Where to Stay in New Orleans to Walk Everywhere

Stay anywhere between Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue and you can leave the car behind for the entire trip. Royal Street has the antique shops and the quieter restaurants. Bourbon Street is two blocks north and gets loud after dark, so book on Chartres or Dauphine if you want to sleep. Jackson Square, Cafe du Monde, and the French Market are all within five blocks of each other. The Quarter is flat, the sidewalks are uneven brick in spots, and most blocks have a bar, a praline shop, or a courtyard restaurant. You will not need a taxi unless you are heading uptown.

Best for

First-time visitors who want to walk out the door into the action

Walk times

Cafe du Monde 3 min
Frenchmen Street 8 min
Canal Street streetcar 5 min

Skip if: You are a light sleeper and book on Bourbon Street

Local tip: Stay on the lake side of Bourbon (Royal, Chartres, Dauphine) for quieter nights. The river side blocks fill with bachelor parties on weekends.

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$202per night

Faubourg Marigny

Frenchmen Street live music at your doorstep

Mid-range $140-$320/night

Marigny sits directly east of the French Quarter across Esplanade Avenue. Frenchmen Street between Decatur and Royal has seven live music venues in three blocks: Spotted Cat, d.b.a., Snug Harbor, and Blue Nile among them. Walk west and you are in the Quarter in under ten minutes. Walk east and you hit the Bywater coffee shops and Crescent Park along the river. The residential blocks on Burgundy and Dauphine are full of Creole cottages and shotgun houses painted teal and pink. Hotels here are smaller and quieter than the Quarter, and the morning streets are calm.

Best for

Music fans who want nightly shows without a cab ride home

Walk times

Frenchmen Street venues: 2 5 min
Jackson Square 12 min
Crescent Park entrance 8 min

Skip if: You want chain hotels with pools and gyms

Local tip: Skip the cover-charge spots on weekends. Spotted Cat has no cover and three sets a night, and d.b.a. usually only charges after 10pm.

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$157per night

Warehouse District

Museums, galleries, and modern hotels

Mid-range $160-$380/night

The Warehouse District runs from Poydras to the Pontchartrain Expressway, between St. Charles and the river. The National WWII Museum, Ogden Museum, and Contemporary Arts Center are all within four blocks of each other on Camp and Magazine. Julia Street has the gallery row, with First Saturday openings every month. Hotels here are converted warehouses and modern builds, so rooms tend to be larger than the Quarter. The St. Charles streetcar runs along the western edge and takes you uptown to Audubon Park in 30 minutes. Cochon and Peche are the dinner reservations to book first.

Best for

Travelers who want museumsmodern roomsand easy streetcar access

Walk times

WWII Museum 5 min
French Quarter (Canal Street) 10 min
St. Charles streetcar stop 3 min

Skip if: You want late-night bars within stumbling distance

Local tip: The streetcar at Lee Circle gets you to the Garden District mansions in 12 minutes for $1.25. Pay exact change or grab a Jazzy Pass at any Walgreens.

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$179per night

Lower Garden District

Magazine Street and the streetcar line

Mid-range $120-$280/night

The Lower Garden District sits between the Pontchartrain Expressway and Jackson Avenue, with Magazine Street as its spine. Magazine has six miles of independent shops, but the stretch from Felicity to Jackson is the densest with restaurants, bookstores, and clothing boutiques. The St. Charles streetcar runs one block over and connects you to the Quarter in 20 minutes or to Audubon Park in 25. Coliseum Square is the neighborhood park, surrounded by 1840s townhouses. Stein's Deli on Magazine has the lines worth standing in. Hotel options are smaller boutiques and converted mansions.

Best for

Repeat visitors who want neighborhood feel with streetcar access

Walk times

Magazine Street shopping: 1 3 min
St. Charles streetcar 5 min
French Quarter via streetcar 20 min

Skip if: You want to walk to Bourbon Street

Local tip: Take the streetcar uptown to Commander's Palace for the 25-cent martini lunch on weekdays. Three drinks max, and you still walk back to the hotel.

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$134per night