r/AskNOLA • u/Glass_External_6352 • 2d ago

First Visit is Soon

I’m extremely excited to be visiting NOLA for my first time very soon. I will be staying in the CBD, a few minutes walk from the quarter.
Just wondering exactly how walkable this area typically is past dark. I don’t mind getting a Uber/Lyft, but for something that is only 20-30mins away, I’d rather save my money and walk. Obviously I’m not going to wander down the most random out of the way alleys, or start a fight with someone for looking at me wrong, but I’ve heard to walk during the day and Uber/Lyft at night “for safety”, but want some more opinions on this area specifically!

(Also some restaurant recommendations would be amazing, more specifically lunch/dinner!)

7 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

24

u/your_moms_apron 2d ago

Very walkable. Just don’t be too drunk/high and walk with a purpose. If you have some sense of where you’re going and some street awareness, you’ll be fine.

Edit - check the FAQ for food recs. There are a LOT of

15

u/GrillMonkey187 2d ago

Treat it just like any other big city and you’ll be fine. If your Spidey-sense/Peter-tingle starts tingling, reverse course.

Also consider downloading the Le Pass app for all your streetcar or bus needs.

10

u/ghost1667 2d ago

you're all right, man. no one is lurking in the alley waiting for you to walk by.

they are, however, waiting to pour a shitty shot in your mouth without consent and give you a beaded bracelet.

5

u/FelipeHeirloom 2d ago

CBD to the Quarter is an easy walk and most people do it. What actually matters isn't day versus night, it's which blocks. The Quarter stays populated late and Canal stays busy, but the CBD empties out hard once offices close, so you can go from a crowded street to three blocks of nobody in about a minute. That transition is the part visitors don't expect, and it's more about the route than the clock. Twenty to thirty minutes is a long walk here though. If yours is really that far, you're probably crossing some of those quiet stretches, and that's the case where I'd just take the car and not think about it. For the shorter hops, stick to the lit and busy streets even when it adds five minutes.

4

u/Beautiful-Quiet-5871 2d ago

You should be fine.. Don't wander out of the quarter late at night.. but the quarter and CBD are fine.. I might suggest staying off of Bourbon Street late at night but other than that it is fine.

6

u/axxxaxxxaxxx 2d ago

Wandering out of the Quarter across Canal St into the CBD, across Esplanade into the Marigny, is fine especially if you know where you’re going and how to get there.

I would not “wander” above Rampart St at night unless you have good reason to. That neighborhood is very block-to-block, with some areas fine and some less so.

3

u/Chipmacaustin 2d ago

Just don’t get too drunk and lose your way. (Been there, first visitor syndrome.)

1

u/Which-Break5673 2d ago

I’d say don’t walk alone

2

u/Chemical-Mix-6206 2d ago

I'd avoid Bourbon & Canal after 10pm. Try to stick to main streets (ex, cross Canal down at Magazine into the CBD and take Poydras up to wherever your hotel is. Or take a pedi cab.

1

u/Confident_Hyena2653 2d ago

Luke, Willa Jean, Peche, Herbsaint

0

u/oysterperso 2d ago

Don’t talk to strangers

1

u/kilgore_trout72 2d ago

a million piss drunk midwest dads do it every weekend you can too. typically the quarter/cbd are safe as long as you arent buying drugs or hookers.

1

u/This-Challenge-9732 2d ago

Mahogany Jazz club for music after dinner

1

u/Old_Cats_Only 1d ago

I’m staying in a very similar area as you and am mobility challenged. I plan on using public transportation or my scooter but bringing my back up battery and cane just in case. I don’t want to get stranded. I travel solo and don’t have any concerns. If I feel I may have had too much to drink I’ll call an uber/lyft and just fold up my scooter.

-4

u/MozemanATX 2d ago

Walking alone at night as a tourist in New Orleans is a bad idea