Hotel and Travel: STFM Annual Spring Conference

New Orleans is a vibrant, culturally rich city known for its unique blend of French, Spanish, African, and American influences. It’s famous for its music (especially jazz), food, festivals (like Mardi Gras), and historic neighborhoods.

New Orleans is also where STFM's communications and digital marketing manager grew up. So he's going to take over the page from here and give his recommendations from lived experience.

Downtown: Let's start downtown, since that's where the conference hotel is located.

There are some highly recommended attractions within walking distance of the conference. Any history buffs? Absolutely check out the National World War II Museum. Want spookier vibes? Ghost tours, voodoo tours, and cemeteries with above-ground tombs might be of interest.

The French Quarter nearby features the Riverwalk outlets, the iconic Cafe Du Monde (cash only!), Jackson Square and the picturesque St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, and the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, just to name a few of many attractions.

For people who want to find a spot to enjoy one of the aspects that makes New Orleans famous (nightlife), don't limit yourself to just Bourbon Street. The Carousel Bar & Lounge is a literal carousel turned into a bar, and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar has been an institution since the 1700s. Music lovers should check out the historic Preservation Hall, The Jazz Playhouse and Fritzel's European Jazz Bar.

Bordering downtown and the French Quarter to the north is the famous Frenchman Street. The Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, and d.b.a. are blues and jazz venues all packed next to one another in a Frenchman Street row.

As far as food recommendations, this page may never end if we list them all. You'll be challenged to find "bad" food anywhere in the city, especially downtown. Here are a few of my favorite downtown New Orleans food spots, both for reputation and uniqueness, with a variety of pricing options:

• Napoleon House ($)
• Port of Call burgers ($)
• New Orleans Vampire Cafe ($$)
• Brennan's ($$$)
• Muriel's ($$$)
• Mulate's (you can check this one off by attending MediPalooza on Monday night)

Across the Mississippi: Take one of the ferry boats (dock located at the foot of Canal Street) across the Mississippi River to what's called the "West Bank". You'll land in Algiers Point, which is famous for historic architecture, Victorian-era houses, levee walkways, and more restaurants and bars to check out. Algiers Point is also my childhood neighborhood, and my family still owns a house here. If you happen to make it this way, give the Crown & Anchor English Pub a visit.

The ferry leaves from the Canal dock every 30 minutes (at :15 and :45). The ferry departs from the Algiers Point dock every :00 and :30.

Outside of Downtown: Downtown New Orleans has more to see than you can fit in just 5 days (even if you didn't have a conference during the day). However, there's also a lot to see and try outside of downtown.

The recommendation is to use a streetcar to venture around the city. This is the New Orleans vibe.

Head south on Magazine Street into Uptown (yes, go south from downtown to "Uptown") with neighborhoods such as the Garden District and Irish Channel. Here you'll find popular food venues such as Turkey and the Wolf ($), Shaya ($$$), Domilise's Po-Boy & Bar ($, the best shrimp po-boy in the city), Mahony's Po-boys ($, the best sausage po-boy in the city), Atchafalaya ($$, limited hours), Reginelli's Pizzeria ($), and Commander's Palace ($$$).

Tipitina's on Tchoupitoulas Street is a famous live music venue in the Uptown district. Magazine Street has boutique shops galore and a famous dive bar called Ms. Mae's.

Keep going west and you'll eventually hit Audubon Park, which has a scenic walking/running trail (for fitness-minded attendees). The Audubon Park Zoo and the Tree of Life are usual tourist visits.

Head west from downtown and you'll enter Tremé/Lafitte. Dooky Chase is an iconic food venue serving some of the best fried chicken and gumbo you'll ever eat. Leah Chase, the lead chef, has passed away but her legacy continues. Civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., met here in the 1960s. George W. Bush and Barack Obama both dined here as US presidents. Hours are limited, but try to make it here if you can.

Keep going west into the Mid-City area and you'll find City Park (which has famous oak trees and moss hanging from 600-year-old branches), New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans Botanical Garden, and the Hurricane Katrina Memorial.

As far as food options, Parkway Bakery & Tavern ($) is a 100-year-old po-boy institution. Blue Oak BBQ ($$) and Liuzza's by the Track ($) are other popular spots.

I could go on and on and on. There's a lot to do and see (and eat, obviously) in New Orleans.

I lived here for 18 years (not counting 3 months relocated after Katrina), and 22 years if you include summers home from college. I visited multiple times a year through my 20s, and I still visit once a year to see family and friends.

However, by the end of the 2026 STFM Annual Spring Conference, many of you will probably have explored the city enough to give me recommendations.

Have fun! It's considered one of the best and most unique cities in the world for a reason. If you have questions, email me (Devin Golden) at dgolden@stfm.org.