Last night, my husband and I decided to have more new experiences in New Orleans with a spontaneous dose of live jazz. We are in New Orleans, after all, the jazz capital of the world! So, we hopped on the St. Charles streetcar straight into New Orleans downtown – diving right into the vibrant heart of the city!
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New Orleans Dark Green Streetcar
Now, this streetcar isn’t your run-of-the-mill ride. The world’s oldest continuous line, this iconic green chariot, has been rumbling through New Orleans for a staggering 150 years, making it the heartbeat of the city. Imagine a dark green streetcar casually navigating the lively downtown streets – it was like being part of a scene straight out of a movie.
Kudos to Google Maps
Getting to Mahogany Jazz Hall was a breeze. First, a quick 6-minute walk through the charming residential area to the stop. Then we hopped onto the streetcar for a chill 14-minute ride while taking in the scenery of the downtown area, followed by another laid-back 6-minute stroll to the jazz hall—easy peasy. No parking headaches or crazy downtown traffic, just a smooth ride. The best part? A single trip on New Orleans public transportation is just $1.25 for a single adult! We grabbed a day pass, Le Pass, for $3 a person, giving us 24 hours of travel freedom. What a steal!
Google Maps has all the information of the walking route to the bus and the time schedule for the Green Line. Everything is detailed and easy to follow.
Phone App Pass for Easy Access
Snagging our passes with the Token Transit app was also a piece of cake. Download the Token Transit app to my phone, pick “RTA” from the options, and just answer a few questions. By the way, if you hear another app called RTA Le Pass, it serves the same purpose.
What else is cool? The pass covers all 4 streetcar lines, buses, and even ferries across the mighty Mississippi River! Plus, here’s a nugget of gold: the streetcars run 24/7, making it a round-the-clock ease for exploration.
Jazz in New Orleans
We got to Mahogany Jazz Hall just before 7:30 pm, scored perfect seats, and dove headfirst into the musical magic. The place oozed charm with jazz scenes on the walls, and a one-drink minimum kept the vibe just right.
And did you know? New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, and we felt that connection in the air. The first performer of the night is Big Joe Kennedy, a jazz pianist/singer. He kicked things off, setting the stage for an evening of pure beats and joy. New Orleans jazz…has the happiest beats, and no one can hold back from at least tapping their feet. After that, a killer jazz band took over, Leroy Jones & the Home Team, and the room buzzed with energy until midnight. Laughter, applause, and big smiles—that place knows how to throw a musical soirée!
We are not party animals anymore, not like when we were younger. So, we left just after 9pm. I remember this being the time when I would be getting ready to go out partying when I was younger. Everything changes in life; it’s just a different way of having fun now.
A Surprised Bus Ride
On the way back, we hit a little hiccup – turns out, our Google Maps decided we should take the bus, so we rolled with it for another new experience. Again, it provided us with all the details: a 4-minute walk, then a 6-minute bus ride, followed by another 4-minute walk back to our van—easy peasy lemon squeezy.
The whole transportation gig was safe, clean, and eco-friendly. We showed our passes on the app to the bus driver, told them our stop, and bam—we were back with no drama.
Our spontaneous night of jazz, streetcars, and unexpected twists added a sprinkle of magic to our New Orleans adventure. Forget parking stress and designated drivers – go for the ‘dolce far niente’ life, soaking in the city’s beauty from the simple bliss of historic streetcars, while being eco-friendly using public transportation. New Orleans, you’ve won us over, guiding us straight into over 100 years of jazz history. Cheers to the good vibes, musical magic, and streetcar rides!
Have you been to New Orleans? What’s your favorite part about New Orleans? Let me know in the comment below. I would love to hear from you!
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