New Orleans, Louisiana
The city that stayed below sea level and above the rest
New Orleans is the least American city in America — French and Spanish by design, African and Caribbean by soul, and organised entirely around music, food and the calendar of parades. It is also a city that lives with water, and knows it.
The French founded it in 1718 on the one patch of high ground in a bend of the Mississippi, which is why the French Quarter is where it is and why it did not flood in 2005 when much of the rest of the city did. Spain ran it for forty years, which is why the Quarter's architecture — the courtyards, the ironwork, the stucco — is more Spanish than French. Napoleon sold it to the United States in 1803, and the Americans built their own city upriver, in the Garden District, with a wide avenue between them that is still called Canal Street after a canal that was never dug.
Everything that makes the place distinct came from the mixing. Enslaved and free people of colour, Creoles of French and Spanish descent, Acadians pushed down from Canada, Caribbean refugees, Irish and Italian immigrants — and out of it, around 1900, jazz. The music is not a heritage act here. It is a Tuesday. It is on Frenchmen Street every night, in the second-line parades that snake through the neighbourhoods on Sunday afternoons, at Preservation Hall, and in the brass bands that turn up at funerals and street corners because that is what they are for.
The calendar organises the year more than the seasons do. Carnival builds for weeks to Mardi Gras in February or March, and it is a citywide, family, all-day affair — the drunk Bourbon Street version is a small and unrepresentative corner of it. Jazz Fest fills two weekends in late April and May. Between them the city eats: gumbo, jambalaya, red beans on Monday, crawfish in spring, po'boys any time, and beignets at Café du Monde at three in the morning because it never closes.
Living here is a bargain with the water and the heat. The summer is brutal and long, hurricane season runs June to November with a peak in late August and September, and the memory of Katrina is not a memory — it is in the rebuilt levees, the raised houses and the neighbourhoods that came back and the ones that did not. Housing is cheaper than most American cities, the porches and the neighbours are real, and the trade is a place that will make you feel more alive than anywhere else you have lived, at the price of watching the forecast.
Where People Live
French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The original city: Jackson Square, the cathedral, the courtyards and balconies. Bourbon Street is a small loud strip of it; Royal, Chartres and the lower Quarter are the beautiful part.
Marigny & Bywater
Downriver from the Quarter — Frenchmen Street's music clubs, then the pastel shotgun houses and the artists' Bywater with Crescent Park along the levee. Where the city's creative life lives.
Garden District & Uptown
The American city along St Charles Avenue: antebellum mansions under live oaks, the streetcar, Magazine Street's shops and restaurants, and Audubon Park and the universities at the far end.
Tremé
Just north of the Quarter, the oldest Black neighbourhood in America — Congo Square, the brass-band tradition, the backstreet cultural museum. The music's deep root.
Mid-City & Bayou St John
Inland along the bayou: City Park, the art museum, Canal Street's neighbourhood end, and the Jazz Fest fairgrounds. Residential, green and where many locals actually live.
Algiers Point
Across the river by free ferry — a quiet historic village with the best view of the downtown skyline and a proper neighbourhood bar.
Major sights
French Quarter (Vieux Carré)
The oldest neighbourhood — courtyards, balconies and Jackson Square. Walk it in the morning; Bourbon Street is a late-night circus, the rest is genuinely lovely.
Frenchmen Street
Where locals go for live music — a two-block run of jazz and brass clubs in the Marigny, just past the Quarter. Better than Bourbon by a mile.
Garden District & St Charles streetcar
Antebellum mansions and live oaks, best reached by riding the 1835 St Charles streetcar out from downtown. Lafayette Cemetery nearby.
Café du Monde
Beignets and chicory café au lait, open around the clock by the river since 1862. Touristy, essential, cash for the tip jar.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
The famous above-ground 'cities of the dead' tombs — required on a guided tour now, which is the responsible way to see them.
Mississippi riverfront
The Moonwalk promenade, a paddlewheeler cruise, and the Crescent City Connection view. The reason the city is here at all.
When it rains, or in the summer heat
The National WWII Museum
Consistently rated among the best museums in the country — immersive, moving and enormous. The obvious all-day rainy anchor.
New Orleans Museum of Art & Sculpture Garden
A strong collection in City Park, with a free sculpture garden among the oaks and lagoons.
A neighbourhood music club
Preservation Hall for trad jazz (cash, early queue) or a dim Frenchmen room — the indoor default any night the weather turns.
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
The history of the region's cooking and cocktails, fittingly with a bar attached.
Restaurants & places to go
Fat Harry's
NOLA bars, bar and grills, bar & grills · 4330 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115 · fatharrysnola.com
Barcadia New Orleans
601 Tchoupitoulas St., Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70130 · barcadianeworleans.com
Café du Monde
beignets, funnel cakes, creperies · . Established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. · shop.cafedumonde.com
Melba's Famous PoBoys
jumbo shrimp seafood restaurants, Po Boys, PoBoys · <p class="ProfileHeaderCard-bio u-dir" dir="ltr">Melba’s Old School Po Boys serves the best po’ boys… · melbas.com
Tropical Isle
bars, nightclubs, hand grenades · tropicalisle.com
Metropolitan Nightclub
new orleans nightclubs
Airports
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) 8.9 mi to the centre
New Orleans, LA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 33 airlines (Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 39 destinations incl. New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 33 airlines, 39 direct destinations
- Southwest Airlines WN (737-700, 73C, 737-300, 735, 737-800) · 20 routes: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Kansas City, Key West, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa
- AirTran Airways FL (737-700, 73C, 737-300, 717, 735) · 17 routes: Atlanta, Austin*, Baltimore*, Chicago*, Dallas*, Denver*, Fort Lauderdale*, Houston*, Kansas City*, Key West*, Las Vegas*, Milwaukee*, Newark*, Orlando*, San Diego*, St. Louis*, Tampa*
- Delta Air Lines DL (A319, MD-88, ERJ, CRJ-900, A320, 757…) · 9 routes: Atlanta, Cincinnati*, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis*, Minneapolis*, New York*, New York, Salt Lake City
- United Airlines UA (A320, A319, 737-800, 737-900, ERJ, 737-700…) · 9 routes: Chicago, Cleveland*, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Toronto*, Washington
- American Airlines AA (Embraer 175, A319, Embraer 170, A320, 737-800, CRJ-900…) · 7 routes: Austin, Charlotte*, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia*, Washington*
- Air Canada AC (A320, A319, ERJ, 737-800, CRJ-700, 737-700…) · 6 routes: Chicago*, Denver*, Houston*, Newark*, Toronto*, Washington*
- US Airways US (A319, A320, 737-800, Embraer 175, MD-80, M83…) · 6 routes: Charlotte, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Miami*, Philadelphia, Washington
- Pinnacle Airlines 9E (CRJ-900, CRJ) · 5 routes: Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis, New York, New York
- Air France AF (CRJ-900, A319, 757, M90, MD-88, CRJ-700) · 4 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, Minneapolis*, New York*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (A319, MD-88, CRJ-900, 757, M90, CRJ-700) · 4 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, Los Angeles*, New York*
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A320, 737-800, ERJ, A319, CRJ-700, Embraer 190) · 4 routes: Houston*, New York*, Newark*, Washington*
- Alaska Airlines AS (A319, A320, 757, M90, MD-88) · 3 routes: Atlanta*, Los Angeles*, Salt Lake City*
- British Airways BA (737-800, Embraer 175, MD-80, M83) · 3 routes: Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Miami*
- Virgin Atlantic Airways VS (MD-88, CRJ-900, A319, 757, M90, CRJ-700) · 3 routes: Atlanta*, Detroit*, New York*
- Alitalia AZ (M90, CRJ-900) · 2 routes: Atlanta*, New York*
- JetBlue Airways B6 (Embraer 190, A320) · 2 routes: Boston, New York
- Qantas QF (Embraer 175, MD-80, M83) · 2 routes: Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*
- WestJet WS (A319, 737-800, CRJ-900) · 2 routes: Miami*, New York*
- Aer Lingus EI (A320) · 1 route: Chicago*
- AeroMéxico AM (757, MD-88, M90) · 1 route: Atlanta*
- Air New Zealand NZ (737-800, 737-900) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- All Nippon Airways NH (CRJ-700) · 1 route: Chicago*
- Asiana Airlines OZ (737-800, 737-900) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- Cathay Pacific CX (M83, MD-80) · 1 route: Dallas-Fort Worth*
- China Airlines CI (A319) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
- Etihad Airways EY (A320, Embraer 190) · 1 route: New York*
- Frontier Airlines F9 (A319) · 1 route: Denver
- Iberia Airlines IB (737-800) · 1 route: Miami*
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (Embraer 190) · 1 route: New York*
- Qatar Airways QR (A320) · 1 route: New York*
- Spirit Airlines NK (A319) · 1 route: Dallas-Fort Worth
- Turkish Airlines TK (737-800, 737-700) · 1 route: Houston*
- Virgin Australia VA (A319) · 1 route: Los Angeles*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Lakefront Airport (NEW) 9.1 mi to the centre
New Orleans, LA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Southern Seaplane Airport (BCS) 8.3 mi to the centre
Belle Chasse, LA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Fisher's Field 12 mi to the centre
Chalmette, LA, US
Birdwin Airport 43 mi to the centre
Port Sulphur, LA, US
Getting there by ferry
Canal Street Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Julia Street Wharf
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre · Carnival
Erato Street Wharf
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Poydras Street Dock
Ferry terminal · 4 mi from the centre
Algiers Point Ferry Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4.3 mi from the centre · N.O. Regional Transit Authority
Chalmette Battlefield Dock
Ferry terminal · 8 mi from the centre
Algiers Point–Canal Street Ferry
Ferry route · New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Poydras Street - Chalmette Battlefield (Creole Queen)
Ferry route · New Orleans Paddlewheels, Inc.
Local transit
RTA
Streetcar, bus, ferry · The historic streetcars, buses and the Algiers ferry. · Fares: Le Pass app or Jazzy Pass · Airport: Route 202 airport express bus
Trains & rail
Amtrak
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
Greyhound
Intercity coach
Jefferson Lines
Intercity coach
MegaBus
Intercity coach
Trailways
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Aero
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Clay Lacy Aviation
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.
Surf Air
Semi-private scheduled · Pilatus PC-12, King Air · Subscription and per-seat regional flights in California, Texas and Hawaii.
Airshare
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Phenom 300, Challenger 350 · Fractional and jet card programme centred on the US Midwest and East.
XO
Charter, shared flights · Light to large-cabin via partner fleet · Vista Global's on-demand charter and by-the-seat shared flights, app-based.
Tours & experiences
Witches Brew Tours
Food & Wine
City Sightseeing New Orleans
Bus Tour
New Orleans Ghost Adventures Tours
Cultural
Sightseeing Pass New Orleans
Sightseeing
Living Here
Getting about
- The historic streetcars — St Charles (running since 1835), Canal, Rampart and the Riverfront — are the charming way to cover ground; RTA buses fill in. A day pass covers both. The Quarter, Marigny and CBD are flat and walkable.
- Rideshare is easy and the sensible choice late at night. Cycling is pleasant on the flat but the roads are rough. A car is unnecessary in the core and a liability in the Quarter.
- Louis Armstrong International (MSY) is 30–45 minutes west by rideshare or the airport bus. Amtrak's City of New Orleans and Crescent lines and Greyhound use the Union Passenger Terminal downtown.
- The free Canal Street ferry to Algiers is the best two-dollar view in the city, and costs nothing.
Health
- University Medical Center and Ochsner Medical Center are the major hospitals; Children's Hospital New Orleans is the paediatric centre. Care is good; as everywhere in the US, bring insurance.
- Dial 911. Pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS) are everywhere and many are open 24 hours.
- Heat is the underrated hazard — hydrate, and take the summer afternoons indoors. Mosquitoes are real from spring to autumn.
Work & study
- Tulane and Loyola sit side by side Uptown; the University of New Orleans is on the lakefront; Xavier is the historically Black Catholic university. Students shape Uptown and Mid-City.
- The port is one of the largest in the country and, with oil and gas services, the industrial backbone. Tourism, hospitality and the film industry ('Hollywood South') are the other engines, and healthcare has grown around the medical district.
- Hospitality work is plentiful and seasonal; the city's minimum wage is low and tips matter.
Money & manners
- US dollars; cards everywhere but carry cash for street musicians, tip jars and the smaller bars. Tip 20% in restaurants and a dollar a drink at the bar.
- Drinking in the street is legal in the Quarter in a plastic 'go-cup' — the only major US city where it is. Music venues often have a one-drink minimum rather than a cover.
- 'Where y'at?' is a greeting, not a question. Say hello to people on the street; it is expected. The Saints are the city's religion, and the Superdome its cathedral.