New Orleans Thrift Store Shopping Day Two:
Some of the best New Orleans thrift stores are located in the suburbs. Along with those New Orleans thrift stores are some of the best affordable restaurants in the New Orleans area. Of course, these are usually the restaurants off the visitors’ path and more in tune with locals of New Orleans.
To start off my day of frugality I went to Lafreniere Park located at 3000 Downs Blvd off Veterans in Metairie to get in some morning exercise. I decided to start here because it was a beautiful day and I don’t get to visit this park often. Lafreniere Park has a lot of walking trails and places to stop to workout. The park also has a Carousel, Ampitheater, and a Bird Sanctuary as seen in the photo below.
Lafreniere Park Bird Sanctuary
From the park’s website: “With careful planning and vigilant nurturing for over three decades, the park now sports open green spaces, multiple use lawns, fountains, family picnic areas, hills, landscaped gardens, boating, fishing, tot-lots, paths, trails, man-made ecological marsh environment, a championship Frisbee golf course, carousel, soccer and softball fields and a conference center. Growth of the park is always ongoing, currently with the development of a dog park and children’s spray park and in the future with the planning of a labyrinth and additional picnic area shelters.”
After an hour at the park I headed across Veterans Boulevard to one of New Orleans thrift stores named Spay Mart. They are a thrift store supporting a no-kill animal sanctuary in Mississippi. This New Orleans thrift store is in a strip mall hiding behind a TJ Maxx.
Spay Mart
The store was a decent size and mostly carried housewares along with jewelry. I got a great studded black belt for $10 I’ve been searching for online. It was a great find for me and the money goes to a great cause. Overall, the prices were reasonable and not too expensive. There are also cats in friendly cages all around the place and you can ask to pet them (and possibly adopt).
Spay Mart Cat Adoption
Time to Eat
After walking around the park and shopping I was hungry. I’ve been hearing great reviews on the restaurant Nola Nica and decided to add it to my thrifting adventures for the day. This place it out of the way and near the Kenner airport, but the reviews made the driving adventure seem worth it.
Nola Nica
It’s near the Kenner airport and in a strip mall. Inside, there are about 10 small tables but very inviting. I walked up to the counter to look over the menu and was greeted by a very welcoming guy. I instantly felt comfortable asking any questions I might have about the place. The food is Nicaraguan / Latin American, but has a Western twist to it more suiting for New Orleans palates. I had a very difficult time trying to decide on what I wanted to order and went with the Pollo Al Carbon Cabron (grilled chicken).
Grilled Chicken Plate
The plate came with a very large helping of grilled chicken that was very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It also came with a sweet corn mix, plantains, and rice. I also ordered an aqua fresca in orange/melon flavor that was one of the best I’ve had in the city. All of this along with tax and tip cost me around $16. Which is pricey for lunch but the food was phenomenal. There were also cheaper items on the menu like a Cuban sandwich for $8 and nachos for around $8.50. They also do Breakfast. The most up to date hours for the place is: 7 days per week 11 am – 7 pm and closing at 6pm on Sunday. I hear a rumor they are opening in the Central Business District.
After packing up some leftovers from Nola Nica I decided to check out the sales at the Dillard’s clearance store at Esplanade Mall. This place is an old Dillard’s store and the size of one (except the upstairs is shut down). This isn’t a typical New Orleans thrift store but it has all the clothing you could ask for with great sales on them.
Dillard’s Sale
The day I went there was a huge sale on dresses. Probably perfect if you go out a lot or have a young girl in your life who has several dances per year to attend. The sale was ‘Buy 1 Get 2 Free’ in adult and ‘Buy 1 Get 3 Free’ in Juniors. What a steal.
Dillard’s Dresses
There were a few purses and accessories in the store. Also, a good amount of shoes. But, no cosmetics or cologne/perfumes (those rarely ever go on sale at regular Dillard’s stores). There were also a lot of clothing options in the Men’s section.
Men’s Sale
Main issue with this place was the amount of items to go through and check-out time. Be prepared to wait. I’m not sure why it took so long (half an hour) to stand in line to check out? But it did.
In conclusion, this was a long day of being frugal in New Orleans and even though I didn’t find too many deals, I enjoyed the hunt.
