The Creole Gardens | The Best New Orleans Bed and Breakfast

Well, it has been awhile since we have posted, so I thought I would introduce myself and talk about what I hope to bring to Creole Gardens and our guests. 

I am Marie Beavers, the new General Manager/Sales & Marketing Manager of The Creole Gardens.  I was born here in New Orleans and grew up in Texas - but have always had family ties to this great city of ours.  I moved back after college to live with my Grandma in a beautiful historic home not too far from here in the Garden District.  I was here for 8 years, then moved back to Texas in 2001 for a brief stay until January 2008 - when I decided to come back to New Orleans - hopefully for good!

I have been in the hospitality industry for many years and just had a calling one day to move back to New Orleans and do my little part of spreading the word of how great New Orleans is and have people experience the city and its rich culture and atmosphere.  The saying you don’t know what you have until it is gone - definitely describes living in New Orleans and then leaving - this city and its people enter your heart and it is something that you never outgrow and yearn for more!  So…I packed my bags (and my dogs) and came back to the city that I dearly love!  I was fortunate enough to find Creole Gardens - which is truly hidden gem in the city - and was offered a position to be a part of the amazing “Creole Gardens Krewe” and have loved it since the first day! 

The Creole Gardens truly give our guests a sense of what the city is like and what it is like to live and play here.  Our guests are just like our family from the time they check in until the day they leave - which is always a little sad to see them go, but we know they will be coming back again to see us!  I think the part I enjoy most is being able to share information with all of our guests about the great museums, all of the things to do, the history of the city, great restaurants, etc…from discussing the Projection Art exhibits on Julia Street to the fun and funky restaurants around the city!  I always enjoy visiting with our guests on the front porch (in Grand Mansion manner) or in the dining room in the morning over a cup of Miss Annie’s wonderful coffee and learning about them and their interest and what they are interested in seeing in the city.  My favorite is to tell them “just hop on the streetcar around the corner” - to get almost anywhere they want to visit. 

My other favorite part of The Creole Gardens is that we are pet friendly!  We love our human guests and our furry guests as well!  I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing dogs and their owners here!  It is so nice to stroll out into the courtyard in the morning and visit with our guests and their fur babies! 

My last mention for today will be our dedicated staff - who are realy like a family to me.  Miss Annie, Miss Diane, Jill and Brandi make it such a pleasure to work here.  Everyone takes such pride in what they do here - just as you would if you have company coming in to visit you at your home !  They all take extra special care in meeting our guest’s needs and making sure staying with us is a truly unique and pleasurable experience for all.

Well enough of my ramblings today.  I am looking forward to meeting and hearing from everyone soon! 

Marie 

Creole Gardens is proud to announce that we’ll be hosting musician Mitch Woods throughout JazzFest!

Mitch Woods brings his Club 88 Piano Bar and Blues Lounge to New Orleans beginning this Friday, April 23rd through Sunday, May 2nd (see below for schedule).  Mitch has been hosting his Club 88 piano bar for the last nine years on the legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, and will be performing his New Orleans-style piano and boogie woogie songs here in an intimate setting.  Musicians especially are invited to sit in and jam during the sessions here at the Creole Gardens Guest House, and of course all are welcome to come enjoy the music and a drink or two!

 Mitch Woods will be performing 8:00pm - 10:00pm the following nights here at Creole Gardens:

Friday, April 23
Saturday, April 24
Sunday, April 25
Thursday, April 29
Saturday, May 1
Sunday, May 2
 

In case you haven’t heard, the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl for the first time in their 43 year history. To say the scene in our city these days is euphoric- or even ecstatic- would be a gross understatement.

In pure Disney-esque twist, the Saints’ first Super Bowl appearance will occur only 9 days before Mardi Gras day, affording New Orleans and its jovial inhabitants the opportunity for a party like none before.

 The chaos began immediately after the Saints won the right to play in the Super Bowl on Sunday January 24th. Within minutes Bourbon Street absolutely oozed with cheery black and gold revelers congratulating the team in our own homegrown fashion, by hugging everyone in sight and sharing a drink with all of them. Brass bands marched down streets in every neighborhood, fireworks lit up the sky and Who Dat chants could be heard from every window. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that our local police force reported no acts of violence in the hours before, during and after the game. New Orleanians know how to party with style and class. As our local newspaper the Times-Picayune noted the other day, “We don’t burn cars. We dance on them.”

 However that night was just the beginning. The last 10 days have been nothing but pure New Orleans vibrance. Coffee shop clerks salute each customer with, “Good Morning. Have a Who Dat day.” Each and everyone of us can’t help but get caught up in the excitement. Conversations always divulge into, “Don’t you just love Drew Brees?” “Yes, but I can’t decide if I love Sean Payton even more.”

Just another case of Puppy Love…..

Please help!  You can text 9099 and type “HAITI” to send $10 to the Red Cross, which is such an easy way of contributing. 

 We’re watching the news on the earthquake and it’ sending us right back in a very emotional and visceral sense to four years ago in August when New Orleans was hit by Katrina.  It’s impossible not to grieve and want to reach out to these people.  Can you believe what that fat reactionary numbnut and that delusional evangelical rightwing extremist (won’t deign to mention their names) said???? I guess these people really have no humanity in them.

 There are so many deep cultural and historical ties between New Orleans and Haiti…our music, our architecture, our celebrations, our food.  The slaves who rose up against their French masters in 1791 and finally drove Napoleon out in 1804 were in many ways martyrs to the birthpains of an expanding United States.  Without those 13 years of bloody revolt, the French most likely wouldn’t have given up on being long distance landlords in the New World and wouldn’t have sold the Louisiana Territory to President Jefferson.  As a result of and during that period, New Orleans was flooded with people of all races and colors, including free men and women of color, and their influence is still felt in our city to this day. 

(For a very interesting book, check out Ned Sublette’s recent “The World That Made New Orleans” which talks about the musical, cultural and historical ties between us and the Caribbean, especially Cuba and Haiti.)

 On a happier note, we had a wonderful New Year’s and Sugar Bowl, with a full house of happy (albeit extremely wet) guests, cheering the end of this awful and troubling decade and enjoying fireworks, ball games and as always, great hot breakfasts at our place.

Plus Creole, the dog in search of a home, who somehow knew to make his way to our door as a refuge house, has a wonderful new home in Atlanta, with our previous visitors and their rescued greyhounds and cat! 

 And Player, our sweet new adopted puppy from the St. Martinville Parish shelter, has settled in quite comfortably as the new “baby” in the house, with all the attendent attention and doting!

This weekend the Creole Gardens Guesthouse is hosting the One World Conference—community and non profit kitchens—at our place, a fitting event to honor the work of the late Rev. Martin Luther King.

And one more time, PLEASE, do something to help the people in Haiti.  Just remember, if you’re reading this, chances are you love New Orleans.  And New Orleans wouldn’t be the special city it is without its profound historical and cultural ties with the nation of Haiti. 

We are so happy to report that our loving boy, whom we named Big Chief, has finally found a great new home!  He showed up on our porch a few weeks ago rather malnourished and tired.  We brought him to the vet, nursed him back to health, and avidly searched for a home for this sweetheart.  Lots of craigslist and newspaper ads gave us very little response, and we really wanted him to find a place that would love him as much as we grew to love him because he is such a friendly and smart dog.

This Thanksgiving, we had a couple stay with us who loves the great outdoors.  They have two dogs that hike and run and play on their land, but they had been searching for another, younger dog to become a play buddy for their younger greyhound.  When they met our boy, they knew he was the one!  After playing with him for a few days, they decided to take him home with them to be with their own babies.

We received these pictures from the couple today and wanted to share them.  It seems as though Creole (his new name) is having a GREAT time!

Thanksgiving is always the time of year we give thanks for everything in our life — loved ones, an awesome city, and FOOD!  Miss Annie served up an amazing Thanksgiving feast at 2:30pm, and the guests were waiting with their mouths watering.  The menu included marinated turkey with lots of great New Orleans seasoning, peas, homemade cornbread stuffing, and those pies…MMMmmmMMM!  We had lemon pies and sweet potato pies, all made from scratch.  The guests were so full and so very happy.  Check out our picture from the dinner below.

The Creole Gardens is so excited to be hosting the One World group in January!  Their first annual meet and greet of community kitchens nationwide is going to be going to be held here in our dining room.  Their goal was originally to start community kitchens in a small list of cities, but awareness was built much faster than they could ever imagine.  This non-profit group strives to eliminate world hunger while serving organic, unprocessed food, which is something that the Creole Gardens certainly admires and respects.   We can’t wait to welcome this wonderful group to our extended family!

To find out more about One World, you can check out their website at www.oneworldeverybodyeats.org.

A large chocolate colored dog that appears to be a Labrador/Catahoula mix showed up on our porch yesterday. He was tired and malnourished but after a trip to the vet and many bowls of leftovers from Annie’s breakfast he feels like a whole new animal. We posted flyers in our area and classified ads online but no one’s responded yet

He is house trained and will sit on command. He is such a friendly and loving dog. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a buddy.

The hotel was full of friends and family of newlyweds Peter and Mary over this past weekend. Most of them were from the west coast, specifically Los Angeles. And “surprise surprise” many of them were involved in the film industry. We may have even had some celebrities in our midst! Anyway, they seemed to have a blast during their takeover of Creole Gardens.

Halloween will be upon us soon and we’re very excited. We will be hosting a wedding Halloween night with our own spooky party to follow soon after.  This time of year is always fun for everyone, including our resident ghosts :)  Please check back for details on Halloween at Creole Gardens.
The Krewe at Creole Gardens

That’s right, the Creole Gardens Hotel offers bicycle rentals to hotel guests and the general public! Great daily and weekly rates are available. Trust us, there’s no better way to see the city than on two wheels! Call us at 504.569.8700 for more information.

Stay N’ Spin Special (During the month of September)
Call today for our Stay N’ Spin special! The special includes a two night stay and bike rental for two for $199 plus tax!
(Rooms and Rates subject to availability)

Call us at 504.569.8700

That’s right, the staff at the Creole Gardens Hotel will be going on holiday starting Monday, August 24 through Thursday, September 3rd. Reservations can still be made for future visits during this time by clicking on the flashing button on our home page to check availability and book a room. Future guests can also give us a call at 504.569.8700 and leave a message as we will be checking our messages daily and will return your phone call as soon as possible. Or, you can email us at info@creolegardens.com and we’ll respond as quickly as possible.

We also still have fall availability at our beach house in Dauphin Island, Alabama. Give us a call for rates and more information on our pet-friendly vacation rental! Ask for Steve at 504.214.7665

See you real soon!

The Krewe at the Creole Gardens

The Main Mansion house was buzzing last weekend as the Cedars and Latimer families gathered for a beautiful, small wedding ceremony in the Creole Gardens courtyard. The sun was shining brightly for the morning nuptials as the bride and groom said their I Do’s. Congratulations to the Cedars and Latimer families and the Newlyweds!

Nothing says New Orleans summer wedding like a pup in a blue tux!

The Creole Gardens blog site is back up and running full speed ahead!
There are a number of exciting events coming up in the city of New Orleans and the Creole Gardens is your destination for the ultimate bed and breakfast experience.

August 14: Saints Preseason Opener vs. the Cincinnati Bengals
August 21-23: The 2009 Louisiana Tailgate and BBQ Festival at the Morial Convention Center (http://louisianatailgate.com)
August 29: Hurricane Katrina 4th Anniversary
September 2-7: Southern Decadence
September 3: Saints Preseason Game verse the Miami Dolphins
September 5: Project 30-90 (http://project3090.com)
September 25-27: Seafood Festival @ Fulton St.
October 3: Congo Square Rhythms Festival
October 8-15: New Orleans Film Fest

We’re running some money-saver, fantastic specials on room rates right now, so give us a call at 504.569.8700 to plan your getaway trip! Weeknight specials starting from $69/night and weekend specials starting at $79/night through the months of August and September. Also, guests can take advantage of our outrageous weekly special for $295 (single occupancy) through the end of September (weekly stay rate does not include breakfast). Certain rooms available.

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for new weekly specials and updates.

The Creole Gardens Bed and Breakfast Hotel on Facebook

Luna

Mardi Gras Puppy

A brave search and rescue dog

The Great and Incredibly Adorable Oz!

So, we have a facebook page now

the facebook page!
But Ms. Annie, internationally renowned breakfast cook, dancer,disc jockey, comedian, historian and overall charmer has her own facebook fan club. One of our guests thought (rightfully so) she has a large enough following for a fan club.

the Annie fan club!

Creole Gardens just wouldn’t be the same without Annie here every day. She’s an amazing woman, and the best co-worker we could ask for. It’s never a dull day with Annie.

So, if you’re on facebook, add Creole Gardens as a friend to keep up with our crazy antics. And join Annie’s fan club to share photos and stories about our dear friend Annie.

What a coincidence! After all of the recent hoopla over The Obama Family’s new pet, one of our repeat guests checked in with her famous dog, Higgins. Higgins is a black and white Portuguese Water Dog and former Westminster champion. He’s such a sweetheart!

**What do you think??**

Higgins is the Obama’s new dog Bo’s grandpa.  Right after Obama was elected, he promised the family would try to adopt a shelter animal. Well, he did adopt a dog without a home… from the Kennedy’s. As a gesture of good faith to animal rescue advocates, the Obamas donated to the Washington, D.C. Humane Society.

*Did the Obamas break their promise to adopt a puppy who needed a home?

On top of the shelter adoption controversy, there is also the issue of puppy milling. The Portuguese Water Dog Society is concerned about the high demand of Portuguese Water Dogs.

*Are you concerned about puppy milling after the rising demand of Portuguese Water Dogs?

The new, popular blog family Cities on the Cheap are a great resource for these trying economic times when everyone’s looking to save a buck or two. The New Orleans on the Cheap Site lists local coupons, restaurant specials, contests to win tickets, festivals, freebies, drink specials, helpful links, … need I say more?! It’s a great guide to check out sweet deals and events before you make your Big Easy trip.

New Orleans On the Cheap!

Maybe your town has its own On the Cheap blog…

Find Our Here

We’ve caught On the Cheap’s attention with our Fiscal Stimulation Packages and ridiculously low weekly rental rates.

Read the article here

Hello folks,

We now have a youtube channel! Get a glimpse of what life is like at our bed and breakfast hotel, where there’s never a dull moment. If you’ve stayed with us before, see what Annie and the staff are up to and remember all of your fond memories of that New Orleans vacation.

We have so many talented guests walk through our doors, we have live entertainment on a regular basis. Find videos of everything from interpretive dance to comedic spoken word poetry to French Cajun music. You’ll find highlights from Jenny Lindfors’ visit, footage from the Palimpsest book release party, Kari and Dan Lovell performing at breakfast just to name a few acts. Be sure and add us as a friend, or subscribe to be alerted when we share new videos.

Tada! Our Youtube Channel!

Ljova (Ljova and the and the Kontraband) and Steve performing the classic “Blue Monday” one morning at breakfast, and Annie shaking her ass as usual. What an amazing viola player! Find this video in our “favorites” section.

Congratulations Amy Beilawski! Amy won our Mardi Gras Photo Contest by tickling our funny bone with this hilarious, irreverent moment captured on film. She wins a free night at the hotel.

The runner up photo goes to the Kecks’ adorable ode to Mardi Gras. You’ve probably seen this on our home page. We just love it!

*Sigh* Is it Mardi Gras 2010 yet? It’s hard waiting around for our favorite holiday, but luckily we have some great festivals to keep us company in the meantime. Give us a call and book a room for the Jazz and Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music Experience, Southern Decadence and so much more! And if you’re still dreaming of Mardi Gras, make your reservation for 2010 early.

This weekend we are graciously hosting novelist Catherynne M. Valente as she celebrates the release of her latest novel Palimpsest.

Valente and posse are celebrating the urban fantasy novel Palimpsest with a train ride from Chicago to Memphis to New Orleans.

Valente is a widely published poet and short fiction writer, and we are so excited to have her here, along with many other talented musicians and artists.

We are very excited to see our banana courtyard transformed into a most unique gala, with theatre, readings, even bondage and rope suspension art.

The event starts tonight, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets to an event you will not soon forget are $30.

Links:

http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/

http://skinnywhitechick.com/neworleans.php

We are so happy to have renowned Irish musician Jenny Lindfors at our place for an extra long visit! Jenny is on her dream trip to New Orleans, seeking musical inspiration after the success of her debut album When the Nighttime Comes. We hope she finds what she’s looking for in the Crescent City after perusing the Maple Leaf Bar, d.b.a. and Soul Fest at Audobon Park just to name a few hot spots.

Music critics in the UK rave:

“truly special and sublime stuff.”

“stunning … a refreshing absence of self-importance.”

“…truly and utterly brilliant.”

Jenny will be playing in the Creole Gardens courtyard this evening at 6:30 p.m. What a treat to catch this talented musician in action before she becomes wildly famous!

Stop by the Creole Gardens blog for pictures and video from our special concert! Hear Jenny Lindfors here:

www.myspace.com/jennylindfors

Are you excited about Change? Because we are! We love guests who flaunt their Obama memorabilia at the bed and breakfast.

The Taylors, Habitat for Humanity volunteers, checked in with Obama t-shirts

The Kecks’ Obama bumper sticker

Resident Hostess Madeline sporting her Change t-shirt

Amelia Favoy from Scott, LA visited us with her parents this Mardi Gras/Valentine’s Day weekend. Isn’t she the cutest?!

Amelia loves Annie!

She wouldn’t let Annie put her down!

Amelia and her dad eating breakfast.

Time to leave! Come back soon!

This past weekend we opened a small bar for our lovely guests. We turned the breezeway between the courtyard and the Bordello House into a small lounge area, much to the guests’ delight. Just what we love to see… strangers from all over sharing laughs and talking like old friends. That’s why people love Creole Gardens so much!

 New Orleans local Nicholas Hite (pictured right) entertaining guests.  Elaine Williams, loyal repeat guest and Animal Rescue New Orleans volunteer (pictured left), is probably laughing at one of his goofy stories.

The Watsons from Tampa, Florida relax after watching the parades.

UL women’s volleyball coach George Hagenmaster winding down before a tournament

From the desk of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, here is the breakdown of all Louisiana artists who racked up Grammy Awards this past Sunday:

“Twenty nine Louisiana artists were nominated among the 104 categories for GRAMMY® awards. Louisiana artists took home eight golden gramophones.”
The following Awards were given to Louisiana artists:
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo- Terence Blanchard
Best Traditional Gospel Album- The Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Contemporary Blues Album- Dr. John And The Lower 911
Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album- BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet
Best Rap Solo Performance- Lil Wayne
Best Rap Performance by Duo Or Group- Lil Wayne
Best Rap Song- Lil Wayne
Best Rap Album- Lil Wayne

Why not make a trip to New Orleans and catch some of these Grammy winners in action? We’ve got everything from blues to zyedeco. Plus, everyone knows Lil Wayne’s the bomb like tick….tick.

The staff has been experiencing even more strange things in our Bordello House at Creole Gardens.

Just the other day, John the resident manager walked into Bordello 6. He walked out of the room, locked the door, went downstairs and came right back into the room. The mirror on the wall, which hangs about 6 ft. off the floor, had “fallen” off of the wall with the mirror out of the frame, completely intact. How does a mirror fall 6 ft. and not shatter? This is the room guests report seeing a woman dressed in antebellum garb. Hmmm…..

Last night the housekeeper had just finished cleaning Bordello 3. The housekeeper locked the door handle, locked the deadbolt and turned off the lights. John went to the room about 10 minutes later, only to find the door to Bordello 3 wide open. The lights and the TV were on! This isn’t the first time we found the door to Bordello 3 opened RIGHT after locking the door.

Are you interested in ghosts and the paranormal? Why don’t you check into our Bordello house and help us decide if these strange events are just the quirks of an older building… or a haunting.  We’ve had quite a few guests swear they saw things……

 This past week we hosted Helmets to Hardhat’s annual meeting. This organization assists war veterans in finding jobs in all facets of construction, from resume building to job training. Helmets to Hardhats provides veterans with a smooth transition back into civilian life after their service.

We transformed our breakfast dining room into a meeting room for daily strategy meetings.

We also catered a delicious lunch for the team. Jambalaya, fried chicken, sweet tea, oh my! A taste of Southern hospitality during a busy business trip.

Let Creole Gardens host a small business retreat for you! We provide a meeting space, all the necessary A/V equipment, delicious breakfast and lunch… not to mention plenty of entertainment provided by the staff. We can’t wait to see our Helmets to Hardhats friends return to Creole Gardens for vacation… like they all promised us they would!

We had a wonderful holiday season here at Creole Gardens. Christmas and New Years Eve here was a blast with all of our wonderful guests.

Then we hosted a ton of great Alabama fans for the Sugar Bowl. Even though the Crimson Tide lost this year, our Bama fans still had a great time. They were such gracious guests, the two LSU alumni on staff are considering rooting for Alabama. Yeah, right! We’re beating you next year!

Here’s what our guests over the holiday season had to say about our Southern hospitality:

*12/3 “This was the best trip to New Orleans yet! We really enjoyed our stay. Thank you all! We will be back soon!” -Jenna, Dane, Ben and Diesel (the pitbull) (Birmingham, AL)

*12/6 “Chris and Kelly absolutely LOVE you folks and this place! This is our NOLA home…”

*12/11 “Our pup was never happier! Great location, don’t miss the World War Two museum. John is a gem.” Jackie Kramer (Arlington, VA)

*1/1/08 “We had a wonderful stay. Took the town by storm, and hope to return and enjoy more of the amazing Southern hospitality! Happy New Year! 2009!” -Mike Buckler and Amy Coleman (Washington D.C.)

*1/2 “Thank you so much for the wonderful stay. Despite the football game disappointment (Go Bama!) we had a fun and pleasant stay!!! The room exceeded our expectations and the service here was top notch! Thank you for all of your suggestions and care!!! See you soon!” -Laura and Monty (Tuscaloosa, AL)

*1/4 “Thanks for everything. Even though we lost the game, it was so great that we still decided to stay an extra night!” Mike and Jamie (Montgomery, AL)

OBAMA! 

What a wonderful day!  Smile, beam, feel good about this country  and the prospect of being able to finally rebuild and renew after the nightmare of the past 8 years. We in New Orleans take a special joy in this day (and if you don’t know why, think 7 letters: KATRINA)

 America and the world, take a deep breath and send up a prayer for this guy and for all of us.  What a mess he’s been handed by those (fill in your favorite words: jokers/idiots/cynics/ destroyers of the environment/mutilator of our democratic ideals) leaving the White House today.  And not a moment too soon! 

 We at the Creole Gardens declare this our unofficial Day of Unbridled Giddiness and the start of what we hope is a true modern “Era of Good Feelings.”

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER……….

( words of Gerald Ford, taking office after the resignation of President Richard Nixon)

Knowing Barack Obama is swearing in as the 44th President of the United States tomorrow makes this Martin Luther King Day that much more exciting and special. You can feel it in the air here in New Orleans. There’s a vibe of hope and joy in the city… a city that overwhelmingly voted for Obama.

(T-shirt design by New Orleans clothing store, Dirty Coast.)

As a small business affected by this downturning economy, here’s hoping all of us can work together to move on from the policies set over the last 8 years that have hurt the little guy just trying to get by. As of tomorrow, we will have a leader who brings Martin Luther King’s dream full circle and fills the American people with pride and unity. Here’s hoping Obama will make on his promise to New Orleans one year ago “No more Brownie, no more heads of the Arabian horses association in charge of FEMA,” in a speech at Tulane. Here’s hoping for CHANGE these next four years.

Happy Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day from all of us at Creole Gardens!

Helena Sung at The Pet News Examiner featured Mickey Rourke’s acceptance speech for the Best Actor award at the Golden Globe Awards last night. Rourke thanked his dogs, past and present in his speech. Rourke was awarded Best Actor for the movie The Wrestler.

“I bet nobody’s ever thanked their dog before at the Golden Globes, and I admire that Mickey Rourke did. He expressed the immense love and gratitude we feel towards our dogs who give us unconditional love, companionship and loyalty. (Not to mention regular laughs.) ” Sung said.

Click to see full article

Mickey Rourke loves his dogs as much as we love our four-legged guests here at Creole Gardens! We know how important dogs are to their owners. That’s why we pride ourselves in accommodating people who travel with pets.

Dave Bartholomew is live on WWOZ today with George Ingmire from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a revealing look back into New Orleans’ most famous and versatile musician, composer and arranger.

Bartholomew is most famous for his long-time friendship and work with Fats Domino, producing hit after hit including “Ain’t That a Shame.”

Tune into WWOZ today, or listen online at www.wwoz.org to listen to the legend himself reflect on his birthday.

-Madeline

Exactly one week after our magical snow day, the high temperature was 79 degrees! The staff has been cooling themselves in front of the air conditioner over the last few days, only to wake up to chilly weather today with a high of 52 degrees.

When guests call to book rooms, many of them ask what the weather will be like when they get here. They want to know what sort of clothes to pack for vacation. Hell if we know! The weather in South Louisiana is just as unpredictable as the politicians or the parties. It’s a pain to keep summer clothes and winter clothes handy in the closet, but we wouldn’t have it any other way down here… except with maybe a little less humidity.

Madeline Brown

Resident Hostess

Wow, what a roster of great musical acts for Jazz Fest 2009! With a great mix of local legends and world-famous stars, there really is something everyone can groove to.

It’s exciting to see show-stoppers like Kings of Leon, Common and Erykah Badu return to New Orleans after amazing performances at Voodoo Music Experience.

Please stop by the official Web site here to see the whole line-up:

 http://www.nojazzfest.com/

We still have room available both weekends (April 24-26 and April 30- May 3) if you are still looking for a place to stay.

Our guests woke this morning to a pleasant surprise. Snow was steady falling in New Orleans this morning for the first time since 2004. We had over an inch covering the ground in our courtyard by the time the fluffy flakes stopped falling and the really cold rain starting falling once again.

We were, understandably, very excited about the snow around here since we don’t see it around these parts too often. Our beloved breakfast cook Annie had to take a break to go play in it.

How often do you see tropical trees like this covered in snow?

Sadly, no one wanted to use our patio furniture… covered in a thick layer of snow.

A view of the courtyard from our third story penthouse deck…

The courtyard fountain covered in snow….

How nice to have a bed and breakfast with rooms available at great rates so near the Essence Fest venues on July 4, 5 and 6.

The annual Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade rolled again Saturday, March 15. It always brings a huge turnout and the weather this time was perfect!  It starts at Felicity Street (a few blocks from the Creole Gardens) and goes along Jackson Avenue, St. Charles Avenue,  Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street, where lots of people stand on the fabled stoops of the town’s houses, catching cabbages and green bagels from the passing floats.  This year, we actually had quite a few real Irish visitors joining in (their money goes twice as far in the newly third world U S of A these days) and visitors from around the world.

 Many of our guests came just for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations (they loved being able to walk to the parade) and dressed accordingly, head to toe in green!

The hugely popular, legendary annual Parasol’s block party is Monday, March 17th (Parasol’s is a wonderful  old time neighborhood corner bar at 3rd Street and Constant Street)…..old timers who moved away years ago come back and party with the regulars and the rest of the neighborhood.

Got to the site and register for Fleur de Lindy!

Over 100 bands… Seriously!
Like 50 kinds of grub
3 days of dancing
1 exchange
0 excuses

April 11-13, 2008, join us for our first annual New Orleans Fleur de Lindy Exchange, held in conjunction with the vibrant French Quarter Festival. In addition to all of the awesome music during the day at the Festival, we’ll be having 6 live bands throughout the main dances & after hours!

Enjoy three full days of free music and dancing (not to mention fabulous food!) in the Vieux Carre and along the adjacent riverfront, followed by three nights of dancing to the incomparably joyous live music for which New Orleans is so famous.

In my opinion, the Creole Gardens is PERFECT for all of you out of towners coming in for the bash. Call em and see what they can do for ya.

Hope you’ll join us!
You’ll be Fleured!

Registration will be open sometime this weekend!
www.fleurdelindy.com

Email: info@fleurdelindy.com for any questions

Hi everyone!  The Mardi Gras parades have already started rolling and the town is hopping!  We love standing on our balconies and watching the parades roll down St. Charles Avenue one block away!

Thanks to all the great artists who stayed with us over December and January while they were doing their installations for the CAC (Contemporary Arts Center)…..

By the way,

its not too late to get into your car and come to new orleans for Dirty Linen Night!

All the great Royal Street galleries in the French Quarter will be open tonight between 6-9pm.   They close the street and there is live music, performance, food and drinks, etc.

The word Dixie originated in new Orleans before the civil war. This was a terms “coined” (no pun intended) because the money here at teh time was printed on one side in French. The number 10 in French is pronounced dix (said: dees). At that time there were so many of these double printed tens circulating that the area become known by Americans as “Dixie” land.

The very first statue erected in the United States is located only a stones throw from the Creole Gardens Bed and Breakfast? Thats right, on the corner of Camp St. and Prytania the statue of Irish immigrant Margaret Haughery who devoted her life and money to the orphans of New Orleans still stand as proud as when it was first erected in 1884.

New Orleans is well known for its carriage rides through downtown and the French Quarter. The carriages in New Orleans are pulled by mules as these animals are acclimated to warm weather environments. Take a peak out of your Hotel window before leaving for the day, New Orleans can get hot enough to keep even the mules inside. No mules, you may want to consider waiting until the day cools a bit before venturing back out.

If there are two or more people in your group, we suggest taking a cab form the airport rather than a shuttle bus. It quicker, easier, more private and a whole lot less stressful than cramming onto a bus with a bunch of strangers. We recommend the United Cab Company you can reach them to schedule your ride and get a cost estimate by calling:

Office: 504-522-0629

Fax: 504-529-2819

Service: 504-522-9771 or 504-524-9606

During the 18th century, French colonists in Acadia, Nova Scotia, who were displaced by the British, moved to the new French territory of Louisiana and formed an outpost in the countryside some 100 miles west of New Orleans.

Over 200 years later, and a little West of New Orleans, you’ll find the descendants of these Acadians, some still involved with farming and trapping, still holding on to their unique backgrounds proudly calling themselves “Cajuns”.

oregondenise, Portland, OR  Nov 12, 2006

A friend and I stayed at the Creole Gardens that was recommended to us from a local volunteer group. We loved the place. The staff (they truly are more like family) was fabulous. Annie’s breakfasts kept us going all day. Andy regaled us in great stories that kept us rapt. They have created such a warm and inviting environment. Next time I’m down in New Orleans, I will definitely stay there and recommend others to do so as well.

This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked: The staff
Disliked: Absolutely nothing

I recommend this hotel for:  Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists

I selected this hotel because …  Other

My age: 35-49

Traveling group: Friends

My visit was for: Other