susan

I would highly recommend that you take the shuttle or a cab. It's really not that safe of a walk.

Dave

I'm kind of sorry I brought up the subject earlier!

Canal street first of all is completely different than Poydras (ie Superdome route)

The end of Canal near I10 (or near the Radison) goes through an area that tends to be a bit "dicey" at night.

This area is slowly being cleaned up, and soon the street car line will run all the way past and way up Canal St.

This area near I10 is still in a state of flux. THe Radison is really nice there....however I most definately would not walk from the Radison to the Quarter. I'm sure in the next 2 or 3 years this area will be very nice.

As for the Superdome all the way down to the quarter, it is well lit, and heavily travelled, especially if there is an event going on.

During the day, there is absolutely no problem in that area as it is a heavily traveled pedestrial area, with restaurants and shopping.

At night Poydras street is still very active, but there would be no need to walk it anyhow.

Once you are in the French Quarter and lower Canal St, or Poydras Street area you will have no problem at all, and you will probably feel more comfortable here than in any big city in the US.

Once your here, I think you will see how obvious it will be that your in a safe area. The whole lower Canal street is a busy beehive of activity well into the wee hours.

To see how busy it is have a look at the CAMs, keep in mind it is Tuesday at 9:30 pm, and it is still busy!

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/classic/

It is very busy very safe, and you will have a great time.

Dave

Susan made a good point, however I would like to comment on the "Garden District" . Save the Garden District for the daytime.

There are some great restaurants in there, and if you go, just cab it so you don't get lost and turn down the wrong street.

THis is one of the amazing New Orleans facts that in some cases, right behind multi million dollar homes, are very bad areas that you most definately don't want to go into by accident.

If you go into the Garden District at night, if you don't know where you are going, do not wander off of St.Charles street.

Martin

I think that this thread has become pretty helpful. I only ever considered staying so far down Canal Street because the guest house was so cheap and looked kinda charming. But it looks like we'll be staying round Poydras Street now. It's a shame that so many areas are off-limits for the tourist and I only hope that it's not like my hometown of London, where people are scared off visiting perfectly OK areas like Brixton.

Sue

So I don't want to belabor the safety issue, because I've heard about the statistics and don't want to become one, but how about taking tours, i.e. plantations, etc.? That's ok, right? (Only born & bred NO's need respond.)

Martin

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Anne

Martin...I was curious about the guest house you were talking about, so drove home down Canal last night and found it. It is in an "ok" area...but I wouldn't stay there. (For those of you familiar with Canal, it is next door to the Ronald McDonald House). Why do I say don't stay there....1) It's out of the way. If you have a car, do they include free, secured parking? Street parking there isn't the safest. 2) Construction on Canal (for the new streetcar line) is a MESS! Driving is a nightmare...lanes are being moved daily. 3) "You can't get there from here"...due to I-10 construction, the exit for City Park/Canal is closed for the next year or two, making getting there an interesting task. 4) If you have a car, and they provide secure parking, you still have to pay every time you go downtown (not cheap at all...don't even think about parking on the street.. towing fees are pricey).

If you do stay there, there's very little to do in the immediate area. Two good places to eat nearby are Mandina's (great seafood, cash only) and Michael's Mid-City Grill).

I'd suggest staying downtown instead.

Anne

Anne

Sue, and the others concerned about safety: yes, New Orleans has a lot of murders. It is a big city, with a very poor population, and in certain areas there is a lot of drug activity, and people get killed. Same as any other big city. Please don't let that stop you from visiting. The tourist areas are very safe. Police presence is strong and visible. if you stay in well-populated areas, you'll be fine.

Tours are all okay...they aren't going to take you anyplace you shouldn't be going.

One difference about NO and other large cities is that the "bad" areas can be right next to very nice areas. The Garden District is a good example. Million dollar homes in one block, projects in the next (although things are much better since they tore down St. Thomas projects). Just be aware of your surroundings, and ask at your hotel.

Please come and enjoy our great city!!

Anne

Martin

Anne, that's really helpful of you to drive down there and check out the guesthouse. It would be good if the area was to get on its feet a bit more after all the developmewnt as both the guesthouse and its proprietors seemed really nice.

Martin

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James

I think we've beaten this thread to death but I do agree that it's wise to pay a little extra to stay in a place where one can walk to the attractions.

Adam

As a comparison I felt far more concerned about crime in Washington DC than New Orleans! Its much easier to avoid the bad areas in New Orleans but not in DC! I was pretty taken aback by just how rough DC is. I stayed a week in both places and in N.O. I was able to navigate much easier. Not that rough areas of N.O. dont exist they certainly do.