New Orleans
Warehouse Arts District
Topher McKee / Unsplash
The National WWII Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and a restaurant scene that rivals the French Quarter — with far less noise.
The Warehouse District occupies the blocks between the French Quarter and the Garden District along the river, and has become New Orleans's most compelling destination for culture and food over the past two decades. The National WWII Museum is consistently ranked among the best museums in the United States. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art and the Contemporary Arts Center anchor a genuine gallery district. The restaurant scene — Cochon, Herbsaint, La Petite Grocery — represents the best of the city's modern Creole and Southern cooking. It sits between the city's two transit arteries and is walkable to both the French Quarter and the CBD.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑The National WWII Museum: allow two full days; the Road to Berlin and Road to Tokyo exhibits are the most comprehensive WWII museum experience in the world
- ↑Cochon: Donald Link's nose-to-tail Louisiana cooking is one of the best meals available in New Orleans — book at least a week out in any festival season
- ↑Proximity without the noise: five minutes' walk from the French Quarter's restaurants without the Bourbon Street soundtrack in your room at midnight
What you sacrifice
- ↓Less neighbourhood character than the Marigny or Uptown — the Warehouse District is animated by cultural institutions and restaurants rather than residential street life
- ↓Nightlife is quieter than the French Quarter; White Linen Night (August) is the anchor event but the neighbourhood doesn't sustain late-night energy most evenings
- ↓Museum fatigue is real: the WWII Museum alone can consume two days, which is either a feature or a problem depending on your itinerary
Best for
Avoid if
Other New Orleans neighbourhoods
Frenchmen Street live music, local bars, and the neighbourhood New Orleans musicians actually live in.
Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and Cafe Du Monde — the most famous neighbourhood in America, for better and worse.
Antebellum mansions, Magazine Street boutiques, and cemetery tours — the upscale residential counterweight to the French Quarter.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
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