Is it safe? Walkable? Fun? Trying to book a place to stay, this neighborhood keeps coming up. What can you tell me about it, Dopers? Thanking you.
I seem to recall it as being decent neighborhoods. It includes Tulane University, so there would be a lot of students walking the streets. I think that’s where Jaques-Imo’s restaurant is, which is excellent.
I went to Tulane and used to live in various parts of Uptown New Orleans.
Fun? Yes, it is one of the most fun areas of the U.S. bar none. There are more great restaurants and bars than you will ever be able to visit even if you try really hard. The architecture along St. Charles and some other neighborhoods is world-class gorgeous as well. Uptown also has the Audubon zoo (great) and Audubon Park. It is one of the richest areas of New Orleans in general and tons of history. It isn’t loud like the French Quarter but even that is easily accessible if you take the charming streetcar line or even a cab.
Safe? Well, it is New Orleans. There is nothing in New Orleans that is comparatively safe compared to boring cities but Uptown is one of the safer areas. It is a historically dangerous city even though it is better now than when I lived there in the mid-90’s but that isn’t saying much. Chicago gets all the press these days but New Orleans still has a higher murder rate per capita. You have to have street smarts and be prepared to use them at the first whiff of trouble. That doesn’t mean that anything is likely to happen to you specifically as long as you have some sense. However, New Orleans is different from most cities in that there isn’t much division between really safe neighborhoods and very dangerous ones. It varies block by block and there are multi-million dollar mansions within sight of the true hood even in Uptown.
There is no other city in the U.S. or even the world that is like New Orleans so general descriptions aren’t going to help you much to get a feel for it if you have never experienced it for yourself. It is an outstanding place to go or live but it does have its drawbacks. Crime is one and you didn’t even ask about the summer heat that I doubt you can even comprehend would be possible anywhere on earth but it is a great fit for a whole lot of people. I have witnessed many young tourists that went there on vacation and just cancelled their plane ticket back home for good because they refused to leave.
If you are just looking for a short-term stay, what type of place do you have in mind. I would recommend somewhere along St. Charles first for a tourist and expand the options into the adjacent Garden District because they are basically the same thing but the latter is closer to the French Quarter.
Thanks all. Shagnasty, I got an Airbnb that looks like it’s about 10 blocks north of Tulane. Any and all recommendations are gratefully accepted. Looks like we will be taking the streetcar places. We have small dogs which we will try to take with us for most days. We have 3 full days in the city.
Here we are, Shagnasty.
7814 South Claiborne Avenue
New Orleans, LA
Right by 90, unfortunately, but I wear earplugs at night so it shouldnt be a problem. I waited until the last minute so this is what I could get.
What types of things are you interested in because there are way more choices than you can touch in 3 days? If you like iconic restaurants, The Camellia Grill (626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA) is not that far from where you are staying. It is one of the most famous diners in the U.S. and does attract plenty of tourists but it isn’t a tourist trap. The Audubon Zoo is very good as I mentioned.
You could take your dogs to the gigantic Mississippi River levees just like plenty of other people take theirs. They are just these massive grass-covered earth constructions that protect a city that is near the mouth of the biggest river in the U.S. and also happens to be below sea level. It is a little disconcerting see giant barges and cruise ships going past well above you when you are walking up them.
If you want elegant afternoon cocktail service, The Columns Hotel (the 3811 St Charles Ave) is a gorgeous Louisiana style mansion and set in a stunning neighborhood. It offers great patio service.
There is plenty of live music all over the place but Tipitana’s (501 Napoleon Ave.) is one of the more famous venues and generally has nightly concerts.
It really depends how far you want to go. You can take the St. Charles streetcar line from fairly close to your rental all the way into the French Quarter. It is a pleasant and cheap ride ($1.25 one way or $9 for 3 day unlimited rides) but not that fast (probably at least 40 minutes one way for you I am guessing because they make a lot of stops) but they do run 24/7. Cabs are almost as common as NYC as well in the more touristy parts of the city but, of course, it costs a lot more to get around that way.
I don’t drink any more. I love music. I love to eat, long time professional cook (planning on Mother’s, Galatoire’s, maybe Jacque-Imo’s, open to suggestions!) I love walking and rubbernecking. Will stick my head into the FQ but don’t plan to stay long. Will ride the streetcar. I heard Frenchmen St. is worthy. That’s all I got! Your suggestions are great.
Would love to see a parade, second line, whatever it’s called. Any museums you recommend?
Parades happen all the time but the smaller ones aren’t regularly scheduled events. If you are talking about a tradition Jazz funeral parade, they are real but the only time I have ever seen them is by stumbling across them by accident. You will probably have to ask someone knowledgeable when you get there if you want to see something like that.
New Orleans has the National WWII Museum which is well renowned even by international standards and considered to be a must see for people that have any interest in history.
Other things you could consider are things like find a traditional crawfish boil (they will be in season for the next few months), a Haunted New Orleans walking tour or a swamp tour. Those are all unique and worthwhile.
Uptown? Quite safe. Of course there are occasional crimes there, like any city. But Uptown is the high-rent district, well patrolled and lots of people. The only problem I can see during the day is the crowds on the commercial streets. It is quite walkable. Uptown consists of >2 areas, the commercial areas where you would reasonably go walking, generally but not exclusively St. Charles, and the many residential areas. Those are reasonably safe-but they are residential-relatively not much to see. Interesting if you are in to older “funky” looking streets, but otherwise not on the regular tourist maps. Now the mansions along and next to St. Charles are very much a tourist attraction. Big, elegant houses. Well worth a visit. As for staying there, it is the expensive part of town. That said, I have stayed in hotels in Uptown. They certainly are a destination-and priced accordingly. For a few days, I think they are worth it, especially compared to the downtown hotels near the convention center and the French Quarter.
Whoa there!
You are the very edge-actually a few blocks past the edge of Uptown and far away from the Garden district. You shouldn’t plan on strolling down to St. Charles from there. Besides being a long walk, I wouldn’t be comfortable walking in that area for more than a couple of blocks. Driving-no problem. If the rate is good and you have a car, it might be a good place to stay. Some of the homes in that area have been “renewed” and I suspect quite nice. It isn’t an area I have traveled in-I drive through that area whenever I visit the zoo and Uptown, but it is definitely not some place I go visiting. It might be student housing for Tulane-but I doubt it.
New Orleans in general is very favorable towards dogs, especially small dogs (it isn’t big on restrictions against much of anything for that matter) so you should be fine taking your dogs most places if you want to but it is always nice to ask first. You will see it when your arrive. There aren’t a lot of rules except for not peeing on historical buildings. Other than that, public nudity, general debauchery and hedonism are perfectly fine and even expected for both you and your pets.
http://blog.gopetfriendly.com/pet-friendly-dos-and-donts-of-new-orleans/
I used to work with a transvestite there that had a Rottweiler/Great Dane cross that was the most powerful dog that I have ever babysat. If Onyx wanted to go somewhere, I had to go too because I didn’t have a choice but he was sweet as could be. He had a bark like thunder and a lather, spiked collar and he and his owner had matching tu-tu’s and were always quite the hit no matter where they went in the city.
The streetcar travels along St. Charles and toward downtown. It doesn’t go anywhere else. Looking more closely at the area around where you will be staying, it doesn’t look bad at all. I wouldn’t go walking very far in the evening, but you will be reasonably safe walking toward Tulane and St. Charles during the day. That said, it isn’t the tourist district and isn’t a place to go strolling. Walk like you know where you are going and move right along. Personally, I would be more comfortable in a car, but I can see the potential for some interesting sights along S. Carollton and of course Audubon. Once you are down about 10 blocks you are definitely in the university district and there will be lots of people around. The interesting places to walk will be along St. Charles for the views and Magazine for the shops. Audubon Blvd and Audubon Park and the Zoo are great places to walk.
It isn’t walkable from where you are but I recommend:
Dick and Jennys Restaurant
4501
Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, LA 70115 LA 70115
A quick Uber will get you there-and if you have a car, you can park in the Rouses Grocery parking lot across the street. I have done that several times-it makes driving there easy.
Dick and Jennys used to be the hot place in town. The crowd has moved on to the next new thing, but the restaurant is still good and definitely New Orleans local.
I sit corrected. Apparently the streetcar does go up Carollton to Claiborne. Right where you are staying. I didn’t realize that. That makes a lot of difference. It isn’t fast, but safe and convenient. I like your plan.
A cup of coffee and a beignet (or two, or ten) at Café du Monde is worth a stop while in the French Quarter, if for no other reason than to say you did. Really, though, the culinary treat I remember best from N.O. is the sno-balls. They are like a regular sno-cone in the same way that a perfectly cooked, dry aged filet mignon is like a day old, cold Salisbury steak in congealed gravy. They are heaven in a paper cup!
I’m pretty sure my recollections of those icy hits of nirvana are not at all influenced by the fact that we were there in the height of summer when it was 8 billion degrees and the humidity so high that the ships couldn’t tell where the river stopped and the street started. Nope.