The results are in!
We asked you about pretty much everything that makes parenting easier—and fun—in NOLA. And boy did you answer! We’ve tallied the responses and are pleased to present the top finishers in our 2016 NOLA Family Favorites survey.
CELEBRATIONS
- Favorite birthday indoor party place
1. Palm Tree Playground (palmtreeplayground.com)
2. BooKoo Bounce (bookoobounce.com)
3. The Monkey Room (monkeyroom.net)
2. Favorite outdoor party place
- New Orleans City Park
- City Park Carousel Gardens/Storyland
- Audubon Zoo
3. Favorite party rental
- Zoo 2 You (zoo2uparties.com)
- About to Bounce (abouttobounce.com)
- Plum Street Snoballs (plumstreetsnoball.com)
4. Favorite birthday party entertainer
1. When You Wish Entertainment (whenyouwishentertainment.com)
2. Kellie’s Characters (kelliescharacters.com)
3. JoJo the Magician and Clown (New Orleans, 504.866.4400)
5. Favorite free holiday event
1. Miracle on Fulton Street
2. Celebration in the Oaks
3. Christmas in the Park, Lafreniere Park
6. Favorite holiday tea or brunch
1. Teddy Bear Tea at the Roosevelt
2. Tea for the Holidays at the Windsor Court
3. Royal Teddy Bear Tea at the Royal Sonesta
7. Favorite kid-friendly Mardi Gras parade
1. Krewe of Thoth
2. Krewe of Little Rascals
3. Krewe of Endymion
EATING!
8. Favorite sno-ball stand/ice cream/cool treats
1. Sal’s Sno-Balls (Metairie, 504.666.1823)
2. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz (snobliz.com)
3. Plum Street Snoballs (plumstreetsnoball.com)
9. Favorite bakery
1. Haydel’s Bakery (haydelbakery.com)
2. (tie) Gambino’s Bakery (gambinos.com)
Maurice French Pastries (mauricefrenchpastries.com)
3. Swiss Confectionery (swisscakes.net)
10. Favorite bakery/food store for special dietary need
1. Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com)
2. FARE Food Apothecary (504.302.9171)
3. Rouses Supermarkets (shop.rouses.com)
11. Favorite restaurant for kid-friendly dining
1. The Backyard (thebackyardnola.com)
2. The Velvet Cactus (thevelvetcactus.com)
3. Mellow Mushroom (mellowmushroom.com)
12. Favorite local grocery store
1. Rouses Supermarkets (shop.rouses.com)
2. Dorignac’s Food Center (dorignacs.com)
3. Langenstein’s (langensteins.com)
13. Favorite pizza or burger joint
1. Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza (theospizza.com)
2. The Company Burger (thecompanyburger.com)
3. Reginelli’s Pizzeria (reginellis.com)
14. Favorite place for ready-to-go meals
1. Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com)
2. Langenstein’s (langensteins.com)
3. The Fresh Market (thefreshmarket.com)
15. Favorite farmers’ market
2. Crescent City Farmers Market
3. Gretna Farmer’s Market
LESSONS, CAMPS & BEING ACTIVE
16. Favorite summer day camp
1. City Park Movement and Art (cityparkmovementandart.com)
2. Academy of the Sacred Heart (ashrosary.org)
3. Kehoe-France School (kehoe-france.com/summer-camp/)
17. Favorite summer specialty camp
1. City Park Movement and Art (cityparkmovementandart.com)
2. Academy of the Sacred Heart (ashrosary.org)
3. JPAS Youth Musical Theatre Camp (jpas.org)
18. Favorite summer sleep-away camp
1. Camp Abbey (Covington, LA, campabbey.org)
2. Camp Point Clear (Guntersville, AL, camppointclear.com)
3. (tie) Alpine Camp for Boys (Mentone, AL, alpinecamp.com)
Camp Marymount (Fairview, TN, campmarymount.com)
Camp Ozark (Mt.Ida, AR, campozark.com)
19. Favorite swim school/lessons
1. Love Swimming (loveswimming.com)
2. Harry’s Dive Shop (harrysdiveshop.com)
3. Elmwood Fitness Center (elmwoodfitness.com)
20. Favorite martial arts studio
1. Tiger-Rock Martial Arts (tigerrockmartialarts.com)
2. Moon College Taekwondo (mooncollegetkd.com)
3. (tie) Church’s Karate Academy (churchskarateacademy.com)
Live Confident Karate (Lakeview, 504.509.7050)
21. Favorite dance studio
1. City Park Movement and Art (cityparkmovementandart.com)
2. Debby Dillehay Dancers (debbydillehaydance.com)
3. (tie) Cindy Ory Dance Studio (orydance.com)
Metropolitan Dance Theatre of New Orleans (mdtdance.com)
22. Favorite gymnastics/cheerleading studio
3. Elmwood Gymnastics Academy (elmwoodfitness.com)
2. Ivanov’s Gymnastics Academy (ivanovsgymnastics.com)
3. NOLA Gymnastics (nolagymnastics.com)
23. Favorite place for kids to get creative
1. City Park Movement and Art (cityparkmovementandart.com)
2. Louisiana Children’s Museum (lcm.org)
3. Posh Paint Pub (poshpaintpub.com)
24. Favorite tutoring service
1. SpiderSmart Learning Center (spidersmart.com)
2. Kumon Math & Reading Center (kumon.com)
3. Sylvan Learning Center (sylvanlearning.com)
25. Favorite parenting class/center
1. The Parenting Center at Children’s Hospital (chnola.org/parentingcenter)
2. Touro Infirmary (touro.com)
3. ZukaBaby (zukababy.com)
26. Favorite toddler enrichment program
1. City Park Movement and Art (cityparkmovementandart.com)
2. R.E.A.D. Nola (readnola.com)
3. Little Hearts Early Learning Center at the Academy of the Sacred Heart (ashrosary.org)
PLAYTIME
27. Favorite indoor play place
1. Palm Tree Playground (palmtreeplayground.com)
2. BooKoo Bounce (bookoobounce.com)
3. The Monkey Room (monkeyroom.net)
28. Favorite outdoor place to play
1. New Orleans City Park
2. Audubon Zoo
3. Danneel Park
29. Favorite kid-friendly museum
1. Louisiana Children’s Museum (lcm.org)
2. New Orleans Museum of Art (noma.org)
3. Aquarium of the Americas (audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium)
30. Favorite family-friendly festival
1. French Quarter Festival
2. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
3. Bayou Boogaloo
31. Favorite place for an animal encounter
1. Audubon Zoo (audubonnatureinstitute.org)
2. Global Wildlife Center (Folsom, globalwildlife.com)
3. Jean Lafitte National Park
32. Favorite day-trip destination
1. Biloxi, Mississippi
2. Global Wildlife Center (Folsom, globalwildlife.com)
3. Ship Island Excursions (Gulfport, MS, msshipisland.com)
33. Favorite beach destination
1. Destin, Florida
2. Orange Beach, Alabama
3. Pensacola, Florida
34. Favorite bowling alley
1. Rock ‘n’ Bowl (rocknbowl.com)
2. Fulton Alley (fultonalley.com)
3. Colonial Bowling Lanes (colonialbowling.net)
35. Favorite place for a mom’s night/day out
1. The Velvet Cactus (thevelvetcactus.com)
2. Mizado Cocina (mizadococina.com)
3. Bayou Wine Garden (bayouwinegarden.com)
36. Favorite place for a playdate
1. Palm Tree Playground (palmtreeplayground.com)
2. New Orleans City Park
3. BooKoo Bounce (bookoobounce.com)
37. Favorite hiking/biking trail
1. New Orleans City Park
2. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
3. Tammany Trace (tammanytrace.org)
SHOPPING & SERVICES
38. Favorite bookstore for kids
1. Barnes & Noble (barnesandnoble.com)
2. Octavia Books (octaviabooks.com)
3. Little Pnuts Toy Shoppe (littlepnutstoyshoppe.com)
39. Favorite local toy store
1. Le Jouet (lejouet.com)
2. Little Pnuts Toy Shoppe (littlepnutstoyshoppe.com)
3. Magic Box Toys (magicboxneworleans.com)
40. Favorite maternity boutique
1. Baby Bump Maternity & Children’s (nolababybump.com)
2. Destination Maternity/A Pea in the Pod (destinationmaternity.com)
3. Motherhood Maternity (motherhood.com)
41. Favorite baby/children’s boutique
1. Banbury Cross (504.837.0447)
2. Little Miss Muffin (shoplittlemissmuffin.com)
3. ZukaBaby (zukababy.com)
42. Favorite consignment boutique
1. Once Upon a Child (onceuponachild.com)
2. Swap for Kids (swapforkids.com)
3. Kid to Kid (kidtokid.com)
43. Favorite nanny/sitting service
1. Natural Nannies NOLA (naturalnanniesnola.com)
2. (tie) Nurture Nannies (nurturenannies.com)
3. Family & friends
44. Favorite photographer
1. Twirl Photography (twirlphotography.com)
2. Michelle Bosco Photography (michelleboscophotography.com)
3. (tie) KKD Photography (504.982.1231)
Olivia Grey Pritchard Photography (oliviagreypritchard.com)
45. Favorite place for children’s haircuts
1. Kid’s Hair Etc. (kidshairetc.com)
2. Supercuts (supercuts.com)
3. Aveda Institute (Metairie, 504.454.1400)
SPECIAL NEEDS
46. Favorite educational support service/provider
1. Sleepless in NOLA (sleeplessinnola.com)
2. Sylvan Learning Center (sylvanlearning.com)
3. Family Behavioral Health Center (4 area offices, 504.780.1702)
47. Favorite occupational therapist
1. Sharon Crane, LOTR (Crane Rehab Center, cranerehab.com)
2. Kimberly Bradley, M.S., LOTR (kim4kidsnola.com)
3. Darbi B. Philibert, LOTR (504.382.7661)
48. Favorite pediatric physical therapist
1. Crane Rehab Center (cranerehab.com)
2. (tie) Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (chnola.org)
Movement Science Center (Metairie, 504.834.9259)
3. Robert Porsche, OrthoPTic Rehab Clinic (Metairie, 504.885.9121)
49. Favorite speech therapist
1. Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (chnola.org)
2. Gina Knight, M.A., C.C.C.-S.L.P. (504.481.6270)
3. Crane Rehab Center (cranerehab.com)
50. Favorite therapy center
1. Crane Rehab Center (cranerehab.com)
2. Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (chnola.org)
3. OrthoPTic Rehab Clinic (Metairie, 504.885.9121)
51. Favorite support group
1. Snuggles & Struggles at the Parenting Center (chnola.org/parentingcenter)
2. NOLA Warrior Moms
3. Crane Rehab Center (cranerehab.com)
Your Family’s Health
52. Favorite family physician/internist
1. Jennifer Bertsch, M.D., Crescent City Physicians
2. Tara Berner, M.D., Ochsner Health Center Lakeview
3. Karen Blessy, M.D., Ochsner Baptist
53. Favorite OB/GYN
1. Janet Ross, M.D. (Crescent City Physicians, 504.897.8281)
2. Rebecca Perret, M.D. (Crescent City Physicians, 504.897.7676)
3. Robin Bone, M.D. (Ochsner Baptist, 504855.8563)
54. Favorite high-risk OB doctor
1. Ann Chau, M.D. (Touro, 504.897.8213)
2. Joseph Miller, M.D. (Touro, 504.897.8213)
3. Elizabeth Lapeyre, M.D. (Ochsner Baptist, 504.842.4155)
55. Favorite fertility doctor
1. Lindsay Wells, M.D. (Audubon Fertility, 504.891.1390, audubonfertilityclinic.com)
2. Paul R. Clisham, M.D. (Ochsner Baptist, 866.624.7637)
3. Peter Lu, M.D. (The Fertility Institute, 504.454.2165)
56. Favorite pediatrician
1. Heather Porche, M.D. (Collins Pediatrics, 504.832.8022)
2. Lauren Hernandez, M.D. (Collins Pediatrics, 504.832.8022)
3. Stephen Hales, M.D. (Hales Pediatrics, 504.897.0744)
57. Favorite orthodontist
1. DN Orthodontics (multiple locations, dn4smiles.com)
2. Eric Macaluso, D.D.S. (Brown Family Orthodontics, 504.455.1625)
3. Evans Orthodontics (Harahan & Lakeview, evansorthonola.com)
58. Favorite pediatric dentist
1. Stephen Holmes, D.D.S. (Uptown Pediatric Dentistry, 504.896.7435)
2. Kellie Axelrad, D.D.S. ( New Orleans Children’s Dental Center, 504.833.5528)
3. Pamela Shaw, D.D.S. (Metairie, 504.838.8200)
59. Favorite family dentist
1. Connell Family Dentistry (Gretna and New Orleans, 504.533.4105)
2. Stephen Delahoussay, D.D.S. (Lakefront Dental Care, 504.282.5557)
3. Diem Do, D.D.S. (Marrero, 504.340.9400)
60. Favorite otolaryngologist (ear, nose & throat)
1. Russell Cecola, M.D. (Loustau and Cecola AMC, New Orleans, 504. 821.0244)
2. (tie) Michael DeSalvo, M.D. (East Jefferson ENT Clinic, 504.885.4677)
Michael Hagmann, M.D. (Children’s Hospital, 504.896.9832)
3. Worley, Tauzin, Magne (New Orleans and Metairie, 504.899.1513)
61. Favorite dermatologist
1. Poole Dermatology (Metairie, 504.838.8225)
2. Koppel Dermatology (Marrero, 504.340.1742)
3. Audubon Dermatology (audubondermatology.com)
62. Favorite urgent care facility
1. MHM Urgent Care (multiple locations, mhmurgentcare.com)
2. Children’s After Hours (Children’s Hospital, Metairie Center, 504.837.7760)
3. In & Out Urgent Care (New Orleans, 504.666.9846)
63. Favorite hospital for having a baby
1. Family Birthing Center at Touro Infirmary
2. Ochsner Baptist Medical Center
3. East Jefferson General Hospital
64. Favorite hospital for emergency care for children
1. Children’s Hospital of New Orleans
2. Ochsner Health System
3. Tulane Lakeside Hospital for Women and Children