Description:

The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, at the foot of Canal Street overlooking the Mississippi River, just opened a month ago and gives downtown visitors to New Orleans a “guilt-free” shopping experience, as they say. With over 75 retailers and food outlets, it’s huge. National retailers include Kenneth Cole, Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio (Oh, the bargains!), Coach, Forever 21, and American Eagle Outfitters. And some of our favorites from the earlier incarnation of Riverwalk are still there, like The Fudgery-don’t you love the smell of chocolate fudge wafting through the mall? And the singing fudge-spinners still entertain us!

The space has undergone a magnificent renovation, and everything is shiny and new. Even if you don’t buy anything, just strolling through The Outlet Collection is a great way to spend the day. Listen to the house brass band as it marches through the halls, snack on a wide range of food offerings from beloved New Orleans restaurants like Café’ du Monde and Mona’s Café – hummus! Falafel!, they both offer a bit of sensory overload. The views overlooking the River are among the best in New Orleans, too, and there are tables outside for leisurely dining while you watch the riverboat traffic in one of the world’s busiest ports.

It’s a nice escape from a convention hall, for sure. The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk bills itself as the nation’s first upscale outlet center in a downtown setting. Once again, New Orleans visitors, and locals too, get to enjoy something nobody else has, anywhere in the country. We’re always a little different here, even in our shopping malls.