This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our small business.
New Orleans is a city of distinct neighborhoods, each with a different price point and pace. The French Quarter is the tourist core, the Garden District holds the mansions, and the Marigny and Bywater are where the live-music and arts scenes live. Here is a practical New Orleans neighborhoods guide with boundaries and what each area suits, tied to the hotel options in our where to stay in New Orleans article.
New Orleans Neighborhoods: French Quarter and CBD
French Quarter (Vieux Carre)
The French Quarter is the original 1718 grid, bounded by Canal Street, Rampart Street, Esplanade Avenue and the Mississippi River. It holds Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Royal Street and most of the city’s oldest bars and restaurants. It suits first-time visitors who want to walk everywhere, but hotel rooms average US$250 to US$400 a night and the noise on Bourbon-facing blocks runs late. Quieter stays sit on the Chartres and Royal street side, and the main sights here are listed in our things to do guide.
Central Business District (CBD)
The CBD sits directly upriver of the French Quarter, anchored by Canal Street and the Superdome, and it is where the big convention hotels and the National WWII Museum are. Rates run US$180 to US$350 a night, a step below the Quarter, and it is a five-minute walk or one streetcar stop from Bourbon Street. It suits business travelers and families who want larger rooms and parking.
New Orleans Neighborhoods: Garden District and Uptown
Garden District
The Garden District runs along St. Charles Avenue above the Lower Garden District, roughly from Jackson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue, and is famous for its 19th-century mansions, live oaks and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. It suits couples and anyone after a quieter, residential base; the St. Charles streetcar reaches the French Quarter in about 20 minutes for US$1.25. Boutique hotels here run US$200 to US$350 a night. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons to explore on foot, per our best time to visit guide.
Uptown and the Universities
Uptown continues along St. Charles and Magazine Street past Tulane and Loyola universities toward Audubon Park and the zoo. Magazine Street, six miles of shops and restaurants, anchors the area. It suits families and long-stay visitors, and short-term rentals plus the occasional guesthouse push prices down toward US$150 to US$250 a night.
New Orleans Neighborhoods: Marigny, Bywater and Treme
Marigny
The Faubourg Marigny sits downriver of the French Quarter on the other side of Esplanade Avenue, and its Frenchmen Street is the live-music heart of the city. It suits nightlife-focused travelers and is a 10-minute walk to Jackson Square. Boutique inns and guesthouses run US$180 to US$300 a night, cheaper than the Quarter for more character, and the street’s club calendar lines up with our events and festivals listings.
Bywater
Bywater continues downriver from the Marigny past Press Street, a working-class neighborhood turned arts district of warehouses, murals and the Crescent Park riverfront trail. It suits artists and food-focused visitors drawn to spots like Bacchanal Wine and Pizza Delicious. There are few hotels, so most people stay in short-term rentals, and you will want a rideshare for late nights; the humidity and rain patterns for walking here are in our weather by month guide.
Treme
Treme, across Rampart Street from the French Quarter toward the lake, is the oldest African American neighborhood in the U.S. and the birthplace of much of the city’s brass band culture. It holds Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park and the St. Augustine Catholic Church, and it suits history-focused visitors. It is a short walk to the Quarter but has fewer hotels, so expect guesthouses and B&Bs; the practicalities of getting around are in our travel tips article.
