This ceremony will call out Marisa's name individually.

Unified Commencement - Sat., May 16 at 5:00 PM @ Caesars Superdome

We have at least 20 tickets available for family members. Extra tickets can be arranged if needed.

We plan to attend both graduation events, but it's your call which you'd like to attend. Let us know if you need tickets!

Airbnb Rentals: Check-in: Thurs., May 14 | Check-out: Mon., May 18

Team Kostiuk (222 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112) - Walking distance to The French Quarter

Team Ricci (833 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70113) - Walking distance to WWII Memorial and Warehouse District

Note: Mariana will likely stay at Marisa's apartment.

Rental Car We'll have an SUV that seats 5+ people available for the trip and Uber/Lyft is readily available throughout the city. Per Marisa, Lyft is generally cheaper.

Airport Tip: The shuttle bus from the airport terminal to the car rental depot takes 20-25 minutes even though you can see the depot. Unfortunately, you can't walk to it. Plan accordingly if you're renting a car!

Nieghboorhoods to know beyond the French Quarter…

Uptown Where Tulane's main campus is located.

Downtown The city core including Bourbon Street and the French Quarter.

Magazine Street Six-mile stretch of local shops, antiques, and cafes from the French Quarter to Audubon Park, interspersed with residential homes. Great for wandering and discovering unique finds. Better dinner choices compared to Freret Street.

Freret Street Small downtown area for Tulane students bars and places to eat.

Tchoupitoulas Street Along the river with restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and art/collectibles shops.

Bywater & Marigny Districts Great for street art, local bars, and authentic neighborhood vibes beyond the tourist areas.

Frenchman Street - Lots of live music, little art studios, and dive bars with excellent people watching. Almost anything goes here!

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar - End of Bourbon Street. Best hurricane drink in town per Becky. They have a projection TV that shows onto a wall across the street—usually playing whatever sports are in season.

Port Orleans Brewing Co. (4124 Tchoupitoulas St) - Jamie’s favorite local brewery with a great outdoor area for enjoying the warm weather.

Hansen's Sno-Bliz - On Tchoupitoulas. If you see a "snoball" shop, get one with ice cream inside!

Marisa has become quite the foodie during her time in New Orleans! She recommends making reservations at dinner places since everyone's families will be in town for graduation.

UPSCALE / SPECIAL OCCASION

N7 - Japanese-inspired French cuisine with a cute outdoor seating area.

Mamou - European fare on the edge of the French Quarter. Great cocktails and very tasty meals.

Shaya (Middle Eastern) - Unlimited bread—try their hummus and dips! Can be inexpensive if you stick to appetizers.

Pigeon and Whale — on Freret St

MID-RANGE / CASUAL‍ ‍

Mais Arepas (Colombian) - Probably the best Colombian food in NOLA. Try the arepas and plantain chips!

Cochon Butcher - Butcher shop with a restaurant. Incredible meats and sandwiches. Good for lunch or dinner.

El Pavo - Real Mexican with giant portions.

The Rum House - Caribbean cuisine on Magazine Street.

The Husky- Great happy hour burgers and old fashioneds ($20 range) on Freret

BREAKFAST & LUNCH‍ ‍

Flour Moon Bagels - The rosemary salt bagel is especially tasty.

Crabby Jacks - Best po'boys in NOLA. Marisa loves the duck, but they give you tons of shrimp if you order that.

Satsuma Maple - Breakfast spot; very "clean"/not greasy, with good coffees and fresh juices.

The Vintage - lunch-focused, with a beignet flight (different beignet flavors) and great sandwiches. Open till 11 PM if you want good cocktails.

Slim Goodies Diner - Breakfast/brunch with a diner vibe. Yummy milkshakes and a huge menu.

Turkey and the Wolf - Excellent sandwiches.

Beyond drinking on Bourbon Street, New Orleans has amazing attractions

The National WWII Museum - Absolutely amazing; highly recommend

Guided Walking Tours - Architecture, history and ghost tours available throughout the city.

Mardi Gras World - Tour the facility where Mardi Gras floats are made. Surprisingly very fun!

Plantation Tours - Drive along the Mississippi River to visit historic plantations (rental car needed).

Cemetery Tours - St. Louis Cemetery #1 or Lafayette Cemetery #1 in the Garden District offer fascinating history.

City Park - Located north of downtown. Be sue to visit the New Orleans’ Museum of Art and walk through the sculpture garden (very cool).

What Else to Expect During the Trip

WEATHER - Mid-May should be very warm. Expect highs in the 80s, lows in the 70s, but it could touch 90 degrees. It will likely be humid but not too rainy at that time of year. (Note: If it does rain, expect some flooded roads.)

Hot Weather Tips: Most stores provide water to customers. You'll notice people walk on the shaded side of streets to stay out of direct sun. They also use shadows cast by tall objects (like electrical poles) to avoid the sun beating down.

THE NOLA EXPERIENCE - What makes New Orleans unique and fun also makes it maddening and frustrating at times.

Roads & Sidewalks: Potholes are bad. The sidewalks may be worse, so pay attention! Despite this, the streets are very walkable.

Neighborhood Vibes: The city has 90s Detroit vibes—it isn't always clear what is a "nice area" because so much look rundown at first glance. However, many really nice areas exist, but houses may look beat up on the outside (partly due to historical building renovation rules).

Street Culture: Don't be surprised if you see people BBQing on the boulevards off main roads or just hanging out drinking. Totally normal.

The Food: They do food in this town like few others. It's hard to get a bad meal.