Many people planning a trip to New Orleans are excited about the prospect of finding somewhere great to stay in the French Quarter. They’ve seen the photos, and heard reports of its historic charms, colourful but elegant architecture, and fantastic cafe culture. But this oldest of New Orleans neighbourhoods isn’t the only great place to stay in ‘The Big Easy’. A true convergence of European, Creole and African influences, New Orleans is a wonderful combination of French elegance, Southern charm, jazz parties and terrific cuisine — some neighbourhoods are more about one facet than the others. Use our guide to New Orleans' neighbourhoods to ensure you pick the right area for your visit!
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New Orleans is old, and some of its neighbourhoods have fared better over the years than others. Battered by hurricanes and cyclones, and ever at risk of Mississippi floods, some areas have become somewhat gritty and storm-damaged, others have been entirely reimagined for contemporary life and some painstakingly pieced back together after any upset. The French Quarter, which runs alongside the Mississippi, just like the Garden District and Uptown, has been especially prone to flooding, but is defiantly historic — its colourful Creole architecture remains, those elegant wrought iron balconies looking over the streets below. These are great neighbourhoods to stay in if you’re hoping to feel the full weight of New Orleans’ historic charm, all of them have a good range of accommodation options, and plenty to choose from when it comes to food and drink too.
Bourbon Street and Canal Street, which sit in the French Quarter, close to the border with the CBD, are the neighbourhoods to stay in if you’re here for the nightlife. The Garden District is great for families; and the Art and Warehouse neighbourhoods are ideal for hipsters. Tremé is the district for lovers of live jazz.
Whichever neighbourhood you stay in you’ll end up on Jackson Square, admiring the 18th century St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo Museum; checking out the musical mecca that is Congo Square in Tremé; strolling Royal Street for a spot of shopping; ambling through the botanical gardens in Mid-City, and checking out the Mardi Gras World in the Arts and Warehouse neighbourhood. And hopefully eating all over town.
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The area encompassed by the name Downtown includes the historic New Orleans neighbourhoods that lie right alongside the Mississippi, including the French Quarter, the neighbourhood surrounding Canal Street, and the city’s CBD, or Central Business District. As well as being super central, this is one of the areas with the greatest variety of accommodation in New Orleans: there are guesthouses and B&Bs, historic boutique hotels, converted townhouses, grand dames, and hip design options — as well as some great value hotels and family-friendly picks. Apparently there are more than 25,000 bedrooms available to be used for accommodation within the two mile radius of Downtown, plus around 500 places to eat and drink, and around one hundred city attractions!
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The French Quarter is the oldest neighbourhood in New Orleans, an area woven together with millions of stories, and crowned with historic architecture, wonderful restaurants, bars and independent boutiques and views of the Mississippi. The French Quarter is often recommended as the best place to stay in New Orleans if you want to soak up the soul of the city. Or party, in which case Bourbon Street is the place to head for: the beating heart of New Orleans’ lively night-time scene. Guests in this neighbourhood are surrounded by colourful Creole and Victorian architecture, and attractions include the Historic New Orleans Collection art gallery; Jackson Square; the aquarium; the reimagined French Market; the Cabildo Museum and St. Louis Cathedral. This is also where you’ll find the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. The French Quarter is regularly praised for its restaurants, cafes and bars — beloved classics like Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Galatoire’s Broussard’s and Brennan’s. And if you fancy something a bit unusual, this is a fantastic place to join a ghost tour.
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The Central Business District doesn’t really sound like a cool neighbourhood to stay in while exploring New Orleans, but you’re just across Canal Street from the French Quarter, so you’re within walking distance of many New Orleans highlights. Within the CBD you’ll find the Superdome, which is home to the New Orleans Saints, plus the Sanger and Orpheum Theatres, and the National WWII Museum. The Art and Warehouse District and the South Market District have borders that blur with the CBD, putting CBD guests close to the Warehouse’s hip art galleries and museums, and some fantastic places to eat and drink, at both the high and affordable ends of the scale. The CBD is an obvious choice for business travellers, and it’s got some great simple hotels, as well as landmark properties like The Roosevelt and The Windsor Court Hotel, and even some design hotels including The Moxy, The Troubadour, and The Ace Hotel — these last three with fantastic rooftop bars.
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It might seem like an odd name for a neighbourhood, but it’s a descriptive one! This was New Orleans’ warehouse district, but the artists moved in and as the goods left, more artists arrived. The architecture is all very 19th century, colourful and charming, with warehouses and townhouses mingling. But there are plenty of 21st century upgrades, like rooftop pools and trendy boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants. The district’s main sights are the National WWII Museum — which has a vast B-17 Flying Fortress; the Ogden Museum of Southern Art; the Contemporary Arts Centre; and Mardi Gras World. But this is the sort of place where every stroll results in some kind of magical discovery — a small as-yet-undiscovered art gallery; a wood fired pizza oven; art on exterior walls. Head over to Fulton Street for the tip of the iceberg of all the food and drink possibilities.
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Uptown and the Garden District are ideal neighbourhoods if you long to experience the culture and history of New Orleans, but you’re looking for a more peaceful, residential feel than the French Quarter. These parts of town are only a small stretch upriver from the French Quarter. The districts include some of St. Charles Avenue and the streetcar, and share much of the historic architecture and bygone years atmosphere of the French Quarter, but with a family-friendly vibe. One of the highlights of staying in this neighbourhood is the Audubon Park and Zoo, but it’s also known for the St Charles Streetcar, the smart independent shopping on Oak and Maple, and Magazine Street, and the Tulane and Loyola Universities. Warm with old fashioned hospitality, this is a charming neighbourhood to stay in.
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Tremé is an historically important neighbourhood — during the 18th century it was one of the few places in which free people of colour were able to buy property, and it became a place where worlds met and merged. One of the things that came out of this merger was the music New Orleans is best known for — bluesy jazz — and one of the places people used to gather to make music, Congo Square, is still an important part of the neighbourhood today. Nearby Armstrong Park has a similarly reverent atmosphere. For a livelier, more joyful tribute to jazz music, head to almost any of the local bars or clubs. The Backstreet Museum is one of the neighbourhood's main formal attractions, and it's also well known for its authentic creole food.
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Marigny and Bywater are two of New Orleans’ trendiest neighbourhoods, popular with a young, hip crowd, and still slightly under the radar for many chain stores, restaurants and hotels. They’re neighbours too, Marigny on the French Quarter side, and Bywater spreading eastwards. And they have a joint centre around Frenchman Street, which is where you’ll find the area’s best live music venues, and some great markets too. This street is also a hub for bars and restaurants, with further outposts along St. Claude Avenue, and around Crescent Park — which runs right beside the river. Marigny and Bywater are the kinds of neighbourhoods with cool record shops and hip art galleries. The best accommodation here is in B&Bs and guesthouses converted from colourful Creole cottages, small inns, or boutique hotels.
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The Mid-City neighbourhood is a bit further outside of town, between the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain, which offers a thriving, and arty, local atmosphere, and easy access to Downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter — you can reach the centre of town by streetcar, for added charm. Or you can walk or cycle the two and a half miles Downtown on the Lafitte Greenway. There’s quite a bit to do in Mid-City too: visit the historic landmarks and colourful old houses of the Bayou St, John area, or the fascinating cemeteries; shop on Carrollton Avenue; see the sights at the New Orleans Museum of Art, or the Louisiana Children’s Museum; stroll through the Botanical Gardens; and eat and drink in an eclectic collection of cafes, restaurants and bars. Mid-City is also home to an annual jazz festival.
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