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New Orleans is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — have a look at each of them.LocationFlagQuick FactsGovernmentCity of New Orleans & Orleans ParishCurrencyU.S. Dollar($)Area9,726.6 km2(Metro included)Population378,715(2011 est.)LanguageEnglish, French, Spanish (No official language)Religionn/aElectricity120V/60Hz (U.S. plug)Time ZoneUTC-6/-5In New Orleans [16], you'll find the roots of jazz and a blossoming culture that has been long described as being unlike anything else in the United States. Founded in 1718, it is one the nation's oldest cities and has an atmosphere rich with a mix of French sophistication, Creole, Spanish, African-American, Caribbean, Irish, Italian, Haitian, German, and Vietnamese, all creating an energy that can be described as something greater than the sum of its parts. Though hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city continues to rebound, and it remains the largest city in Louisiana and one of the top tourist destinations in the United States.Districts[edit]French QuarterThe oldest, most famous, and most visited section of the city. Most tourists will want to center their visit here (though those who explore other parts of town as well will find the city offers additional treats). Many old-line restaurants are in there, along with music clubs, museums, antiques shops, and drinking establishments. Several companies offer organized pub crawl tours which can help save money, and have the added benefit of new friends and other travelers to socialize with.Central Business DistrictWhat many cities call "Downtown" (though in New Orleans this term is often used to refer to a different part of town downriver). Adjacent to the French Quarter; this area has many attractions. This area of the city is the American Sector named for the settlers that migrated to New Orleans following the Louisiana Purchase. In more recent times, the area is commonly referred to as the Central Business District. It is the city's financial district and like many other large cities, has a mix skyscrapers and high rise hotels. At the edge is the Superdome, the largest fixed domed stadium and one of the largest sports venues in the world. . Excellent restaurants, along with many museums (the National D-Day Museum, the Louisiana Children's Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Contemporary Arts Center) and a gallery district located on Julia Street are also found here. This area includes the Warehouse District also known as the Art's District.Downriver (Marigny, Bywater, 7th, 8th, and Upper 9th Wards, Lower 9th Ward)Old neighborhoods "Downriver" from the French Quarter. The Marigny's Frenchmen Street is the leading authentic music district. Marigny and neighboring Bywater have a hip Bohemian vibe. Some is starting to spread into the "back of town downtown" 7th 8th and Upper 9th Wards, much of which is still struggling post-Katrina but contains quirky attractions like the St. Roch Cemetery. The Lower 9th, notorious as one of the worst hit in Hurricane Katrina, also has some unexpected historic sites.Uptown (Uptown, Audubon & University District, Carrollton)19th century residential neighborhoods upriver from the CBD, famous for beautiful historic architecture including the Garden District. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar runs through here. The Uptown sections contain some of the City's best local restaurants. Magazine Street hosts some 80 blocks of antique stores, art galleries, interior designer studios, and clothing stores ranging from funky thrift shops to upscale boutiques. Popular Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo, Tulane and Loyola Universities, and the Riverbend and Old Carrollton section at the far end of the streetcar line.Middle (Mid-City and Esplanade Ridge, Tremé, Central City)Central part of town, with historic attractions and many great restaurants more known to locals than visitors. Mid-City is home to City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Botanical Garden, and beautiful historic cemeteries; New Orleans Fair Grounds (a racetrack that hosts the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival every spring) is in old Espalande Ridge. Tremé is an Historic Franco-African (Creole) neighborhood inland from the French Quarter. Central City is another historic mostly Black neighborhood, at present more troubled.Lakeside (Lakeview and Lakeshore, Gentilly, Eastern New Orleans)Northern parts of the city around Lake Pontchartrain. Mostly newer parts of town generally unknown to visitors, but includes restaurants (including the popular cluster of eateries along Harrison Avenue in Lakeview), historic forts, impressive Art Deco and other 20th century architecture, and a smattering of other attractions. A series of pretty parks line the edge of the lake in the neighborhoods west of the Industrial Canal. Eastern New Orleans covers a large area, including the Little Vietnam neighborhood, historic Lakefront Airport and Fort Pike.AlgiersThe part of New Orleans across the Mississippi River. Includes historic old Algiers Point neighborhood; the ferry ride across the Mississippi alone is worth the trip.Nearby communities and suburbs:[edit]Jefferson Parish, includes Kenner, the location of the New Orleans International Airport, and Metairie, the largest suburb; many hotels and conventions are based here.Saint Bernard Parish: Down river from New Orleans, includes the town of Chalmette where the "Battle of New Orleans" took place in 1815.St. Tammany Parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain; includes Slidell, Covington, Mandeville and Abita SpringsPlaquemines Parish on both sides of the Mississippi south to the Gulf.Destrehan: contains Destrehan Plantation [17], one of the South's best-preserved antebellum homes.LaPlace: A fast-growing town upriver from New OrleansUnderstand[edit]Overview[edit]Bourbon Street, French Quarter at nightNew Orleans is known for a host of attributes like its famous Creole food, abundant alcohol, music of many styles, nearby swamps and plantations, 18th & 19th century architecture, antiques, gay pride, streetcars, museums. Nicknamed the Big Easy, New Orleans has long had a reputation as an adult oriented city. However, the city also offers many attractions for families with children and those interested in culture and the arts. It is a city with a majority Roman Catholic population owing to its European origins.Famous festivals like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest bring in tourists by the millions, and are the two times of the year when one needs to be sure to book well in advance to be sure of a room. The city also hosts numerous smaller festivals and gatherings like the French Quarter Festival, Creole Tomato Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, the Essence Festival hosted by the magazine, Halloween parading and costume balls, Saint Patrick's Day and Saint Joseph's Day parading, Southern Decadence, and so many more. The city takes almost any occasion for an excuse for a parade, a party, and live music, and in New Orleans most events often have a touch of Mardi Gras year round. Like they say, New Orleanians are either planning a party, enjoying one or recovering from one. Party down!History[edit]Jackson Square is the historic heart of the French QuarterIn the late 1600s, French trappers and traders began settling in what is now New Orleans, along a Native American trade route between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain via Bayou St. John. In 1718 the city was officially founded as "Nouvelle-Orléans" by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, Governor of the French colony of Louisiana, with the intent to build it into a provincial capital city. The early French city grew within the grid of what is now the French Quarter. Louisiana was transfered to Spanish rule in the 1760s, but much of the population retained French language and culture. After briefly returning to French rule, Louisiana was purchased by the United States in 1803. At first the new "American" settlers mostly built their homes and shops upriver from the older French parts of the city, across wide "Canal Street" (named for a planned canal that was never built). Canal Street was the dividing line between the Anglophone and Francophone sections; the street's wide median became a popular meeting place called "the neutral ground" -- and "neutral ground" became the common phrase for the median of any street, still in use in the New Orleans dialect today.A British attempt to seize the city in 1815 was repelled downriver from the city in Chalmette by local forces led by Andrew Jackson, whose equestrian statue can be seen in the square named after him in the center of the old Quarter.Early New Orleans was already a rich melting pot of peoples and cultures. French Spanish African and Anglos were joined by immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and the Caribbean. While a center of the slave trade before the American Civil War, New Orleans also had the USA's largest population of free people of color. The city grew rapidly as a major trade center on the mighty Mississippi River. In the American Civil War of the 1860s, New Orleans fell to the Union early in the conflict without battle within the city, sparing the city's rich historic architecture from the destruction suffered by much of the American South.At the start of the 20th century, the then largely neglected old French Quarter started gaining new appreciation among artists and bohemians for its architecture and ambiance. Around the same time, a new musical style developed in the city; the music developed and swept around the world under the name of "jazz".Although far from the big battlefronts, New Orleans is proud of its contributions to the Allied victory over Fascism in World War II, especially the development and construction of landing craft such as "Higgins Boats" which made rapid landing masses of troops on hostile beaches possible. This legacy is why America's National World War II Museum is located in the city.Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath[edit]In August 2005 New Orleans and the surrounding area was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Much worse than the hurricane was the failure of the federally designed levee system; in what has been called "the worst civil engineering disaster in U.S. history," some 80% of the city flooded.New Orleans was not destroyed, but the flood was a severe blow, perhaps the worst disaster to hit a U.S. city since the great San Francisco earthquake 99 years earlier. Nearly 10 years later, many visitors might notice little or no sign that anything bad happened. For locals however, in many parts of town rebuilding is still an ongoing process. The French Quarter and other oldest parts of town most popular with visitors were built on comparative high ground, and were less damaged and have been more quickly restored. However, not everything is back to normal in the city; scenes of devastation can be still seen in many neighborhoods. More than two-thirds of the city's pre-Katrina population is back living in the city; most of them have a fierce love of their city and have faced many hardships in their continuing efforts to rebuild it bit by bit.The city's public services - especially police - have struggled to return to their full strength, and are dealing with a city where decades of neighborhood stability have been disrupted. The city overall has experienced an increase in crime as a result. (See "Stay safe" below.)While some visitors decide to confine their trip to the more fully intact parts of the city or just visit the worse hit areas as part of a half-day "disaster tour", for others the historic events of Katrina and its aftermath are the focus of their visit.Volunteer projects such as “New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity”[18] which builds new houses has attracted volunteers doing good work. Organizations such as Levees.Org[19] are vigilant in encouraging further investigation into the flooding and hurricane protection issues surrounding New Orleans, and visitors to the city are encouraged to tour ravaged areas and help keep alive the attention needed to restore New Orleans to its original grandeur.Check New Orleans's 7 day forecast at NOAAA local joke has it that New Orleans really does have four seasons: Summer, Hurricane, Christmas, and Mardi Gras. Summer is certainly the longest; for about half the year, from about late April to the start of October, the days are usually hot, or raining, or hot and raining. Winters are generally short and mild, but subject to occasional cold snaps that may surprise visitors who mistakenly think the city has a year round tropical climate. The high humidity can make the cold snaps feel quite penetrating. Snow is so rare that the occasional light dusting of flakes will make most locals stop what they are doing to stare; they'll excitedly show the phenomenon to local children too young to remember the last time snow visited the city. If you happen to be visiting town during a rare freezing event, be forewarned that most locals have no idea how to drive on iced or snowy roads.The Atlantic hurricane season (which includes all of the Gulf of Mexico) is June 1 through November 30. The most active month is September.Between October and April the temperatures are more comfortable. Although heat and humidity can be intense in the summer, a rewarding visit can be made even during this season: start your day early, and do your outdoor sightseeing in the morning. The lush local flora can display a wealth of colorful flowers. In the afternoon, retreat to air-conditioning by visiting a museum, having lunch at a cafe or restaurant, or take a siesta at your hotel. Come back outside when the sun gets low. After dark the night shift of flora comes on duty; especially in older neighborhoods such as Esplanade Ridge, Carrollton, the Garden District, etc with an abundance of night-blooming jasmine, the sweet deliciously scented air can be almost intoxicating.Creoles, Cajuns, and New Orleanians[edit]Despite what many visitors expect, the population, food, music, and traditions of New Orleans are not predominately Cajun. The Acadian or Cajun (from 'Cadien, pronounced kay-juhn) people developed their rich culture to the west of the city, in the Acadiana section of Louisiana. While there are some good places for Cajun food and music in the city—some are branches of famous Southwest Louisiana Cajun places that opened up locations here—understand that Cajun food and culture are a recent import that has no roots in New Orleans. Unfortunately a number of businesses in the most tourist heavy parts of town decided to profit by selling visitors what they thought they wanted, slapping the term "Cajun" on dishes and products with little to do with Acadiana.The oldest aspects of New Orleans culture are Creole, which designate the people that were already here before the city became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. French, Spanish, and African are the primary ethnic and cultural groups in old Creole culture, with additional input from Native Americans and early German immigrants (who became much more numerous later in the 19th century).Since the Louisiana Purchase, other major immigrant groups and influences on local cuisine and culture have included Italian (mostly Southern and Sicilian), Irish, German, Caribbean and Central American. Hondurans are traditionally the largest Hispanic group in the metro area, but after Katrina, there is now an influx of Latinos, mostly hailing from Central America and Mexico that have decided to stay after helping in the construction boom in the aftermath of Katrina. Smaller populations of Cubans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans are also sparsely located throughout the area. In the late 20th century a sizable Vietnamese community was added to the New Orleans gumbo. They can be found in greatest concentrations in New Orleans East and portions of the Westbank suburbs (Marrero, Harvey, & Gretna).Get in[edit]By air[edit]Louis Armstrong International Airport (IATA: MSY, ICAO: KMSY) [5] is the city's largest and primary airport. It located in the suburb of Kenner. Following a dip in service after Hurricane Katrina, the airport has since continued to rebound, hosting 10 million passengers in 2012. It is currently the 6th busiest airport in the southeast. Louis Armstrong International serves 37 destinations throughout North America along with international flights. It is one of only four cities given permission to fly to and from the country of Cuba. Additional flights are continuously being added and the airport in currently preparing for one its largest expansions by building a new terminal. European vacation packages are available from the UK on several British airlines who offer charter/cruise services nonstop to the Crescent City.Airlines with regularly scheduled service to New Orleans:Air Canada (Toronto)Air Transat (Montreal)Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma)Allegiant Air (Orlando/Sanford)American Airlines (Charlotte, Chicago-O'Hare, Miami, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Philadelphia, Washington-National)British Airways (London Heathrow)Copa Airlines (Panama City)Delta (Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City)Frontier Airlines (Atlanta, Denver)Jet Blue (Boston, New York-JFK)Southwest (Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Dallas-Love, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston-Hobby, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa, Washington-National)Spirit Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston-Bush)United (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Newark, San Francisco, Washington-Dulles)To get into town a taxi ($36 for one or two people, $14 per person for three or more) is quickest; that's the flat fee from the airport to any spot in the French Quarter or Central Business District. Limo service is also available for rates starting at $35, and the airport shuttle [20] is $24 ($44 return). See the airport website [21] for other options.A cheap way to get to town is the Jefferson Transit Airport Express route E2-Airport [22], which is only $2 (But be warned: The bus has no luggage racks and sometimes the driver won't leave until the aisle is free of luggage). On weekdays, the bus runs straight down Airline Highway (US 61) to "Tulane at Loyola" in the New Orleans Central Business District; the trip takes 45 minutes. (From this intersection, you can take the Loyola-UPT Streetcar down to the French Quarter. Or simply walk toward the river, deeper into the central business district, and take a left, crossing Canal Street and into the French Quarter.). On weekends the bus terminates at "Airline at S Carrollton" which is far from downtown. From there you can walk 7 blocks northeast until Canal St. from where you can take a streetcar.The Airport bus stop is on the second level of the airport, outside door #7 near the Delta counter on the west end of the terminal, in the median (look for the sign and bench); the stop is a fair walk from the east end baggage pickup, and you'll probably have to ask at an information desk to find it.Many major hotels have shuttle buses from the airport. Even if you're not staying at one of those hotels, the shuttles can often be a value for those getting in to town if their destination is near one of the hotels.In April of 2015, Uber was introduced to Orleans Parish. It is a great and affordable way to get around town. There is a dedicated area where you can catch an Uber (or Lyft) from the airport - exit the airport opposite Baggage Claim number 8 and follow the signs across the pedestrian walkways.New Orleans Lakefront Airport (IATA: NEW[2], ICAO: KNEW, FAA LID: NEW) is a primarily charter and private airport, however commercial flights are available to destinations within the Gulf South Region.By car[edit]The primary artery into and out of the city is Interstate 10, which travels east to west. Principal north and south bound arteries are Interstates 49, 55, and 59.By train[edit]Greyhound [23] and Amtrak [24] service the Union Passenger Terminal, an intermodal facility located at 1001 Loyola Avenue in the Central Business District. It is within walking distance of the Super Dome and Champions Square.Three Amtrak routes pass through New Orleans: City of New Orleans, Crescent, and Sunset Limited.The new Loyola Avenue Streetcar line links the Union Passenger Terminal with Canal Street.By bus[edit]Low cost bus tickets, ☎ 1-877-462-6342, [1]. Express bus service to/from Atlanta, Houston, San Antonio, Memphis, Mobile, Montgomery, Tallahassee, and Orlando. Double Deck Coaches with WiFi, Restrooms, Power Outlets and seats starting at $1. editGet around[edit]Bourbon StreetIf you are visiting the French Quarter, casinos, or just the Central Business District, a car may be more of a burden than an asset. Most hotel parking is valet/remote/expensive/difficult at best. New Orleans is ready for visitors, and the rapid transit, streetcars and buses are plentiful 24/7. Walking is fun and healthy during daylight and early evening. After midnight, you may want to call a taxi, but likely it will be a short trip at reasonable cost. For a great way to see the city, try renting a bike from one of the several bike rental companies in the French Quarter or Marigny.With a car[edit]Be alert that the streets of much of the city were laid out before the automobile, especially in the older parts of town of most interest to visitors. There are many one way streets, and in some neighborhoods two-way side streets may be so narrow that cars going one way may need to pull to the side to let vehicles going the other way pass when someone has parked on the street.Due to consolidation of the underlying soils, potholes are common and road conditions are often poor for a developed country.Street signage is sometimes unclear or missing, and some signage lost in Katrina not yet replaced, although the situation has been improving significantly. Louisiana is one of only a small handful of states that require you to completely clear the intersection before the traffic signal turns red (without speeding). Always stop at yellow lights if it's safe to do so.Parking is often hard to find around many areas of interest to tourists, but there are generally pay lots in the area. Hotel parking can cost over $30/night downtown and in the French Quarter.Those who don't know how to parallel park may wish to just leave their car in a pay lot when visiting much of the city.Without a car[edit]New Orleans streetcar network (interactive version)Those staying in or near the French Quarter can easily get around by foot, with optional occasional trips by streetcar, bus, or cab if they wish to visit other parts of town. Bicycle rentals are available on Bienville and on Decatur Streets in the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street in the Marigny among other places.The Riverfront, Canal Street and St. Charles streetcars travel to or near many of the sites listed here. In 2013 a spur streetcar line opened on Loyola Avenue, linking Canal Street to the main branch public library and Union Terminal. Fares for buses or streetcars are $1.25, 25¢ extra for a transfer (good only on another line but not a return trip on the same line). Express buses are $1.50. Day passes are available for $3. Have exact change ready; operators do not provide change.Public transit is by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority ("RTA") [25].Note on Mardi Gras: During Mardi Gras in February or March (check calendar since it changes but the final day known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday), transportation of any sort will be a challenge. If you decide to get your own car, parking will be exorbitant (as high as $10 per hour) in the French Quarter and the City Area. Should you try to get a taxi, chances are you will have to call more than one company, and several times each, before you get a booking. After that, you will probably have to wait an average of 45 minutes to one hour. If you wish to travel from across town during Mardi Gras, is strongly recommended that you do get a car and park close to the streetcars or just outside the city area.Knowing which way is up[edit]The older neighborhoods of the city, (which comprise nearly 45% of the city), were laid out along the banks of the Mississippi River. Except for the grid of the French Quarter, streets were laid out either following the river's curves or perpendicular to them, not according to compass directions or a grid.For this reason, locals in these parts of town often don't give directions according to "north, south, east, and west". The four directions, instead, are "up" (or "up river" or "up town"), "down" (or "down river" or "down town"), "river" (or "towards the river" or sometimes "in"), and "lake" (or "towards the lake" or "back" or sometimes "out"). Don't be daunted, this makes sense when you take a moment to understand it.Look at a map of the city. If, for example, you are taking the streetcar that runs along Saint Charles Avenue from the French Quarter to Carrollton, you see that the route starts off going south, then over some miles gradually turns west, and winds up running northwest. This is because Saint Charles reflects a bend in the river. From the local perspective, the entire route goes one way: up (or on the return trip from Carrollton to the Quarter, down).Know that Canal Street is the up river boundary of the French Quarter. (Keep going further "up" away from the Quarter and you'll be in "Uptown".)Some streets are labeled "North" and "South", this reflects which side of Canal Street they are on (despite the fact that Canal Street runs from southeast to northwest). The part of Rampart Street on the French Quarter side is North Rampart Street; the part on the Central Business District side is South Rampart. Also, a good map of the entire city is a must, as people from out of town may have to learn to simply match letters on signs to letters on the map. You see, most street names are French and Creole in origin and may be hard to pronounce. For instance, try to pronounce these example street names : Urquhart, Rocheblave, Dorgenois, Terpsichore, Tchoupitoulas, Burthe, Freret. (For the record, locals say "Urk-heart, Roach-a-blave, Der-gen-wa, Terp-sic-cor, Chop-a-two-lis, B'youth, Fa-ret.") Now you understand.Many major New Orleans streets are divided, with a "neutral ground" (median) running down the middle. For this reason, the traffic lights have no dedicated cycle for a protected left turn. On streets with a wide neutral ground, there is a solution. Imagine turning from an avenue to a street; the solution is to turn left on green, queue in the stretch of the street between the two halves of the avenue, then proceed once the traffic light on the street has turned green. On streets with a narrow neutral ground, there is not enough room for cars to queue. In these situations, left turns are often prohibited; the solution is to go straight, take the next U-turn, then take a right turn when you arrive back at the intersection. Streets such as Tulane Avenue famously have "No Left Turn" signs posted for miles. In these situations, the adage "three rights make a left" comes in handy.