French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

New Orleans is also known as the "Crescent City" and "The Big Easy." It is named after Orleans, France. Residents are "New Orleanian" or "Orleanians." The city has sandy beaches, electric street cars, lush gardens, famous cemeteries, a nice zoo, and much more.

The French Quarter is the oldest part of the city and was mostly spared by hurricane Katrina. It is considered the birthplace of jazz and is known for its night life. Preservation Hall, a good place to hear jazz music, is open from 8:00 p.m.-midnight. The French Quarter has produced several well known musicians including Louis Armstrong, the Neville brothers, and Randy Newman.

It is also known for Cajun culture and unique food, such as beignets, gumbo, muffaletta, and etoufee. There are several famous restaurants here. We like to have lunch at the original La Madeleine French bakery/restaurant on the square.

Although the French Quarter is a little wild at night and during Marti Gras, it is fine for families during the day. As in any big city, children should always be accompanied by adults. Cruise ships dock here, and it is popular for conventions. Plan to park your car in a garage and do a LOT of walking.

Location

Downtown New Orleans
On the Mississippi River

Map1 Map2 Map3 (pdf)

Population of New Orleans

About 500,000

Features of the French Quarter

Art and craft galleries
Artists (painters, etc. - daytime)
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas 504-565-3033
Bakeries
Boutiques
Bus tours of New Orleans (motor coach)

Gray Line and others

Cafes and restaurants
Campgrounds and RV parks near New Orleans

Check Woodall's guide

Collectibles and souvenir shops
Historic buildings
Horse-drawn carriage tours (night and day)
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Ice cream parlors
I-max theater 800-774-7394
Museums
Preservation Hall www.PreservationHall.com/main.html

Public sculpture
Shopping malls

RiverWalk and others

Street performers
Waterfront (Mississippi River)

Other features in New Orleans

Audubon Zoo 504-861-2537
Bed and Breakfast Inns
Cemeteries (above-ground)
House and gardens tours
Street Cars

Hours

Some shops and galleries open about 10:00 a.m. and close about 5:00 p.m. daily. Most restaurants and stores stay open much later. The sidewalk artists usually work during daylight hours. Street performers and carriage tours can be found day and night.

Festivals

Mardi Gras and others

Recommended stay

1-3 days

Tourist information

Convention and Visitors Bureau:

www.NewOrleansCVB.com 1-800-672-6124

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This page was last updated on 11/08/2006 .

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