StantonHyde

DH and I are planning 3 days or so in New Orleans in the first week of November. (then some other days seeing plantations and Cajun country). I really do love renting out apartments vs. hotels. I like the space and a fridge etc. But I am concerned about some of the recent posts on safety walking around New Orleans at night. Hotels tend to be on busier streets while many of the VRBO offerings are tucked away on quiet side streets (which I like). We can certainly cab it to dinner and cab it back. (we would rent a car for the "outer excursions" but I don't know that we want/need one in the city???)

There are plenty of nice looking places on VRBO. But would we be safe in the French Quarter? Or should we look at the Garden District? Are there certain blocks in the French Quarter we should flat out avoid? Or should we just rent, figure we will be ok during the day, but cab it anywhere after dark???

I appreciate any and all advice--thanks!

DebitNM

Hard to imagine where there would be vrbo's in the French Quarter. The garden district would likely be best area. Stay within walking distance of the street car.

We like apartments too, but for 3 days, we usually go with a hotel. We were there in Nov 2013 and stayed at Omni. Very nice and a really good price.

starrs

There are VRBOs in the French Quarter and we looked at several. We picked one in the Garden District. I've fallen in love with the shops and restaurants of Magazine Street and it's a short trip into the FQ via the St. Charles streetcar.

The rates vary greatly when security deposits and/or cleaning fees are added in. We picked based on those fees. The owner of our first pick contacted us regarding working around those upfront charges but we went with another choice. My point is, don't be discouraged by hefty upfront fees - not all VRBO rentals charge those.

starrs

^^^ Adding to the previous post = email the owners to ask questions and to get clarifications. I enjoyed the interaction with the owners and learned a lot more about the unit and/or area. They are a wealth of information if you have any questions/concerns.

StantonHyde

VRBOS can be tricky--I have had a great experience, and a not great experience. But I want to see what I can get--as far as number of reviews and satisfied customers etc. Just soooo much better than a hotel for us.

Guess I will focus more on the Garden District--its probably more my style and I like the street car.

Thanks for the advice!!

nina88

starrs,would you please share the vrbo you used... thank you.

november_moon

Pretty much anywhere in the,FQ will be fine. There are plenty of cabs and pedicabs, so you can do that after dark if you want to. There are some areas of the FQ that are really residential and will be very quiet late at night. Any well-traveled street will be fine to walk except perhaps very late at night (as in the wee hours of the morning )

emd3

Another option is to get a hotel room with character and lots of space, living rm, fridge, big balcony, etc. We have stayed at some of the converted apartments like that owned by the French Quarter Guesthouses. Last trip we stayed in a huge 1 bedroom at the St. Peter owned by that group. It had a large living area w leather sofa and chairs, fridge, and access to a huge wraparound covered balcony with lots of outdoor furniture and space. Great location and we felt very safe. That way you avoid all the extra cleaning fees, etc that a rental entails.

StantonHyde

emd3--I looked at those and they all had mini fridges, no microwave or other kitchen items. We like to eat breakfast in the room and we often get take out one day vs. going out every night. Those rooms do look lovely!

emd3

There is a great diner called Clover Grill just two blocks away from the St. Peters, big breakfasts for $5.99. We had breakfast there 3 days in a row.

http://www.clovergrill.com/#!facilities/c66t

But if you are dead set on making your own breakfast, c'est la vie. Have a great time!