Walking New Orleans: 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Recreational Wonderlands

by Barri Bronston

Overview

Get to Know the Famous Louisiana City’s Vibrant and Historic Neighborhoods

From Lakeview and Mid-City to the Saenger Theatre and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Big Easy is one of the world’s most fascinating places to explore. Grab your walking shoes, and become an urban adventurer. Lifelong resident and acclaimed author Barri Bronston leads you on 33 unique walking tours in this comprehensive guidebook.

Visit the legendary restaurants, music clubs, parks, and museums—and go beyond the obvious—with self-guided tours through the incomparable Crescent City. Escape into nature at Audubon Park. Enjoy a walk at the Lafitte Greenway, the premier walkway from the French Quarter to City Park. Take in the refreshing views along the Lakefront. Marvel at the stunning and historic architecture of Old Metairie.

With this guide in hand, you’ll soak up the history, gossip, trivia, and more. The tours offer Barri’s tips on where to eat, drink, dance, and play. With humorous anecdotes, surprising stories, and fun facts to share with others, this guidebook has it all. Whether you’re looking for the lively flair of Magazine Street or a hip neighborhood like Faubourg Marigny, Walking New Orleans will get you there. Find a route that appeals to you, and walk New Orleans!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643590356
Publisher:	Wilderness Press
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Series:	Walking
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,064,397
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Barri Bronston is a lifelong New Orleanian who takes every opportunity to explore the city’s neighborhoods, museums, parks, restaurants, and watering holes. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and spent most of her career as a staff writer at The Times-Picayune, where she covered parenting, education, and other topics. She is currently assistant director of public relations at Tulane University.

Read an Excerpt

French Quarter: Where History Meets Fun

• BOUNDARIES: Iberville St., Bourbon St., St. Ann St., Decatur St.
• DISTANCE: 1.66 miles
• PARKING: Several garages and lots along N. Peters St.
• PUBLIC TRANSIT: Riverfront Streetcar, St. Charles Ave. Streetcar

To much of the outside world, the French Quarter is synonymous with Bourbon Street, that often sleazy yet strangely magical playground where you can let loose with a Hurricane or a Hand Grenade, go crazy for a pair of beads, or party so hard that when you wake up the next day, you just might wonder who you are and where you’ve been.

But the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré, as it’s known in French, is a hotbed of fascinating history, culinary artistry, and mesmerizing music. it’s the antiques shops of royal street, the artists of Jackson square, and the jazz musicians of Preservation Hall. it’s Friday lunch at Galatoire’s or late-night drinks at the Napoleon House.

The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, developed after the city’s founding in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Most of the historic buildings in the Quarter were built in the late 18th century, after two devastating fires destroyed most of the old French Colonial architecture. At the time, New Orleans was under Spanish rule, so much of what you’ll see—from wrought-iron balconies to common-wall brick houses—reflects that period.

Walk Description

Begin at North Peters and Iberville Streets. Walk four blocks down Iberville. In the fourth block, you’ll pass several classic eateries: 1 Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, 2 Acme Oyster House, 3 Bourbon House, and 4 Felix’s. At Acme and Felix’s you can take in the fine art of oyster shucking while enjoying an ice-cold beer. Dickie Brennan’s steakhouse and Bourbon House are both run by restaurateur Dickie Brennan, who, with other members of the Brennan family, owns some of the city’s top restaurants.

Turn right on Bourbon and brace yourself for the adult-themed playground that lies ahead. ironically, one of the city’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, the legendary 5 Galatoire’s, is among the first places you’ll pass. Galatoire’s dates back to 1905, when Jean Galatoire brought his culinary talents to New Orleans from the village of Pardies, France. Known for its French Creole cooking, Galatoire’s boasts such dishes as crabmeat Sardou, chicken Clemenceau, oysters Rockefeller, and shrimp rémoulade. Eating at Galatoire’s is the ultimate fine-dining experience, with tuxedoed waiters tending to your every need. If you’re a regular, you likely have your own waiter. Although reservations are taken for the second floor, waiting in line for the more festive first floor—especially on Fridays—is the way to have a true Galatoire’s experience.

Continue down Bourbon, where you’ll pass strip joints, T-shirt shops, daiquiri shops, and the like. At the end of the block at Bienville street is 6 Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House, which opened its doors in 1807. Legend has it that the pirate Jean Lafitte and Andrew Jackson met on the second floor to plan the victory of the Battle of New Orleans. Over the years, the tavern has hosted such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Mark Twain, and Liza Minnelli. Its interior features antique chandeliers and the jerseys of football legends hanging from the exposed cypress beams.

Just off the route on Bienville Street are two of the city’s most popular restaurants, 7 GW Fins and 8 Arnaud’s. Fins is known for serving fish from across the globe, and the menu changes daily based on available catch. Fins chef Tenney Flynn is so knowledgeable about seafood that he was referred to as “the fishmonger czar of the south” by the Wall Street Journal. Arnaud’s, which dates back to 1918, is a fine-dining French establishment that, in addition to its award-winning menu, has its own Mardi Gras museum. The Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum, named for the daughter of the original owner, Count Arnaud, features vintage photographs, memorabilia, and costumes that Wells and other family members wore as part of Mardi Gras royalty.

In the next block, the 9 Royal Sonesta Hotel is to the right. The Sonesta has long been one of the Crescent City’s finest hotels. It’s home to 10 Restaurant R’evolution, a joint venture of chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, who describe their fare as modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine. Also at the Sonesta is the 11 Jazz Playhouse, which showcases some of the city’s top jazz musicians. One of the most famous traditions associated with the Sonesta occurs every Mardi Gras, when those lucky enough to book balcony rooms arm themselves with beads to toss to the raucous revelers below. The celebrating begins the Friday before Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) with the annual “Greasing of the Poles,” a Sonesta-sponsored event in which celebrity greasers spread petroleum jelly on the hotel’s supporting poles to prevent partiers from climbing up to the balcony.

Over the next few blocks you’ll pass several more bars and lounges, among them Rick’s Cabaret, one of Bourbon Street’s fancier strip clubs; the 12 Famous Door, where pianist, singer, and actor Harry Connick Jr. played his first gig at 13 years old; and the 13 Chris Owens Club, a burlesque joint whose ageless namesake is a French Quarter nightlife legend.

The Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter, at 541 Bourbon, occupies the one-time site of the legendary French Opera House, which served as the center of the city’s social and cultural life, especially among the Creoles. The Opera House opened in 1859, and New Orleans quickly became known as “the Opera Capital of North America.” It remained that way until 1919, when a fire destroyed the building.

At the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse Streets is 14 Tropical Isle, known for a drink called the Hand Grenade, a melon-flavored concoction that, with its mixture of “liqueurs and other secret ingredients,” is billed as “New Orleans’s most powerful drink.” Farther down the block, to the left, is 15 Channing Tatum’s Saints and Sinners, the bordello-themed restaurant and bar that Tatum, a regular visitor to New Orleans, opened with a business partner in 2012.

From Toulouse, walk one block to St. Peter Street and turn right. On this block, you’ll pass two of the city’s most beloved landmarks: 16 Preservation Hall and 17 Pat O’Brien’s. Preservation Hall opened in 1961 to honor traditional New Orleans jazz. Nightly performances feature bands made up of such musicians as Gregg Stafford, Charlie Gabriel, and Wendell Brunious. All ages are welcome, so if you have children in tow, bring them along for this one-of-a-kind learning experience.

Pat O’Brien’s, or Pat O’s for short, is a playground within itself, an entertainment mecca since 1933, when, at the end of Prohibition, Pat O’Brien converted his speakeasy to a legal drinking establishment. Pat O’s features several bars, among them a patio bar and a piano bar, where dueling entertainers lead sing-alongs from two copper-topped baby grand pianos. The signature drink is the Hurricane, a rum-based libation served in a 26-ounce souvenir glass.

Walk one block to Royal Street and turn right. Royal is the antithesis of Bourbon: a ritzy shopping stretch lined with art galleries, jewelry stores, boutiques, and antiques shops, including 18 M.S. Rau Antiques, which opened its doors as a small shop in 1912 and is now a 40,000-square-foot gallery overflowing with paintings and sculpture dating back to the 16th century.

At 533 Royal, between St. Louis and Toulouse Streets, is the 19 Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research center dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. The museum’s holdings include more than 35,000 library items; more than 2 miles of documents and manuscripts; and about 350,000 photographs, prints, drawings, paintings, and other artifacts. The updated and interactive Louisiana History galleries comprises 13 galleries tracing Louisiana’s fascinating past.

Walk one block to 400 Royal. The stunning Beaux Arts structure to the left is the home of the 20 Louisiana Supreme Court. The state’s highest court moved into the building in 1910, where it remained for nearly 50 years. After the court moved to the more contemporary Central Business District, the building fell into disrepair, but it saw new life in 2004 when, after a major renovation, the supreme court returned to its Royal Street address.

Across the street is 21 Brennan’s, the old-line restaurant renowned for its sumptuous breakfasts, world-famous bananas Foster, and romantic courtyard. To the dismay of foodies everywhere, Brennan’s shut down in the summer of 2013 after its owners declared bankruptcy, but a cousin, New Orleans restaurateur Ralph Brennan, came to the rescue: he purchased the property at auction, bought back the Brennan’s name, and reopened the French Quarter institution in November 2014.

In the next block, at 334 Royal St., is the headquarters of the 22 New Orleans Police Department’s Eighth District. Erected in 1826 as the old Bank of Louisiana, the building served as Louisiana’s state capitol from 1868 to 1869, and later the Royal Street Auction Exchange and the Mortgage and Conveyance office. This block of Royal also contains lots of fun shops, including 23 Vintage 329, which specializes in autographed memorabilia, rare books, and other historical items.

If you need a break—or even if you don’t—stop in at the venerable Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St.), which boasts live entertainment and one of the most popular hotel bars in New Orleans. The 24 Carousel Bar & Lounge features a 25-seat revolving bar with a carousel top, antiqued mirrors, and hand-painted chairs. The lounge, with its circular glass chandeliers and expansive windows along Royal Street, is equally inviting.

Turn left on Iberville Street, walk one block to Chartres Street, and turn left. Like Royal, Chartres offers a lot in the way of shopping, but it also has much to offer in the way of eating. Over the last few years, Chartres has become something of a culinary corridor, with such restaurants as 25 Justine, 26 SoBou, 27 Kingfish, 28 Doris Metropolitan, 29 Sylvain, and 30 Tableau lining the five blocks between Iberville and St. Peter Streets.

Of course, you may just opt for the 31 Napoleon House (500 Chartres St.), which has been serving up its famous Pimm’s Cups and muffulettas since 1914. The Napoleon House—one of the best bars in America, according to Esquire magazine—is housed in a 200-year-old building that belonged to Nicolas Girod, mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815. Girod offered his residence to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1821 as a refuge during his exile; alas, Napoleon died before he could make it to New Orleans.

A few doors down from the Napoleon House is the 32 Pharmacy Museum (514 Chartres St.), the one-time apothecary shop of Louis Joseph Dufilho Jr., who in the early 19th century became America’s first licensed pharmacist. On display are old patent medicines, books, and pharmaceutical equipment dating back as far as the early 1800s, as well as surgical instruments used in the Civil War. Other exhibits include a re-created 19th-century physician’s study and a spectacle collection illustrating the historical development of eyewear and other antique vision aids from around the world.

Continue walking to the corner of Chartres and St. Peter streets. To your left is 33 Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, one of the oldest community theaters in the country. originally organized in 1916 as the New Orleans Chapter of the Drama League of America, the company began performing in this space in 1922. The theater has undergone numerous renovations, including the addition of tableau, a Dickie Brennan restaurant specializing in Louisiana Creole fare.

Continue walking on Chartres straight into Jackson Square, the highlight of which is the triple-spired 34 St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North America and easily the city’s most recognizable landmark. The church features a Rococo-style gilded altar along with magnificent stained glass windows and paintings. In the rear of the cathedral is the St. Anthony Garden, where a statue of Jesus stands with arms upraised. Stop in for Mass or a tour; the cathedral is open daily after the 7:30 a.m. Mass until 4 p.m., and self-guided tours are available for a $1 donation.

The cathedral is flanked by the 35 Cabildo and the 36 Presbytère, two of several museums under the Louisiana State Museum umbrella. Facing the cathedral, the Cabildo is to your left. Built in the late 18th century, the Cabildo served as the seat of government in New Orleans during the Spanish Colonial period and is where the Louisiana Purchase—which nearly doubled the size of the United States—was signed in 1803. To your right is the Presbytère, a one-time courthouse that now houses an exquisite collection of Mardi Gras artifacts and memorabilia. through an interactive exhibit titled Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana, visitors can learn the history of Mardi Gras, from its 19th-century beginnings to the modern-day celebration that attracts millions of tourists every year.

Though not on the walk, 37 Faulkner House Books (624 Pirate’s Alley), once the home of legendary writer William Faulkner, is worth a stop. Stroll down Pirate’s Alley, between the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral, and you’ll find it.

Take your time strolling around 38 Jackson Square, enjoying the vibrancy of the artists, musicians, and other street performers at work. The redbrick buildings on either side of the square are the Lower and Upper Pontalba Buildings, the oldest apartments in the United States. The apartments take up the top three stories, while shops and restaurants occupy the first. One of the best of the eateries is 39 Stanley, at the corner of St. Ann and Chartres, a casual café known for its all-day breakfast fare. Another restaurant worth checking out is 40 Muriel’s Jackson Square, just across Chartres from Stanley. Muriel’s serves contemporary Creole fare and boasts one of the best dining balconies in town.

if you have a few extra minutes to spare, walk through the square, named for general Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Known in the 18th century as the Place d’Armes, the historic park is a popular site for television broadcasts and music festivals, including the French Quarter Festival and Caroling in the square.

Continue around the square along Decatur Street, across from Café du Monde, the famous coffee-and-beignets stand. This block of Decatur is an assembly spot for horse-drawn carriage tours. Walk to St. Peter Street, turn right, and head one more block back to Chartres Street. The tour ends here, but be sure to check out the Back of the Quarter and the French Market/Riverfront area, each covered in the next two walks.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Locator Map

Introduction

1. Warehouse District: An Art Lover’s Paradise
2. Canal Street: Revival in Progress
3. Poydras Street: Skyscraper Central
4. French Quarter: Where History Meets Fun
5. Back of the Quarter: Spooky Stroll
6. French Market/Riverfront: Family Fun in the Quarter
7. Lower Garden District: Preservation Paradise
8. Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard: Renaissance in the Works
9. Irish Channel: The Luckiest Place in Town
10. Garden District: Mansion Magnificence
11. Magazine Street: From Chic to Cheap
12. St. Charles Avenue: Jewel of New Orleans
13. Audubon Park: Uptown Oasis
14. Freret Street: Feeding Frenzy
15. UniversityArea: Academia Amid the Oaks
16. Carrollton: Old-Time Charm with Funky Feel
17. Mid-City: Neighborhood Rebirth
18. Lafitte Greenway: Linear Park and Trail
19. City Park: Wonderland of Fun
20. Faubourg St. John: Beauty on the Bayou
21. Treme: America’s Oldest African American Neighborhood
22. Faubourg Marigny: Music Lover’s Delight
23. Bywater: Hipsters’ Haven
24. St. Claude Avenue: Bohemian Bliss
25. Chalmette Battlefield: Where War Was Waged
26. Algiers Point: Best of the West Bank
27. Jean Lafitte Barataria Preserve: Wetlands Wonder
28. Lakefront: It’s a Breeze
29. Lakeview: From Debris to Delight
30. Old Metairie: Uptown in the Burbs
31. Lafreniere Park: Suburban Sanctuary
32. Madisonville: On the Banks of the Tchefuncte
33. Historic Downtown Covington: A Step Back in Time

Appendix: Walks by Theme

Index

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

In Walking New Orleans, author Barri Bronston... makes it easy to appreciate New Orleans from a pedestrian’s perspective.”
—Faith Dawson, Tulane News

From the Publisher