French Quarter

The French Quarter is the most convenient base for a first visit, with good restaurants and nearly everything within walking distance. Expect tourist prices and crowds, and watch for petty theft around Market Street.

The French Quarter is the oldest and most visited part of the peninsula, running from Broad Street to Market Street and east to the harbor. The Old Exchange building, Rainbow Row, the City Market and Waterfront Park are all here, along with a lot of restaurants and art galleries. Tourists, carriage tours and walking groups keep the streets busy from morning until late evening, and the area is well lit and regularly patrolled, so walking back after dinner is generally fine. The main problems are petty: pickpockets and bag thieves in the Market Street crowds, and sellers who press bracelets or sweetgrass baskets on passersby. Side lanes and alleys empty out late at night, so stick to Meeting, Queen and East Bay streets when walking home. Hotels here are expensive, but you will rarely need a car or taxi.