The Best Neighbourhoods in New Orleans

Mouth-watering Cajun food? A live Blues band at every turn? A marriage procession right in the middle of the street? Whether you call it New Orleans, NOLA, the Crescent City or the Big Easy, this enchanting city really has it all. There is nowhere on this planet quite like it. You could easily not know where to start, so let me help you! Here are some of the best neighbourhoods in the most exciting city in the South.

City Park, Bayou St. John, St. Roch, Marigny, Algiers Point, Central Business District, Tremé / Lafitte, Garden District, French Quarter

• City Park in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  The City Park neighbourhood is really just a very large park, but what is so cool about it is that you can see alligators in the park’s lagoons! New Orleans is home to so much wildlife, right in the city! Do not feed or taunt the alligators though, unless you want to risk becoming their dinner!

• Bayou St. John in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Experience something different in Bayou St. John. This residential neighbourhood sits alongside a waterway into the Mississippi, where you can go kayaking or paddle-boarding whilst taking in the sights! If you happen to visit in May, you will find that the Bayou hosts a three-day festival here called ‘Bayou Boogaloo’. I have heard it’s a lot of fun!

• St. Roch in New Orleans, United States

  wonderwhereiwander

  St. Roch is the perfect place for foodies and art enthusiasts alike. It is home to St. Roch Market, a food-hall showcasing the best of local cuisine and refined dishes...how could you not come here? You can easily get to St Roch on the streetcar from Canal Street.

• Marigny in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Marigny is another lively area of NOLA, just upriver of the French Quarter. Here, you’ll find Frenchman Street, another street which is similar to Bourbon Street, in the fact that it doesn’t sleep! In Marigny, you’ll also find St. Claude Avenue, which has become an alternative place to drink and eat with locals and savvy tourists.

• Algiers Point in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Algiers sits right on the riverfront of the Mississippi, and is perhaps overlooked due to it being on the ‘other’ side of the river, but it is definitely worth a visit as the second oldest area in New Orleans. From Canal Street, you can take a ferry across the Mississippi to Algiers, where you can admire the view of the Downtown district stretched out before you. Here, a walking tour is the best way to learn about the history of the area.

• Central Business District in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Make your way down lively Canal Street right into the Central Business District (CBD), also known as ‘Downtown’, where you will find the more modern party of the city, including upmarket hotels, clubs and music venues. There is much more to the CBD than, well, business! Why not see if you can catch a football game at the Superdome, a large stadium home to the New Orleans Saints?

• Tremé / Lafitte in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Treme is considered to be one of the oldest African-American neighbourhoods in the entire USA, so if that isn’t a reason to visit, I don’t know what to tell ya! Tremé used to be plantation land, which was sold to the city of NOLA in 1810, becoming home to free Black people and others of European descent. Tremé is noted as being the home of jazz in NOLA, as well as an area rich in art and Creole culture.

• Garden District in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  It can’t be ‘party all the time’ right?! If you want to escape the buzz of the French Quarter, the Garden District offers a different kind of charm. Here, you can embrace the appeal of New Orleans’ unpolished, yet majestic aura. Perhaps you’ll hop on the historic streetcar line to take in this scenic district, or maybe you’d prefer to take a leisurely stroll along St. Charles’ Avenue, which is lined with rugged mansions that peer through the draping shadows of large oak trees. In the Garden District, you will find the Lafayette Cemetery, where you may be able to join a tour and learn more about NOLA’s residents of the past. Don’t forget to stop by Commander’s Palace on Washington Avenue for some of the best twists on local food!

• French Quarter in New Orleans, United States

  
  wonderwhereiwander

  Probably the most famous district in NOLA is the French Quarter, or Vieux Carré. You’ll gawp at the beautiful old French and Spanish style townhouses with galleries overlooking the bustling streets, for easy viewing of the festivities below. Perhaps you’ll stumble upon a street procession, known as ‘Second Lining’, or even wedding and funeral processions! Here, you will find the iconic Bourbon Street, where there is a Jazz and Blues bar on every corner, and phenomenal street musicians who make every stroll feel like a fiesta. Grab one of NOLA’s ‘most powerful drinks’, a Hand Grenade from the famous bar, Tropical Isle. Trust me, you only need one!