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The Crescent City's shopping is as eclectic as its music, food, and culture. In local boutiques and specialty stores, you’ll find everything from rare antiques to novelty T-shirts, artwork, jewelry, fashion, and foods that represent the city's varied flavors. Up and down Magazine Street and throughout the French Quarter, you'll spot old-world influences intersecting with modern trends, making it easy for even the most discerning shopper to find something new to treasure.
New Orleanians have a deep love for their city and its culture. For shoppers, this translates into pride-centric merchandise, including jewelry and clothing bearing city emblems, such as the fleur-de-lis—the stylized iris design associated with New Orleans since its early days—and Mardi Gras masks, black-and-gold Saints symbols, and humorous statements about political issues and local personalities. Residents strongly support local entrepreneurs, and there are many homegrown stores selling locally made goods.
Make sure to pay attention to some of the city's artwork. Posters designed around Jazz Fest and other special events, for example, often become collector's items. In the thriving arts districts, you'll find contemporary works by local artists alongside renowned names in the art world. The sounds of New Orleans—Dixieland, contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, zydeco, rap, hip-hop, and the unique bounce beat—are available in music stores, such as Louisiana Music Factory and Peaches Records, and at live-music venues including Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor, and House of Blues. Bookstores stock a plethora of local books on photography, history, cooking, and folklore. Clothing stores focus on items that wear well in New Orleans's often intense heat and humidity, with styles ranging from the latest runway fashions to vintage frocks and styles by local designers.
Antiques lovers may want to set aside several hours to marvel at the extensive collection here. Rare pieces, such as furniture from royal families, join 18th- and 19th-century French, American, and English antiques, sterling silver, statuary, fine art, and jewelry in this 30,000-square-foot store, which opened in 1912.
This small, charming shop specializes in Limoges boxes with design motifs ranging from small red beans—a favorite food in New Orleans—to baby carriages. It also has antique walking sticks, Venetian glass, and English Staffordshire porcelain.
One of the largest collections of European crystal and bronze chandeliers in the country glitters over gilded mirrors, 18th- and 19th-century hand-carved marble mantels, French and Continental furniture, porcelain, and objets d'art in this shop, which originally opened in 1947 and is run by the second and third generations of its founding family.
This 8,000-square-foot retail wonderland is filled with interesting antiques, light fixtures, salvaged items, and art. The antiques come from England, France, and Belgium, and are high-quality yet affordable. The store's selection of salvaged elements, mostly from old New Orleans houses, and art from emerging local artists, allows shoppers to take home a unique piece of the city. The shop also rents bicycles by the hour, day, or week, and runs bicycle tours.
Locals and visitors alike are drawn to this shop for its two floors of 19th-century paintings, 18th- and 19th-century French and English furniture, large mirrors, bronze sculptures, and chandeliers.
Pick up a piece of history in this shop, opened in 1898, which sells many one-of-a-kind antique firearms, swords, and currency, including coins from as early as 319 BC. There are also obsolete bank notes, jewelry made from rare coins, and collectibles such as antique opera glasses.
Leave yourself plenty of time to browse the three floors of 18th- and 19th-century French and English furniture, chandeliers, estate jewelry, art, statuary, and other furnishings. The shop, run by the fourth generation of the family that founded it in 1899, is a favorite stop for interior designers.
Unusual European antiques, most from the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries, fill this shotgun house; the collection includes many large, very ornate pieces from the Louis XIV and XV eras. The inventory ranges from small decorative bowls and sconces to grand pianos and armoires.
In this eclectic shop, industrial lighting and reclaimed building materials mix with European antique furniture, artwork, porcelain, sculpture, and oddities from the 18th to 20th centuries. An open-air patio outfitted with garden benches, fountains, and other outdoor decor is linked to the main showroom by a warehouse-type gallery stacked almost floor to ceiling with furniture, salvaged doors, and other architectural items.
If you are easily overwhelmed, you should take a deep breath before you walk into this expansive shop, where every possible inch of counter and shelf space is filled with antiques and vintage goods. You will find an array of costume and fine jewelry, vintage photographs, antique clocks, home decor, glassware, clothing, silver, furniture, china and ceramics, and a variety of other collectibles from a number of vendors.
This store specializes in French and English antiques from the early 19th century, including jewelry, wooden boxes, furniture, porcelain oyster plates, sculpture, objets d'art, walking sticks, and silver services.
French, English, and Continental antique furniture and Biedermeier pieces can be found alongside chandeliers, sconces, trumeau mirrors, accessories, and estate jewelry in this shop, which was founded in 1899.
An essential stop for memorabilia collectors, Vintage 329 carries items autographed by celebrities, such as a framed photo signed by Gene Autry, a music sheet autographed by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and a guitar signed by the Allman Brothers. There are also concert posters, costume jewelry, and signed first edition books. New items arrive every week.
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