the New Orleans Street.

See. I told you we would get back to shopping on Magazine Street. Just wait, there's more tomorrow.


--steve buser

Meandering Magazine Street -- shops, shops, shops

You restless like me? Maybe it's the cool weather blowing in.

Look. If you've got a couple hours, I got just the place to cure your Fall's a falling blues. Let's go run down Magazine Street in New Orleans. We can window shop and explore the stores to our hearts delight.

Magazine was holding on before Hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm, it was one of the few commercial corridors that was not flooded and that caused a boom in shops along the busy street. Lately, a few vacancies have been cropping up. Much of that seems, though, to be in newly renovated space.

Magazine is mostly little shops -- some store fronts from the 40's and 50' era and earlier, but also a lot of old homes converted into stores, and galleries. Did I say galleries? Plenty of them. Lots of antique shops and assorted boutiques, too. Some coffee shops, a hardware store or two. Good eating places. A menagerie, as it were, that is just waiting to be explored. One of those fund things to do if you just visiting for a few days and don't want to do the crowd magnets.

Let's start right here. Bella Nola Home Decor. Can it get much more N'Awlins than that.

Come on, this is going to be fun. Wait till tomorrow and you see what I found.

-- steve buser

Shopping New Orleans. Which would you rather have guiding you through the darkness? Crab? Crawfish? Lobster? Hummingbird?

That's the problem with the French Market in the French Quarter of the Crescent City -- there's too much to choose from. You can spend hours dreaming and shopping. Did I say problem? No problem here. It's one of my favorite pastimes.

Maybe that's why it's the oldest community market it the U.S. -- it keeps dreams alive.

River watch

Saturday was a day of fun in downtown New Orleans with Linda's nieces and nephews. We took an umbrella-covered stroll through a downpour down to the Riverwalk for lunch. This scene is Casey, Paige and Rebeka looking out over the river when the rain stopped. The Riverwalk is a fun-filled shopping experience at the site of the old World's Exposition. The large glass wall of the food court gives a panoramic view of the Mighty Mississippi. Step outside for a view of the wharf and the full feel of the busy waterway.

- steve buser