French Quarter (Vieux Carre)
As New Orleans’ oldest and most historic district, the French Quarter is a National Historic Landmark waiting for its next living legend. While famous for being a tourist destination, the French Quarter also provides a unique neighborhood experience serving a timeless, historic backdrop for the modern eclectic character that is the Crescent City. Slat tile sidewalks will lead you to modern boutiques for the latest wears and renowned restaurants serving traditional Southern staples. Visit the galleries of the Historic New Orleans Collection or create your own portraits while adventuring to Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral. Listen to live jazz at the historical Preservation Hall or the sounds of street performers, horse-drawn carriages, and fortune-tellers, a soundtrack distinctly Vieux Carre. After a bustling day, grab a craft cocktail or an infamous Hurricane and retire to a beautifully restored home. Condensed and conveniently located, the beautifully restored homes and businesses help paint a picture of life in the early days here in the Big Easy.
Mid-City
Travel north of the bustling sounds and technicolor houses of the French Quarter and you will find the center of the Crescent City. Mid-City is the perfect blend of relaxed, southern living with the vitality of a swinging metropolitan. Bayou St. John runs through this neighborhood, home to a diverse mix of residents who engulf themselves in outdoor activities and culture. It’s the perfect place for active New Orleanians who love to kayak on the bayou, take a stroll in City Park, and bike on the Lafitte Greenway. Residents also immerse themselves in the historic landmarks, galleries of the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), and of course, flavorful New Orleans cuisine. Mid-City is your quirky, yet unpretentious best friend. A friend who will take you to see an independent film at the Broad Theater and then share a shrimp po-boy with you from Parkway Tavern. They will save you a spot on the Endymion parade route and then invite you to their family’s crawfish boil. They’re down for a night out filled with live music as long as there’s the promise of brunch at Katie’s the next morning. Relaxed, yet vibrant this neighborhood takes it easy in the Big Easy.
Algiers
The constant buzz of big city life can be exciting, but for some, there are times when you simply need a change of pace. One of the oldest neighborhoods in New Orleans and the only one located on the West Bank of the mighty Mississippi River, Algiers offers affordable living with easy access to jobs in or around the CBD. Its compact footprint, affordable housing stock, scenic views, and welcoming tight-knit community have made it an increasingly popular destination for millennials. Your most difficult decision will be whether to travel there by a short ferry ride or a quick drive across the Crescent City Connection, and whether to stay there for a day, a night, or longer. Algiers Point is the second oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and a beautiful, walkable area with many things to do.
Downtown Central Business/Arts/Warehouse District
The major economic hub of New Orleans, the Central Business District is home to award-winning restaurants, trendy stores, and headquarters for large corporations. This district stays bustling with entertainment and activities. Chant “Who Dat” at a Saints game at the Mercedes- Benz Superdome or indulge in some retail therapy with upscale shopping. Residents have their pick of where to see Broadway shows between the famous Joy, Sanger, and Orpheum Theaters. Energetic and lively, this neighborhood is the perfect place for the big movers and shakers living in the Big Easy.
This neighborhood is amongst New Orleans’ most beautiful, serving as a love letter to the art and history that helped shaped the city into what it is today. It is famous for institutions such as the National World War II Museum, the Odgen Museum of Southern Art, and Julia Street; a street filled to the brim with notable galleries. Enjoy the cuisine from James Beard award-winning chefs and attend a top of the line event at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Learn about the history of Carnival at Mardi Gras World and then bowl a perfect game at Fulton Alley. Those seeking to immerse themselves in work, culture, sports AND nightlight will want to call this area home.
Marigny/Bywater
A vibrant art scene – with local artisans’ galleries, funky live music venues, and art markets, embodies the essence of these adjacent neighborhoods. The food scene here is mixed with trendy spots and locally founded, casual digs – take your pick. Considered the artistic and bohemian hub of New Orleans, the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods are popular with artists, musicians, and other offbeat residents.
Home to Frenchmen Street, one of Louisiana’ss most popular corridors for live music, you’ll find colorful Creole cottages, and a variety of independently owned shops, restaurants, cafés, and galleries.
Uptown/Garden District
Hop on to the St. Charles streetcar and find yourself in the handsome neighborhoods that comprise the historic Uptown New Orleans. Beautiful homes and historic mansions line the picturesque streets accompanied by a beautiful background of grand oak trees and jasmine flowers. With Tulane University and Loyola University in its backyard, Uptown is a beautiful blend of a college town with that NOLA flavor. Streets such as Magazine, Maple, Oak, and Freret, are perfect, walkable condensed spaces of live music, restaurants, shopping, festivals, and fun. Not only aesthetically pleasing this neighborhood is steeped with New Orleans culture at every turn. From quintessential live music venues like the New Orleans Jazz Market to the historic cemeteries, there are great things to discover in this charming community. Dine like a royal at top-notch restaurants like Commander’s Palace or go monkey around with some pals at Audubon Zoo. We’ll let you in on a Southern secret, the song is true. Uptown is definitely asking for you.
Lakeview/Lakefront
Escape into this lakefront oasis. Lakeview is a gorgeous neighborhood perfect for easy, breezy living filled with sailboats, marinas, and of course, your fill of seafood restaurants. In close proximity to the great urban green space that is City Park, families can enjoy outdoor activities. Experiencing a real estate boom over the last five years, the neighborhood has developed substantially, now offering specialty shops, neighborhood bars, and locally celebrated restaurants centered around its main thoroughfare, Harrison Avenue. Take a stroll down Harrison to experience unique stylish retail stores, cozy mom and pop shops, and delectable restaurants.
The neighborhood’s proximity to top schools, the scenic Lake Pontchartrain, City Park’s many amenities, and downtown make it one of the most popular for millennials and young professionals desiring an upscale but family-friendly area.
Gentilly
The Gentilly neighborhood is a magnet to both new retail and young families. Higher education institutions are scattered throughout the area, which serves as the proud home of Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), the University of New Orleans, as well as the New Orleans FBI field office. Developed in the early 20th century in the Lakefront area and along the eastern side of City Park, the historically strong, middle-class, family-friendly neighborhood, has become a hot spot for young professionals in search of affordable homes within a short commute from downtown.
New Orleans East/Lower Ninth Ward
Resiliency flows through this diverse community that has ascended from Katrina. Steeped with history and commitment to the preservation of its roots, this area of New Orleans has a myriad of activities for everyone. History buffs will swoon at historical landmarks such as Fort Pike and the Chalmette Battlefield and appreciate the Lakefront Airport, one of the last art deco airport terminals in the country. Foodies can visit authentic Viatemese restaurants and take a bite out of the delicacy that is the banh mi (Vietnamese po-boy).
Amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, nature enthusiasts can escape to Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s largest urban national wildlife refuge offering visitors the opportunity to appreciate the ecosystem of Louisiana (make sure to say hi to the gators). Experience an unfiltered look of New Orleans by visiting great museums like the House of Birds and Feathers, a museum of Mardi Gras Indians and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, and the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum, exhibits that tell the history of the neighborhood through the perspective and voices of those who live there. The East is for exploring, it’s time to set out.
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I haven’t lived here long, but I am finding that I am very well informed on events in the city that my friends who have lived here much longer know nothing about!”
— Jeanne
