City as Text Destinations

Check out one of these New Orleans destinations as a part of your CAT adventure at NCHC19!

Algiers Point:
Home to numerous residents and small businesses, Algiers Point feels like a small river town and faces the whole panorama of New Orleans. A vibrant community set at the point where the Mississippi River bends sharply around the French Quarter, Algiers Point distinguished itself in the 1970s. Some of the houses and other structures in Algiers Point predate the American Civil War, but most were built in the period immediately after a catastrophic 1895 fire that destroyed hundreds of structures in the area.

Audubon District:
Home to both Tulane and Loyola universities, the Audubon District is also known as the university area of uptown New Orleans. Filled with historic architecture, this section of the city is bisected by St. Charles Avenue and the streetcar line. Audubon Park is a favorite with students, while another nearby green space commonly referred to as The Fly is located behind the Audubon Zoo and overlooks the Mississippi River.

Bywater:
The Bywater neighborhood, downriver from the French Quarter and next to the Marigny, is a bohemian neighborhood of closely packed shotgun houses and Creole cottages that is home to the most thriving grassroots arts scene in New Orleans. Street murals, quirky boutiques, and hip restaurants cater to the neighborhood’s creative residents. Located along a natural levee, the neighborhood was spared significant flooding by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Bywater is "the New Orleans” many tourists seek but few actually find.

Carrollton/Riverbend:
The oak-lined streetcar route on Carrollton Avenue runs through this busy Uptown neighborhood, ending where the Mississippi River bends and St. Charles Avenue begins. In addition to local shops and small businesses, the Carrollton/Riverbend area is home to a slew of restaurants featuring global cuisines and popular entertainment venues. Although largely residential, this area also boasts the renowned Audubon Park and Zoo and provides spaces for New Orleans residents and visitors alike to relax and watch the Mississippi River flow by.

Dauphine Street:
Dauphine Street bisects 43 blocks of some of the most interesting and emblematic areas of New Orleans. Moving west to east, Dauphine Street starts on touristy and bustling Canal Street by the conference hotel, cuts through classic French Quarter neighborhoods, transitions into the lively Marigny neighborhood, and ends in the Bywater neighborhood. The French Quarter, in addition to being the city’s top tourist destination, is also a functioning residential neighborhood. One of the best ways to see the domestic side of the French Quarter is to stroll along Dauphine Street.

Esplanade Ridge:
Originally conceived as a trading outpost for Native Americans, this tree-lined neighborhood began to fill up with “country homes” along Bayou St. John as more Europeans came to the area. Located on naturally occurring high ground, this neighborhood escaped the most severe flooding of Katrina. It is home to the Degas House, where, in 1872, the visiting French Impressionist encountered the Creole world of his mother’s family. This quiet and beautiful neighborhood speaks to those who value an earlier time of gracious living and elegant Creole charm.

Garden District:
Before it was the Garden District, this area was populated by a number of large plantations. The Garden District is a close-knit and eclectic neighborhood, just a short drive or streetcar ride from the French Quarter, Central Business District, and the universities farther Uptown. Here you can find some of the city’s premier restaurants, world class shopping, and many popular attractions like Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.

Irish Channel:
Originally home to many Irish workers who came to New Orleans in the 1830s, Irish Channel residents typically worked in the nearby port of New Orleans and in various breweries in the area. Today, there is one brewery in the Irish Channel that continues this tradition—NOLA Brewing on Tchoupitoulas Street. The mix of locally owned shops and restaurants, beautiful serenity of St. Mary's Assumption Church, and contributions by everyone from the Emerald Isle to El Salvador attracts people from throughout the city and the country. Today, the Irish Channel is one of the most eclectic neighborhoods in the city (and in New Orleans, that's saying something). It is a popular destination for both residents and visitors to the city.

Jefferson Street/Moon Walk:
The Moon Walk is a beautiful riverside promenade in the French Quarter that was created in the 1970s along the Mississippi River. Today, it is one of the best places in New Orleans to get spectacular views of the Mississippi River and the historic French Quarter, and it is a thriving shopping area that caters to the millions of tourists visiting the Crescent City annually. It can be reached from Jackson Square via the Washington Artillery Park, which offers a scenic view over Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral.

Lower Garden District:
The Lower Garden District is often confused with its more famous neighbor, the Garden District, but it has a unique, varied flavor all its own. Centered around Coliseum Square, the area is one of graceful vistas and curving streets, replete with classical street names like Dryades, Melpomene, and Terpsichore. The Lower Garden District is not wanting in terms of eclectic bars, eateries, coffee shops, and parks.

Magazine Street:
Magazine Street is one of New Orleans’s premier commercial and cultural centers, running six miles through the heart of the city from Canal Street in the east to Audubon Park in the west, parallel to the Mississippi River. The best way to experience the diverse identities of Magazine Street is to hop on the bus that departs in front of the conference hotel (at the corner of Canal Street and Magazine Street) and take it as far as you like up Magazine Street. The walk back will be unforgettable and show you a cross section of New Orleans culture.

Marigny:
Marigny is a small wedge of the city located just downriver from the French Quarter, where you'll find everything that makes New Orleans a vibrant place. The neighborhood’s mix of late Georgian, Creole, and Greek Revival houses forms a fascinating and varied cityscape that is often overlooked due to its proximity to the French Quarter. Neighborhood galleries and antique stores offer gems for every budget, from museum-quality art to thrift-shop chic. The jazz clubs lining Frenchmen Street are world-famous, and you can hear big-name acts jamming with the hippest stars of tomorrow every night.

Mid-City:
As the name indicates, Mid-City rests in the middle of New Orleans on what was once the backslope of the Mississippi River's natural levee, a gradually declining section of the river's flood plain. It is a generally local, middle-class neighborhood that contains fewer tourist destinations than other parts of the city. Restaurants and bars rely heavily on local clientele, giving the area a quirky local flavor. It is egalitarian, cheerful, a little more blue-collar, and a lot more diverse than its staid Uptown neighbor. Mid-City tends to attract younger people looking to purchase historic homes a great value. Residences boasting original architectural features, including gas jets, cypress cabinetry and wide-plank wooden floors, can be purchased for a fraction of the price of similar Uptown properties.

Rampart Street/Louis Armstrong Park:
Louis Armstrong Park, named after the jazz legend and New Orleans native, is considered the “birthplace of jazz”. In the 18th century, enslaved African Americans were allowed to socialize, play music, and dance in “Congo Square” on Sundays, creating the rhythms and musical styles that would later influence nearly all-American music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Don’t limit yourself to the park; continue east down Rampart Street to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of New Orleans neighborhoods outside of the French Quarter, known for their bohemian arts and energetic music.

Royal Street:
One of the original New Orleans streets dating back to the early 18th century, Royal Street stretches from Canal Street to Esplanade in the French Quarter, running through many well-known areas such as the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods. Generations of New Orleans residents have lived on or near Royal Street, which means visitors can expect to encounter beautiful private homes, small stores, art galleries, and several cultural and historic landmarks. An important part of the vibe surrounding Royal Street are the street musicians who play every day and night.

Warehouse/Central Business District:
The Central Business District (CBD) in New Orleans is what most cities call their downtown. In addition to the skyscrapers, destinations like the Mercedes Benz Superdome, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and Harrah’s Casino and Hotel are located here, along with retail locations, bars and restaurants, premier art galleries, and restored historic commercial and industrial buildings. The Warehouse District name comes from the warehouse and manufacturing industry that once filled the section of the CBD closest to the Mississippi River. Many of the original 19th century warehouses have been transformed into art galleries, condos, hotels and restaurants. It has become the focus of a major visual arts renaissance in New Orleans in the last twenty years.