New to New Orleans? This city has personality packed into every street corner & I’m here to walk you through the quirky, beautiful mess of it all.
1. The French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The Quarter ain’t just for tourists though Lord knows they flood Bourbon Street like it’s giving away free hurricanes. Beyond the neon & frozen daiquiri shops, you’ll find locals sipping coffee at Café du Monde or hunting for vinyl at Louisiana Music Factory. The architecture here is straight-up magical y’all. And those wrought-iron balconies look like they’re about to start telling stories themselves.
Tip: Wander Royal Street during the day when street musicians turn the pedestrian walkways into the best free concert you’ll ever stumble across.
2. Marigny & Bywater
If the French Quarter got a hip younger cousin who listened to vinyl & made artisanal everything, you’d get the Marigny & Bywater. These colorful shotgun houses painted every shade under the Louisiana sun will have you contemplating a career change just so you can move here. Frenchmen Street is where the locals actually go for music, with spots like d.b.a. & The Spotted Cat serving up the real-deal jazz experience.
Tip: Elizabeth’s Restaurant for praline bacon that’ll make you question all your life choices up to this point.
3. Garden District
Imagine if Southern wealth & architectural showboating had a baby. Yup, that’s the Garden District for ya. These mansions so gorgeous they’ll make you wonder if you shoulda paid more attention in school. The live oaks create a canopy over Magazine Street where you can shop local boutiques or grab a drink at The Columns Hotel where the porch feels like you’ve stepped back in time.
Tip: Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is less crowded than St. Louis Cemetery & just as hauntingly beautiful.
4. Uptown & Carrollton
College vibes meet old money in these tree-lined neighborhoods where Tulane & Loyola students roam alongside families who’ve been here since streetcars were the hot new technology. Audubon Park is where joggers dodge enormous oak trees & Magazine Street continues its stretch of funky shops and restaurants.
Tip: Grab a snowball at Hansen’s Sno-Bliz where they’ve been shaving ice since 1939 & the line is always worth it.
5. Mid-City
The working heart of New Orleans with a mix of everything – gorgeous homes around City Park, neighborhood bars where everybody literally knows your name, & some of the best food you’ll find anywhere. It’s where locals actually live their lives when they ain’t showing off for visitors.
Tip: Catch a race at the Fair Grounds, then walk over to Liuzza’s for a beer so cold the bottle wears a little frost jacket.
6. Tremé
One of America’s oldest Black neighborhoods & the birthplace of jazz, Tremé has soul baked into its foundations. This neighborhood has struggled with gentrification but still holds tight to its cultural significance. The Backstreet Cultural Museum celebrates the tradition of second lines & Mardi Gras Indians that keep the neighborhood’s spirit alive.
Tip: Catch a show at the Candlelight Lounge, where brass bands jam in a no-frills neighborhood bar that feels like someone’s living room.
7. Central Business District (CBD)
Don’t let the boring name fool you. The CBD has transformed from a 9-to-5 ghost town into a neighborhood with serious culinary cred. Warehouse District art galleries sit alongside new condo developments while Julia Street hosts gallery openings that spill onto the sidewalks.
Tip: Cochon Butcher for a muffuletta that’ll make you slap ya momma (though I wouldn’t recommend actually doing that).
8. Lakeview
After Katrina nearly wiped it off the map, Lakeview came back with a vengence. This residential area near Lake Pontchartrain is where families plant roots & where you’ll find some surprisingly good neighborhood restaurants hiding between the ranch-style homes.
Tip: Grab breakfast at Russell’s Marina Grill, then walk it off along the lakefront.
9. Gentilly
A real-deal neighborhood where people actually live normal lives. Less flashy than its famous cousins but with plenty of charecter, Gentilly’s got wide streets, good food, & the kind of neighbors who’ll watch your house when you’re out of town.
Tip: Hit up Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, where civil rights leaders once gathered & where Leah Chase fed presidents and locals with equal care.
10. New Orleans East
Sprawling & diverse, the East is home to Vietnamese communities that have created one of the most interesting food scenes in the city. After Katrina, many wondered if the East would recover but the resilience here runs deep.
Tip: Dong Phuong Bakery for banh mi sandwiches & king cakes that people line up for during Carnival season.
11. Algiers Point
Just a short ferry ride across the Mississippi, Algiers feels like a small town that happens to have the best view of the New Orleans skyline. Quiet streets, historic homes, & a pace that makes even the rest of New Orleans seem rushed.
Tip: Grab a drink at Old Point Bar & watch the sun set behind the city skyline across the river.
12. Lower Ninth Ward
No neighborhood embodies New Orleans’ struggles & resilience more than the Lower Ninth. Devastated by Katrina’s levee breaches, parts remain empty while others show signs of rebirth, including Brad Pitt’s Make It Right homes & community gardens sprouting in vacant lots.
Tip: Support the community by visiting Studio BE, where artist BMike showcases powerful murals about Black life in America.
From second lines to porch sittin’, from beignets to banh mi, this city’s neighborhoods don’t just welcome you, they pull up a chair and pour you a drink.