Where to stay · New Orleans · United States
Where to stay in New Orleans
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 4.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in French Quarter. Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars. Best alternatives — families: Garden District; budget: Faubourg Marigny.
Key facts
- First visit
- French Quarter
- Families
- Garden District
- Budget
- Faubourg Marigny
- Nightlife
- French Quarter
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | French Quarter | Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars |
| Families | Garden District | Antebellum mansions, live oaks and Commander's Palace |
| Couples | French Quarter | Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars |
| Budget | Faubourg Marigny | Painted Creole cottages and the live-music clubs of Frenchmen Street |
| Nightlife | French Quarter | Cast-iron balconies, Jackson Square, Royal Street galleries and Bourbon Street's bars |
| Food lovers | Bywater | Colourful shotgun houses, murals and riverside Crescent Park |
| Solo travellers | Faubourg Marigny | Painted Creole cottages and the live-music clubs of Frenchmen Street |
| Shopping | Uptown and Magazine Street | Boutiques, universities, Audubon Park and Tipitina's |
| Quiet stays | Garden District | Antebellum mansions, live oaks and Commander's Palace |
New Orleans neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, couples and culture
French Quarter
The original city, laid out by the French in 1718, is a grid of about 80 blocks along the Mississippi. Most of its buildings date from the Spanish period after the fires of 1788 and 1794, hence the courtyards and cast-iron galleries. Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral sit at its centre, Royal Street holds antique shops and galleries, and Bourbon Street's bars run all night. Frenchmen Street and the Warehouse District are both a short walk away.
- Good
- Walk to most sights and music venues; Historic hotels with courtyards; Lively at any hour
- Watch out
- Noisy near Bourbon Street; Rates soar during Mardi Gras and festivals; Parking is scarce and expensive
- Nearby
- Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, French Market
$$ · Best for nightlife, solo travellers and budget
Faubourg Marigny
Just downriver from the French Quarter across Esplanade Avenue, the Marigny is a neighbourhood of brightly painted Creole cottages and shotgun houses. Its three blocks of Frenchmen Street hold the city's best concentration of live-music clubs, including the Spotted Cat, d.b.a. and Snug Harbor, plus the Frenchmen Art Market in the evenings. Guesthouses and B&Bs outnumber hotels.
- Good
- Walk home from the best music clubs; Characterful guesthouses; More local than the Quarter
- Watch out
- Few full-service hotels; Quiet side streets late at night
- Nearby
- Frenchmen Street, Washington Square Park, Crescent Park, French Quarter
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Bywater
Further downriver, Bywater has some of the city's most colourful shotgun houses, street murals and an artistic, local crowd. Crescent Park runs along the river from here towards the Marigny, and the backyard wine bar Bacchanal is a local favourite for live music under the trees. Accommodation is mostly in guesthouses and short-term rentals.
- Good
- Creative, neighbourhood feel; Good casual restaurants and bars; Riverside park
- Watch out
- A long walk or ride from the French Quarter; Limited hotel options
- Nearby
- Crescent Park, Bacchanal, St. Claude Avenue, Faubourg Marigny
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and families
Garden District
Laid out in the 19th century for wealthy Americans who settled upriver of the Creole French Quarter, the Garden District is lined with Greek Revival and Italianate mansions in gardens shaded by live oaks. Commander's Palace is a landmark of Creole fine dining, Magazine Street's shops run along its southern edge, and the St. Charles streetcar reaches Canal Street in about 20 minutes.
- Good
- Beautiful, quiet streets; Streetcar on the doorstep; Good restaurants on Magazine Street
- Watch out
- Few hotels, mostly B&Bs; A ride from the French Quarter's nightlife
- Nearby
- St. Charles Avenue, Magazine Street, Commander's Palace, Lafayette Square
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and culture
Warehouse District and CBD
Between Canal Street and the Pontchartrain Expressway, the former cotton and coffee warehouses of the Warehouse District now hold the National WWII Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, galleries on Julia Street and many of the city's large hotels. It is a 10–15-minute walk to the French Quarter, with the Convention Center and the Caesars Superdome nearby.
- Good
- Wide choice of hotels with pools; Walkable to the Quarter but quieter; Museums on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Busy during big conventions; Fewer historic buildings than the Quarter
- Nearby
- National WWII Museum, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Julia Street, Convention Center
$$ · Best for culture and food lovers
Tremé
Just across Rampart Street from the French Quarter, Tremé is often called the oldest African American neighbourhood in the US. Congo Square, in Louis Armstrong Park, is where enslaved and free people of colour gathered on Sundays to drum and dance, and the area's brass bands, social aid and pleasure clubs and second-line parades keep that tradition alive. Dooky Chase's Restaurant, made famous by chef Leah Chase, is on Orleans Avenue.
- Good
- Deep music and cultural history; Walkable to the Quarter; Home of second-line traditions
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Some blocks feel deserted at night
- Nearby
- Congo Square, Louis Armstrong Park, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Dooky Chase's
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and shopping
Uptown and Magazine Street
Uptown stretches along St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street past Tulane and Loyola universities to Audubon Park and the zoo. Magazine Street's 9-km run of boutiques, cafés and restaurants is the city's best shopping street, while Oak Street and Tipitina's give the area its own music scene. It is leafy, residential and calm.
- Good
- Local, residential feel; Excellent shopping and dining; Close to the zoo and park
- Watch out
- Far from the French Quarter; Mostly guesthouses and rentals
- Nearby
- Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Magazine Street, Tipitina's
$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and budget
Mid-City
Following the Canal streetcar line inland, Mid-City has City Park with its giant live oaks and the New Orleans Museum of Art, Bayou St. John for kayaking and waterside walks, and neighbourhood restaurants such as Parkway Bakery & Tavern's po'boy counter. It is residential and good value, about 20–30 minutes from the French Quarter by streetcar.
- Good
- Big green spaces; Local restaurants and bars; Lower prices than downtown
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Reliant on the streetcar or taxis
- Nearby
- City Park, New Orleans Museum of Art, Bayou St. John, Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| French Quarter | $$$ | Jackson Square, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, French Market |
| Faubourg Marigny | $$ | Frenchmen Street, Washington Square Park, Crescent Park, French Quarter |
| Bywater | $$ | Crescent Park, Bacchanal, St. Claude Avenue, Faubourg Marigny |
| Garden District | $$$ | St. Charles Avenue, Magazine Street, Commander's Palace, Lafayette Square |
| Warehouse District and CBD | $$$ | National WWII Museum, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Julia Street, Convention Center |
| Tremé | $$ | Congo Square, Louis Armstrong Park, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Dooky Chase's |
| Uptown and Magazine Street | $$ | Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Magazine Street, Tipitina's |
| Mid-City | $$ | City Park, New Orleans Museum of Art, Bayou St. John, Parkway Bakery & Tavern |
Getting to your hotel
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is about 25 km west of the French Quarter. Taxis charge a set fare to the central area and take about 25–35 minutes; ride-hailing and shared shuttles are also available, and a public Airport Express bus runs to downtown.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in New Orleans for first-time visitors?
French Quarter. The original city, laid out by the French in 1718, is a grid of about 80 blocks along the Mississippi.
+Where should families stay in New Orleans?
Garden District: Beautiful, quiet streets.
+Which area of New Orleans is best for a budget stay?
Faubourg Marigny ($$): Painted Creole cottages and the live-music clubs of Frenchmen Street.