This past week, I took a trip from NY to New Orleans, Louisiana with my boyfriend. In less than a 3-hour flight, I felt like I had entered a different country. Because I got the taste of living like a local and a tourist, thanks to having family from just outside the city and a couple pieces of advice from a friendly local, I got to experience a few things visitors often miss out on, so I'm sharing my tips with you here!

AirBnB it – To experience New Orleans, skip out on the hotel and get an AirBnB. Airbnb is an online marketplace and hospitality service, enabling people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, and homestays.

Here, you can stay at an awesome, uniquely decorated and well-equipped apartment in a better location and for much cheaper than most hotels. I stayed at a studio apartment which actually used to be an old convent, right on the corner of Bourbon Street. Picture an ivy-lined courtyard with picnic tables, lanterns, and dimly lit waterfalls, and lemon trees! Or see it here.

Skip the line at Café Du Monde – I had the extremely lucky and unique opportunity of learning this secret from an Enterprise employee: Apparently, tourists see a line, so they get in it. But truth be told, Café Du Monde doesn’t run this line! It is actually a seat-your-self deal at Café Du Monde, so tourists (and lucky, lucky me) know to go in the other entrance and sit at the first open table! We sat down immediately almost every time and got to skip our of the hour+ long wait. Ask for an order (or two) of beignets and a café au lait and only pay in cash. Enjoy!

But don’t skip Bourbon Street – Now I’m going to contradict myself. Live like a true tourist and please go to Bourbon street for a night out just once! Despite what locals tell you, yes Bourbon street is pretty gross and very touristy, it is a must-see, especially at night when it’s crawling with college-age drunks.

Experience Mardi Gras any day of the year on Bourbon Street and enjoy myriad beads, daiquiri bars, fishbowl stands, masks, music, and crowded balconies. One thing I was incredibly impressed with, however, is – despite how wild Bourbon street gets at night – it is always well-maintained and is spotless every morning.

Or Frenchmen Street – I found real culture and artistry on Frenchmen Street. As soon as you walk into this area of New Orleans, you hear music everywhere you go. The highlights of Frenchmen street for me include numerous bars with live bands and the art gardens, where local artists sell anything from jewelry and paintings of your pets to home-made gumbo paddle guitars and essential oils.

However, the best part for me was standing on the street listening to a local duo, called Buku Broux, play their original music with a drum set and a home-made African Bass Harp called a Kora – all while I sipped my beer and watched two wild men roast oysters over a fire ON THE BACK OF THEIR PICKUP TRUCK!

Take your drink to go – Unlike the rest of the US, you can take your drinks to go in New Orleans. Open containers and visible alcohol are legal in NOLA, so one of the best parts of the trip for me was being able to get a drink to go before strolling down the street casually to look for the best spot for dinner. This eliminated a lot of crowded bars and helped me really get to see all different areas of the city at night.

Restaurant must-tries – Both John Pesh restaurants, Willa Jean & Shaya. Definitely NOT traditional Cajun food, Shaya is a sheik Islamic restaurant and Willa Jean has the best avocado toast and milk and cookies I’ve ever had. Please don’t go to NOLA without trying them.

Unique architecture to the French Quarter, NOLA

Order of Beignets and a Cafe Au Lait and Cafe Du Monde

Milk and Cookies dessert from Willa Jean: 3 salted chocolate chip cookies, cookie dough, and a cup of cold, vanilla milk

An artist's painting of our cat, Fred