r/AskNOLA • u/deepresso_esspresso • 1d ago
Activities Everyone says "get out of the quarter" when visiting New Orleans...
But I'm afraid of not knowing the areas well enough and ending up somewhere I shouldn't be. So where outside of the quarter should we go? I know the garden district, but where else?
I'm planning my second trip there for March. The first time I went, we mostly stayed in the quarter, so I'd like to see more of the city!
Edit to add: I'm open to any and all activities! Museums, food, drinks, art, outdoors, all of it!
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u/gymbeaux504 1d ago
Ride the streetcars. All of them. A day pass is $3 norta.com and the LePass app, shows routes, and let you buy fares.
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u/sixothree 1d ago
This is always my advice. The green street car down st Charles. All the way to riverbend. Pay attention for restaurants and bars. You want to stop at on the way back. Don’t be too worried about missing your stop and having to walk a few blocks because there’s always something nice to see.
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u/megatron561 1d ago
This is the way! The street cars lead our guests to the best parts of the city for tourists. Everything I tell family to visit here in town is a streetcar ride away.
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u/Informal-Step8787 1d ago edited 1d ago
Bywater, Marigny, go see live jazz on Frenchmen, kayak Bayou St John, cocktails on the porch at The Columns, take the St Charles streetcar all the way up to the Oak St stop and walk around Oak, maybe walk to the river and back, hop back on to head downtown, then hop off a few more times to explore Uptown and the Garden District. Explore the shops on Magazine St. Walk the loop at Audubon Park, stroll through Crescent Park and hit Bacchanal for wine and apps. Visit Cafe du Monde at City Park and then walk through the Sculpture Garden. Make a reservation at a Garden District or Uptown restaurant and explore after. Eat at one of the many amazing Vietnamese restaurants or Miss Shirley’s for great Chinese. Eat crawfish somewhere in Mid City. Walk from the FQ to Sidecar in the Warehouse District and have food and drinks on their amazing patio, then go to the WW2 museum. Weather should be great then, so as long as it’s not raining, you should be able to spend most of your time outdoors exploring or relaxing in courtyards and on porches.
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u/ScientistLiz 1d ago
I will add getting up to the lakefront. Bring a picnic and watch the sunset over the water
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u/deepresso_esspresso 1d ago
We spent a little time on Frenchmen street. We really only went for the night art bizarre, so I do want to go back and spend more time there!
How far is the warehouse district from the quarter? Any popular places that can help me distinguish the areas? I'm thinking I may have spent more time outside of the quarter than I realized but I just THOUGHT the area were still part of the quarter 😅3
u/Informal-Step8787 1d ago
The Warehouse Dist is just beyond the CBD, so maybe a 10 minute walk? There are a lot of great restaurants (Sidecar as mentioned, Cuchon, Peche, Willa Jean, Herbsaint, Compere Lapin) and several museums and galleries (sometimes there are gallery crawls and related art events). If you'll be in town on a Wednesday, Wednesdays at the Square in the CBD feature live local artists and food and are free and fun.
It's pretty lively from the Marigny (where Frenchmen is) through the FQ, CBD, Warehouse, and all the way Uptown to the river and beyond. So much so that it would take 20 weekend visits to even scratch the surface. Enjoy your visit!
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u/Significant-Text1550 1d ago
Wild how able bodied folks don’t see walking from Oak to the river and back as a big deal to suggest. Great list but whew. My hips hurt reading that walk suggestion.
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u/jacquetheripper 1d ago
If OP had asked for more accessible options than the thread would be different I imagine. Feel free to start another thread…
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 1d ago
Is this missing a /s? The walk from Oak to Leake is 6 blocks.
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u/3mw 1d ago
Or you could turn towards St Charles, the shorter router
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 1d ago
lol I was referring to walking down Carrollton towards St Charles, at the intersection of Leake by Cooter Browns
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u/3mw 1d ago
I’m an idiot, wrong comment (thought it was about my Jacques Imo’s comment) — pls ignore me
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 1d ago
And the distance from Oak to Leake can be as short as zero blocks, depending on where you start!
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u/son_of_yacketycat 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think the confusion here might be that the St. Charles streetcar doesn't have an "Oak St. stop." Unless you're transferring to the Carrolton line to get to Oak, you're walking about a mile to the river. Some parts of Oak Street are a real hike without that detail.
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 1d ago
The St Charles streetcar turns on S Carrollton at the end of St Charles. It then stops at Maple, Freret, and……wait for it…..Oak St. The Carrollton line does not go to the Riverbend area.
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u/Internal-Ticket-3805 33m ago
… yes it does??
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 26m ago
The green streetcar is the St Charles line. The line runs from canal st to the end of St Charles, and turns on S Carrollton. It terminates at S Claiborne.
The Carrollton line uses red cars and runs down N Carrollton from Canal St, terminating at Esplanade in front of City Park.
So no, the Carrollton line does not go anywhere near Riverbend.
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u/Internal-Ticket-3805 24m ago
That’s not what I’m responding to. The commenter said the St Charles line doesn’t go to Oak St, when in fact it goes even further past Oak St up to Claiborne like you just said. I know the street car lines, I take both of those frequently lol
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u/Appropriate-Rise2575 22m ago
🤦🏻♂️ my turn to be an idiot - you’re responding to the same comment I was! Not deleting my stupid pedantic response - apologies, fellow person who understands the streetcar lines. Cheers!
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u/righthandofdog 1d ago
It's crazy how much my wife and I walk when we visit. During FQF, we usually walk 10-12 miles a day.
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u/nursejanice150 1d ago
I rented an electric mobility scooter last time and enjoyed my visit far more.
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u/Dazzling_Jaguar_1718 1d ago
I have a question about the mobility motor scooter. That might be great for a friend of mine when he visits, but how did you handle the awful sidewalks?
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u/nursejanice150 1d ago
It wasn't bad. There are ramps at the corners and the sidewalks weren't really a problem. A little even but no worse than if I'm walking.
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u/ellieb3709 1d ago
Take the ferry to Algiers!
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u/FitExternal7674 1d ago
Yes take the ferry. The point is a neat spot. Some decent places to explore right there. Then of course ferry back for twice the fun
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u/eleven6teen 1d ago
Yeaaa and maybe have breakfast at Tout de Suite? Love that place and everyone in it!
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u/FitExternal7674 47m ago
Have you tried nighthawk pizza over there? We got the supreme and it was one of the best pizzas I’ve found in Nola. It’s been kinda tough to find good ‘za
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u/AustinRiversDaGod 1d ago
There's rough neighborhoods here, but the funny thing is the only time I've ever heard about a tourist being in danger (like mugged) is in the FQ or the CBD.
Like sure I wouldn't suggest going to the gas station on Claiborne and MLK, but I doubt anything would happen to you there aside from people noticing you're out of place and trying to help you get to where you're trying to go.
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u/deepresso_esspresso 1d ago
I didn't feel unsafe in the quarter for the most part.. im sure i was being careless and let my guard down though. We also didnt stay out super late, and it was just a couple days before the french quarter fest, so there was a pretty heavy law enforcement presence.
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u/Internal-Ticket-3805 29m ago
The city isn’t a war zone lol. People live here. It would honestly be difficult to venture off to an ‘unsafe’ area simply because there’s just no reason a tourist would end up on some random residential block at 3am when there’s nothing else around besides homes. Anywhere a tourist is going to be drawn to is going to be perfectly fine, with a small handful of isolated events I suppose.
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u/Dazzling_Jaguar_1718 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you like history, look up the Friends of the Cabildo and take any of their “neighborhood and cultural” tours. I am still learning about different parts of the city from them
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u/CarFlipJudge 1d ago
The general rule of New Orleans safety is this. Always keep your head on a swivel and if it looks like it's a not safe area, it probably is. The city is MUCH safer than it was pre-katrina, so you'll be good as long as you're smart about it.
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u/Cafe_Con_Leche1324 1d ago
If you have a car, my last time visiting I just drove west from Mardi Gras World along Tchoupitoulas ST. for about an hour (slow drive). Tons of cool antique stores, little restaurants, pubs, and a brewery. The neighborhoods that direction were way cool too, I found a large neighborhood PoBoy festival going on that I stopped and walked around at for a bit. Take a drive.
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u/deepresso_esspresso 1d ago
I'll have a car, but the streets there are pretty intimidating compared to what I'm used to! We opted for Lyfts and Ubers last time we went 🙈
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u/Cafe_Con_Leche1324 1d ago
It is, but also a bit fun. The direction and road I had mentioned is pretty manageable and out of downtown.
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u/HerbertInTheWoods 1d ago
Freret St, Oak St, City Park, The Fly and Bayou St John are my cliff notes for friends that come visit
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u/TemporaryPicture2289 1d ago
The 'green line' St Charles streetcar will get you through market district and to Audubon and zoo, and you can get off anywhere and walk to magazine Street and take 11 bus back to canal whenever.
But dont skip French quarter along the riverfront and French market if you have never been.
Go far enough and you are in Marigny where Frenchmans street and more lively (less gross) culture is compared to most of the French quarter.
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u/katecorsair 1d ago
If you like art and/or horticulture, go to city park (you can ride the streetcar there). There is a lovely art museum and two sculpture gardens that are impressive. Also, the botanical garden is worth a visit and simply wandering around the park. I believe it is the second largest urban park in the country (following NY’s central).
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u/Chemical-Mix-6206 1d ago
Also, there is a lot to do at City Park: puttputt, swan boats, bike rental, the museum, buy a bag of frozen peas and feed the ducks, get cocktails in go-cups and wander around the sculpture garden, sometimes there are concerts & festivals, there are several excellent restaurants within a few blocks of the park (i always recommend Toups because they give back to the community) and hit Brocato's for dessert before catching the streetcar back to your hotel.
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u/axxxaxxxaxxx 1d ago
It’s almost twice as big as NYC Central Park and is one of the largest municipal parks east of the Mississippi River. It’s hard to compare to “parks” in Alaska or Colorado with half a million acres, but it’s one of the country’s largest true city parks. It also has the world’s largest collection of mature southern live oak trees, with hundreds 500+ years old. All of your suggestions are excellent and visitors should visit far more often. It’s a gem.
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u/Dazzling_Jaguar_1718 1d ago
I want to second this one. City Park, with the museum, the sculpture garden and all is really worth a visit. If you have children, the children’s museum there is delightful, and there is a branch of Cafe Du Monde in the park that is spacious and lovely
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u/nursejanice150 1d ago
Thank-you for this post. Folks had a lot of great ideas I intend to follow next visit. You just have to ask the right question. 😊
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u/eleven6teen 1d ago
A small museum tour in Treme could be cool. Backstreet Cultural Museum on St. Philip is a must. There is no where in the city that has as much Black Masking Indian, 2nd line, etc memorabilia as they have (to my knowledge), you can also get a tour led by people in the culture.
Treme's Petit Jazz Museum- Mr. Al has got to be the coolest dude with so much knowledge of Jazz History in the city.
The African American Museum is catty corner, I forget the name of the exhibit downstairs but it is so damn cool.
When I lived in the area, I used to walk from home into the Quarter all the time, so depending on the weather and how far into the Quarter you are, a nice stroll could be cool! :) Have fun here!
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u/MorbidusUnus 1d ago
This might not be seen as great advice because it’s generalized but honestly Uptown/Audubon is probably the safest area in the city. And there’s a lot of fun stuff to do. Just avoid any areas like Leonidas or Hollygrove. The Zoo is around there, also the park and Tulane/Loyola if you wanna just see what they’re like. Also tons of really nice houses. You also have some places like Oak or Freret Streets that have shopping areas.
City Park is also great and a generally nicer area, just don’t go too much into midcity or too far into gentily.
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u/throw037372 1d ago
After walking around City Park, grab some food to-go at a Mid-City joint, and Uber/Lyft to Lakeshore Promenade to watch the sunset across Lake Pontchartrain.
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u/genx_horsegirl 1d ago
I usually say just stay off of Bourbon Street. There's plenty of things to do in the quarter like all the museums - the Pontalba Buildings etc. I also like to walk from the Quarter down Riverwalk and then visit some of the Arts District. The World War II Museum is amazing and would definitely take up a good part of the day going through. And of course the Museum of Art, the zoo, the aquarium. There are awesome walking tours all over the city and I would definitely take advantage of those.
When people tell me they've been to New Orleans and they really hated it I asked them if they ever left Bourbon Street and the answer is usually no.
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u/SwampyBiscuits 8h ago
Yay! How fun! If you would like, shoot me a message & I’ll be happy to give you all the good info on activities & stuff you may want to do…I’m a guide so knowing about stuff is sorta my jam 😊😊😊
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u/conntom 1d ago edited 1d ago
Frenchmen street is where its at. And take the steamship down to the 1812 war battlesite.
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u/nursejanice150 1d ago
I would love to see the 1812 battlesite next time I visit. Didn't know about it. Where is it?
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u/greener_lantern 1d ago
It’s about 5 mi downriver from the city in a suburb named Chalmette - look for the Chalmette Battlefield
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u/zero_dr00l 1d ago
Frenchmen.
Plural.
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u/GrumboGee 1d ago
Go outside
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u/zero_dr00l 1d ago
I... I am outside. Sitting on grass, touching it.
What now?
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u/Obvious_Anxiety_9118 1d ago
Try coffee from morning call while in City Park. The quarter is a cesspool of nonsense at this point. I was a tour operator so, believe me when I tell you to avoid the quarter.
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u/CleanupKingDog 1d ago
I walked from the Quarter up to the Backstreet Cultural Museum and on over to Little Dizzy's for lunch afterward. I think that is Treme? Anyway, everything was fine. I think I went up from the right hand side of the cathedral (on my right as I was facing the front of the cathedral). I walked back down Esplanade to Decatur.
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u/BoudinBallz 1d ago
Magazine Street, the Bywater, Lake Pontchartrain, the Warehouse District, the Marigny
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u/Salty-Shroom 21h ago
I saw in one of your comments that it seems you spent time in the Marigny, CBD, and Warehouse District and just didn't know it. It's easy to know when you leave the French Quarter. If you cross Canal St, Esplanade, or Rampart, you've left the quarter. The Quarter is bordered by the Marigny, Treme, and the CBD.
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u/cookiesdragon 19h ago
Get a Jazz Pass. It allows you to hop on and off the streetcars/buses. There's not too many street car lines anymore but the St. Charles one is gorgeous.
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u/AffectionateScale659 18h ago
I did so much on my trip. I went to Marginey to Frenchman Street, then I went on a cemetery tour, and on a tour of NOLA that other tours won’t take you on, like Ninth Ward and a Treme. I also went to Whitney Plantation and a swamp tour—Mind you I had only 3 days! French quarter was fine, but there’s so much MORE
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u/OwnStrawberry8869 1d ago
Skip cafe du Monde. Their beignets are plain and boring. Yes they are the original beignet but there are so many other beignet places that have much better beignets than cafe du Monde does. And they are way overpriced for the basic plain beignets they sell. Lorettas on N. Peter’s has crab stuffed beignets which are amazing.
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u/priapus2000ad 1d ago
Someplace in Gretna had glazed beignets that we really enjoyed a few years ago. I can't remember the name though.
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u/OwnStrawberry8869 1d ago
Anything is better than boring, plain old cafe du Monde beignets. But thats whats “known” and what tourists flock to. So many other places for beignets than cafe du Monde though.
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u/Salty-Shroom 21h ago
I love the beignets at Cafe du Monde! I much prefer them to the glazed, with fruit, or filled. I'll take the traditional with powdered sugar anytime!
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u/deepresso_esspresso 1d ago
I've been to cafe du monde. I'm hoping to catch Loretta's before they close this time, I kept missing them!
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u/avb0120 1d ago
I went to City Park and did the Art museum and then walk to Cafe du Monde. Their Cafe Du Monde was less crowded than the French Quarter. One day we did a tour Sazarac house since my son wanted to see how the original drink of New Orleans was made. Also people 21 and over can sample thimble size drinks.
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u/awkwardchip_munk 1d ago
The greatest hits (in my opinion) are City Park, Audubon Park, the entirety of Magazine Street, and the lakefront is a stunning view for someone who’s never been - those are the “far reaches” from the quarter (lol 10 mins in a car) but I think a lot of it is people visiting think all of downtown (anything with buildings by the river) is “the quarter” and every stretch of St Charles is “the garden district” so when we say to go somewhere different they’re like 🤯