Mardi Gras Monday: Bourbon Balconies

photo credit: Lyndi&Jason

Note: This is the first in a series of weekly columns about Mardi Gras. Between now and Lundi Gras, we’ll be covering some of the basics of Mardi Gras, including tips, tricks and suggestions from a local on how to survive Carnival in New Orleans. I’m trying to keep this series as family friendly and as broad as possible, since many people come to Mardi Gras for many different reasons, I want this to serve everyone’s needs.

There are a lot of “B” words that come to mind when one things of Bourbon St. Beads, beer, breasts, bars and booze name just a few. However, “balcony” is the only one that is part of the Bourbon St. architecture.

As you walk up and down the street, balconies literally line the road on both sides, as they do with much of the French Quarter. Apartments have them, bars have them, stores have them, hotels have them and nearly every establishment on the street has at least one.

During Mardi Gras time, these balconies become centers of activity. Revelers, not wanting to be in the crowd below, fill them to capacity. They participate by throwing beads and watching the party below. It comes with an air of exclusivity and it’s a chance to drink and have fun without being jostled by the crowd below.

But is it worth it and how does one get the most out of their balcony experience? The answers are below.

Why Balconies Suck

The first rule of balconies is simple: Don’t get a balcony.

First off, balconies are expensive. Getting one for the whole day can run thousands of dollars depending on the size and quality. Furthermore, if you haven’t booked your balcony by now, you’re probably out of luck for the 2009 Mardi Gras. You might have a slot open for 2010 though.

Second, no matter what you’re into on Mardi Gras, be it skin, costumes, drinking or general partying, you can do it all better and more cheaply on the street. Bourbon Street’s reputation for grossness is heavily overstated (especially since Katrina when a new cleaning contract started) and Mardi Gras is a more interesting experience on the street. Search the Web for Mardi Gras photos taken from balconies vs. the ground, you’ll see quickly which are more interesting.

Third, you’re stuck in one place. If the area directly underneath your balcony isn’t very active, you can’t pick up and move to where there is something going on. Makes that down payment on the balcony seem even more expensive.

Finally, if you have some kind of issue with being in a crowd that makes you want to get a balcony, you’re probably better off skipping Mardi Gras. Even with a balcony, you’re going to have to move through the crowd at some point. After all, every single neighboring street is packed too and Canal St, the edge of the French Quarter, is a major parade route.

In short, other than the ability to stand over the crowd and look/feel superior, balconies don’t have a lot to offer. That is, if you’re at Mardi Gras to have fun.

Choosing a Balcony

If you’re ignoring the first rule of balconies, the least that you can do is book your balcony well. As I said, balconies for 2009 have, almost certainly, been snatched up and the few that remain are probably either A) In terrible locations B) Overpriced or C) Both.

The good news is that there are several balconies that do rent hourly on Bourbon St. and they may still have slots available. Those slots will be pricey for what you get, and there’s a good chance you’ll be paired up with strangers, but it lets you get a taste of the balcony experience without having to spend your whole day there. You can find those by roaming the streets in advance and looking for signs.

Also, there are likely still openings for Lundi Gras (the Monday before) and the weekend before Fat Tuesday. Typically, the Mardi Gras atmosphere on Bourbon begins the Friday before and goes nonstop through Fat Tuesday. You can book on any of those days and get a good feel for the experience.

The second rule of renting a balcony is to never rent a third-story one. Not only will you definitely not be able to see thing, but throwing beads down from or up to is almost impossible without serious injury. You might not think a bead can hurt you, but when it’s dropped from 35 ft. or thrown at your face like a baseball, you learn otherwise.

Location is important but pretty simple. The “Gay District” of Bourbon St. starts at about St. Ann St. If you’re wanting to be in the traditionally “gay” area, anything from St. Ann on toward Esplanade will work well. If you want to be in the “straight” area, you go the other way, from St. Ann toward Canal, the best blocks being between Conti and St. Peter.

Though the lines between the gay and straight sections of Bourbon St. are heavily blurred during Carnival, especially toward Mardi Gras, most still prefer to get balconies in the areas that fit their own tastes.

Finally, before you rent, take a look at the balcony itself. Is it close to the street? Are there larger balconies nearby? How noticeable is it? If you don’t easily see the balcony when you’re walking down the street, then not many are going to see it when you’re on it. If you’re not wanting public attention, this is a good thing, but if you’re wanting to interact with the crowd, you need to be careful with this.

Typically speaking. the Holiday Inn and Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St. both have great balconies as far as hotels go and many bars and clubs do as well, in particular Bourbon St. Blues Co. and The Cat’s Meow.

Preparing

Once you’ve booked your balcony, you need to prepare for it. Once again, if you don’t care whether anyone notices you, you don’t have to do anything, but if you wish to encourage crowd interactions, you need to plan ahead.

First, get some decorations for your balcony. In that regard, hand-painted banners, streamers, flags, etc. are very common. Just make sure they fit the atmosphere.

Second, the best decoration by far is beads. Even if you don’t plan on throwing many, hanging large beads from your balcony is a sure-fire way to get people’s attention. Though I’ll talk more about these in another post, suffice to say that, if you’re on a balcony, you should invest in a few really visible beads to hang from the railing and many smaller ones to throw out to the crowd.

Finally, it helps to have a gimmick. Though some bring bullhorns, those seem to annoy partygoers and drive them away. Besides, do you want to listen to that on the balcony for eight hours straight? The key is to find something that is not annoying or harmful (this eliminates Airzookas, glitter, water pistols, etc.) Bubble machines are always a hit as are small non-bead giveaways. Be creative.

Running the Balcony

If you’ve prepared correctly, the balcony should almost run itself. You should have no trouble getting people’s attention and you should have everything you need for whatever you wan to do.

Still, it is important to remember that, when talking to people on the ground, you need to be as specific as possible. Saying “You with the brown hair!” will get about 25 people looking at you. Instead, be specific. Say “Green mask!” or “Red shirt”. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to get the attention of whoever you want.

Also, no matter what you plan on doing, keep a good supply of cheap throws beads you can give away for free. Not only is it a custom but you’ll find that many people will linger under your balcony until you give them something. Throw them a few cheap throws and they’ll usually move on their way, freeing up the space for others.

Bottom Line

Personally, I don’t like balconies. They’re great on non-Mardi Gras days when you want to sit around and have a few quiet drinks with friends in the open air. But during Carnival season and especially at Mardi Gras, it is a very different beast.

I don’t see much to be gained from getting a balcony and, especially given the price, would much rather be on the street. In general, it is the best way to see the sights and sounds of Mardi Gras.

But if you’re going to do it, do it right. Balconies do play a major role in the experience for those on the ground and good balconies do make Mardi Gras better for everyone.

So deal balcony dwellers, I salute you.