If you’re the kind of person who gets all tingly over a fancy column or a perfectly proportioned doorway, then New Orleans is basically architecture paradise on earth for you. This city’s got more architectural eye candy than a Victorian house has gingerbread trim.
So grab your sensible walking shoes and maybe a cocktail to-go (because this is NOLA, baby), and let’s check out some awesome spots that’ll make you wanna whip out that camera faster than you can say “wrought iron balcony.”
1. The Garden District
Lord have mercy, the Garden District is like architectural dessert. These massive mansions will make your jaw drop faster than finding out your ex is dating your best friend. We’re talking Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian beauties all lined up like they’re posing for a magazine shoot.
Tip: Hit up Commander’s Palace for lunch between your architectural oggling—ain’t nothing wrong with mixing some food tourism with your building tourism.
2. The French Quarter
Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking – “real original recommendation there, genius.” But listen, there’s a reason every tourist with a fanny pack ends up here. The Quarter’s Creole townhouses with their lacy iron galleries stacked like fancy layer cakes are straight-up architechtural royalty. Plus, most buildings date back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, after the Great Fire of 1788 burned most of the original French structures.
Tip: Skip Bourbon Street (unless you’re into seeing the architecture of modern debauchery) and wander Royal and Chartres Streets instead for the good stuff.
3. St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line
Hop on America’s oldest continuously operating streetcar and feast your eyes on what might be the world’s most beautiful parade of homes. The St. Charles line will roll you past so many stunning mansions and university buildings that your neck’ll get sore from all that head-turning.
Tip: Grab a seat on the right side heading uptown from Canal Street for the best views of the mansions. Your Instagram followers will thank you.
4. Tremé Neighborhood
One of America’s oldest African American neighborhoods, Tremé rocks some seriously gorgeous Creole cottages and shotgun houses that’ll make you question why you live in a boring apartment building. The vibrant colors and unique architectural details tell stories about the freed people of color who built many of these homes.
Tip: Check out St. Augustine Catholic Church while you’re there. It’s the oldest African American Catholic parish in the nation and a stunning example of church architecture.
5. The Presbytere and Cabildo
These Spanish Colonial twins flanking St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square are like the fancy bookends of New Orleans architecture. Built in the late 18th century, they’ve survived fires, hurricanes, and tourists with selfie sticks, which is pretty darn impressive.
Tip: They’re both museums now, so you can actually go inside and pretend you’re a Spanish colonial official for a hot minute.
6. Bayou St. John
This neighborhood’s mix of Colonial, Victorian, and Arts and Crafts homes sitting all pretty along the bayou will have you seriously reconsidering your life choices. Why don’t you live in a place this gorgeous? The Pitot House, built in 1799, is a perfect example of colonial architecture with West Indies influences.
Tip: Take a kayak tour down the bayou for the ultimate architectural viewing experience. Trust me, buildings look fancier from the water.
7. Lower Garden District
If the regular Garden District is too hoity-toity for ya, scoot on down to the Lower Garden District where the Greek Revival and Italianate mansions are just as stunning but the vibe’s a bit more chill. The colonnades and cornices here will make your heart do a little dance.
Tip: The area around Coliseum Square has some of the best preserved 19th-century residential architecture in the country. Not too shabby, huh?
8. The CBD and Warehouse District
For you modernists who get all excited about industrial-chic, the old warehouses and factories of the CBD (that’s Central Business District for you non-locals) have been transformed into lofts, galleries, and restaurants while keeping their rugged good looks. It’s like when the high school bad boy grows up but keeps that leather jacket.
Tip: Look for the cast-iron facades and ornate cornices on buildings along Julia Street. Then reward yourself with a cocktail at one of the trendy spots that now call these historic buildings home.
New Orleans’ buildings tell stories of French, Spanish, Caribbean, and American influence all mixed together like a good gumbo. Just remember to look up cause some of the best details are hiding above the first floor, kinda like the best secrets are always hidden in plain sight.