What's the secret to staying cool in New Orleans?
I remember the steam hitting my face like a wet wash rag when I was under four feet tall.
We were visiting Grandma, and I was tall enough to reach the front doorknob. I wanted to hear the frogs sing from the opera hall that is a Louisiana French drain on a sumemr night. Door open. Steam full force. Slap! My little face contorted in surprise. It's nighttime out. It's not supposed to be steamy.
Friends that live in other places love to tell you how hot it is where they live, am I right?
But they can't begin to comprehend a heat index at midnight or walking slowly to keep clothes dry. That's a different kind of heat. To them, 90% humidity is 90% humidity, and 90 degrees is, well, 90 degrees. Dew point? What's that? Who cares?
I relocated here permanently in 2016. I asked my neighbor, how do y'all deal with this midday heat? He responded, "Why are y'all outside?"
But there's good news. We live in New Orleans, not a drain ditch. Thus, there's no reason to become a total hermit in the summer in New Orleans. There are plenty of things to enjoy just outside your door, including pools, bayous, rivers, and beaches; here are twelve of them. So, we've created this Keep Cool and Carry On Guide to help you get through this season. Pack your swimsuit. You may not stay cool all summer long, but at least you'll get by.
Get Your Paddle On
Kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating
Bayou Paddlesports
1101 Florida Ave., 504-515-3398; www.bayoupaddlesports.com
Grab a friend, rent a paddleboard from Bayou Paddlesports on Florida Ave, and head to the Bayou. You'll find 8-miles of room to roam or join one of their paddleboard yoga classes and test your balancing skills. https://bayoupaddlesports.com/services/paddleboard-yoga.
Reserve online and ask about special events, including family and dog-friendly days.
Kayak-iti-Yat
3494 Esplanade Ave., 985-778-5034; www.kayakitiyat.com
Prefer your adventure with a side of education?Get a history lesson with Kaya-iti-Yat guided kayak tours.
Reserve your tour online
Which Way To The Beach?
Lincoln Beach
Shores of Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans East.
This once-popular beach on Lake Pontchartrain has since been abandoned. Yet, it's still open to those who wish to find it. On the weekend, you can catch families splashing, even grilling, on the sandy shores. Recent news articles can be found discussing future plans for Lincoln Beach, but as of yet, those talks are just talk.
Free to the public
Plan for a mildly ambitious hike to arrive there
Swim at your own risk
*See two other beaches located within an hour's drive below under 'Take A Trip.'
Take a Trip
Fountainbleu State Park
Mandeville, LA
https://www.lastateparks.com/parks-preserves/fontainebleau-state-park
After Bernard Marigny set up a plantation at what is now, you guessed it, Faubourg Marigny, he also set one up in Mandeville. Say what? Yes. The ruins of the former Marigny estate in Mandeville are now a public state park with a white sand beach.
Enjoy the 27-mile-long Tammany Trace, which is great for hiking, biking, or horseback riding
Go Tubing Down A River
If you've never been tubing down a river, you're missing out. No, this is not the full-contact sport that is tubing behind a boat. This is drifting down a lazy river (often with a cooler of beverages) on a big, fat, comfy inner tube. Popular spots within a 90-minute drive include the Bogue Chitto, Franklinton, and the Amite River. You can find vendors to rent supplies from (and yes, even pick you up at the route end) here.
Head to Waveland, Mississippi
Shown here with my pups, Maddison Lee and Stella Wren, Waveland is perfect for taking Fido with you; the shallows of the beaches here stretch for yards and yards and yards. This mostly underpopulated beach is relaxed and unpretentious. Bring a beach/festival chair and set up camp on a sandbar. You won't regret it. More on Waveland here.
Take a Dip Somewhere Free
New Orleans Recreation Development Commission
Citywide, 504-658-3052; www.nordc.org
Thanks to our New Orleans Recreational Development Commission (aka NORDC), public pools are available across the city and are open to both kids and adults. Plus lifeguards are present and many locations offer activities, lessons, work outs, and even a swim team! Pools are located from Audubon's Whitney Park to Arabi's Sanchez Center. Do check out New Orleans East's Joe Brown facility for kayak and other water options, too.
Make reservations
Totally free
More info here (select the summer pool filter)
Take a Dip Somewhere Cheap
UNO Aquatic Center
6901 Franklin Ave., (504)280-7238; https://unoaquatics.com/
$30 a month (+$100 initiation fee) will get you into their indoor Olympic-sized pool, perfect for those who just want to get their swim on. They also offer a 50-meter outdoor pool that's heated in the winter and has a sundeck for the warm days, too. $280 will get you in for the whole year.
Membership Fee
Built for serious swimmers
Also offers SCUBA certification programs
Take a Dip Somewhere Stylish
The Country Club
634 Louisa St., (504) 945-0742; thecountryclubneworleans.com
Come as you are to Bywater's happening watering hole. It's located behind a magical restaurant and bar. Go early, and you'll feel you've stumbled upon a private oasis. That is until everyone in the know and their mama joins you for some fun shenanigans a little later in the day.
cover charge
chairs first come, first served
hot tub, sauna, and other perks included
stay for drinks, lunch, and dinner; the decor is to die for
Ace Hotel
600 Carondelet St., (504) 900-1180; acehotel.com/neworleans
Trendy is a word I'd use to sum up, the Ace Hotel's rooftop. There you'll find city views, day beds, and a full menu. You'll feel like you've left New Orleans because in every sense but the literal one, you have.
cover charge
day beds for rent
enjoy art & booze downstairs after at Josephine Estelle
The Chloe
4125 St. Charles Ave., (504) 541-5500; thechloenola.com
Located behind a 14-room hotel with "a distinctly New Orleans spirit," the Chole is a hip place to dip. Reservations recommended. Call ahead to get a chair, towel, and a bonus cocktail when you shell out a little dough to hold your spot.
reservations available
chairs and tables for rent
stay for the scene enjoy snacks and beverages
The Drifter Hotel
3522 Tulane Ave., (504) 605-4644; thedrifterhotel.com
The Drifter's Instagram describes a place for the "contemporary traveler and the disruptive innovator." The Drifter itself offers a small pool with a whole lot of sass, plus a whole lot of classes and other events worth investigating. Look for yoga, pop-ups, disco parties, and loads of photo ops.
cover charge
chairs first-come, first-served
come for the pool, stay for the show
Are other hotel pools worth taking a peek at? Yes. And there's too many to list, but here are a few:
Le Meridien - pool pass available
Roosevelt - you don't need a room if you rent a lux cabana
W, French Quarter - entrance also includes a food and bev credit
Lowes - offers daily passes and monthly memberships
NOPSI - offers locals a free swim on Sundays
I firmly believe that one has to swim through the steam down here before fully appreciating a Louisiana summer. So why not swim through some epic pools, beaches, and rivers to make it all worthwhile?
Did I miss your favorite spot? Let me know, and I'll add it to the list.
Need advice on moving to or within New Orleans? We've got you at Cool Murphy Real Estate. We live here and love it. And by God, we love what we do.
Nextdoor voted Team Cool Murphy a neighborhood favorite. We are a licensed real estate brokerage based in New Orleans, serving The City and the Greater Metro Area. And we look at real estate differently.
Elisa Cool Murphy is an award-winning, top-performing broker in New Orleans and the founder and leader of Cool Murphy Real Estate.
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