Shopping A-Z

Art Galleries

Galleries share the Royal and Magazine street landscapes with the aforementioned antiques shops, while in the Warehouse District, the blocks numbered 300 to 700 Julia Street house some 20 contemporary fine-arts galleries, anchored by the Contemporary Arts Center and Ogden Museum. Monthly gallery crawls, with street music and flowing wine, are a fun, mostly locals scene (6-9pm the first Sat of each month; visit www.neworleansartsdistrict.com). For the more intrepid, the St. Claude Arts District is a burgeoning lowbrow and outsider art movement around St. Claude Avenue, with monthly openings on the second Saturday (visit www.scadnola.com for listings). We list only a few galleries, but there's certainly no lack of fodder for the art enthusiast.

Tax-Free Art -- Many original works of visual art in New Orleans are exempt from sales tax, thanks to a statewide program promoting cultural activity in designated districts. Be sure to ask about sales tax where you buy.

Bath & Beauty Products & Day Spas

Old-fashioned gentlemen should consider the barbershop at the Hotel Monteleone, where one can receive a proper hot towel, straight-razor shave. Call for an appointment at tel. 504/523-6700.

Costumes & Masks

Costumery is big business in New Orleans, and not just in the days before Lent. In this city you never know when you're going to want or need a costume. A number of shops in New Orleans specialize in props for Mardi Gras, Halloween, and other occasions. Tip: New Orleanians often sell their costumes back to the shops after Ash Wednesday, and you can sometimes pick up an outfit that's only been worn once at a small fraction of its original cost.

Gifts & Home Decor

If you're in town on the fourth Saturday consider a trip to the Palmer Park Arts Market (S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne aves.; tel. 504/523-1465; www.artscouncilofneworleans.org; 10am-4pm). Paintings, pottery, glass mosaic, jewelry, handmade frames from old wood, and more, with the quality assured, as only juried artists are permitted to participate. It's free, all original, all local and regional, and much of it is surprisingly affordable.

A Tomb of One's Own -- For a singular souvenir or gift, artist Michael Clement sculpts miniature tombs (and shotgun houses) in rough-hewn terra cotta, finished in aged gold, bronze, and gunmetal gray. You're not going to find these in San Francisco. Not in Bali. Only in New Orleans. They're available at the Historic New Orleans Collection gift shop or directly from the artist (tel. 504/899-1804; www.michaeljclement.com). Prices start around $95 (and remember, no tax is charged on original works of art in many parts of the city). It's not everyone who wants a gilt crypt on their coffee table, but we do.

T-Shirts & More

If crass suits your style, by all means buy up the Bourbon Street goods. But if you seek a garment with local flavor that's also clever, and maybe even has a decent design aesthetic, there are a plethora of superior options. Shirts (and hats, hoodies, and so forth) in these shops will probably run $5 to $10 more than your average show-me-your-whatever tops, but they're softer as well as smarter.