My husband and I are making our first visit to NO in mid June and I have received several warnings from friends/coworkers about crime (muggings, etc.), even in broad daylight and in well populated areas. Is this just an exaggeration, or should I be concerned?

Just use your common sense as you would in any large city. There are crime problems everywhere, but New Orleans has had a bad reputation for a long time and is in the process of cleaning it up. Enjoy your trip, you'll love the city!

Cheryl, the crime rate has dropped dramatically in New Orleans since 1994 and much crime is centered in areas you'll never see as a tourist. In fact, N.O. now ranks right in the middle among the major cities in overall crime. As Cindy said, use common sense and you'll have no problems. Also, by all means take a cab if you're drunk! Bad guys look for easy targets and being sauced makes you one of them, in my humble opinion... Have a great trip!

I had no problems in N.O., and I was out until the wee hours....but it is said not to go to graveyards unless you are with a tour...

i've been there twice, traveling solo, with no problems.

everyone will give you the same advice, for a good reason -- it works. stay out of the cemetaries unless you're with a large group; avoid the areas adjacent to housing projects; be alert (that means just one "to go" cup!); don't flash your cash. if you don't look like a victim, you won't become one.

new orleans has a few unique tourist scams. for example, someone may say, "i bet i can tell you where you got your shoes." just say, "no thanks," and keep walking. if you take him up on his bet, he'll tell you, "you got 'em on bourbon street" or wherever you're standing. if you do pay up, it's obvious that you've got cash to burn, and you can expect more "attention." if you don't pay up, you can expect your new friend to follow you, continually bugging you to pay your debt.

another common one, a logical choice for such a romantic city -- if you're a woman who is distracted by a kiss or an embrace from your partner while on the street, expect your purse to be snatched.

simply stay aware of your surroundings and your interactions with others, and have fun!

New Orleans is as safe as any other large city. We were there last August and had a wonderful time, can't wait to go again. Be careful, be aware of your surroundings and don't talk to strangers, they only want to hassle you for a handout. Act like you would at home, if you live in the city.

New Orleans has a long way to go to clean up. It's a great city, but in my half-dozen visits there, it always seemed everyone has a scam. Be especially careful of being shortchanged in stores and restaurants. You start to grow weary of constantly being on alert, and that diminishes much of the enjoyment of the other pleasures of New Orleans.

"Scam artists" look for suckers. I've been to New Orleans dozens of times and have never been shortchanged or even had the famous "I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes" told to me. Take the same precautions you would in any city and you'll be okay.

Women, don't carry purses, it just makes you a target. Men, do not go into the alleyways to relieve yourself, no matter how many others you see doing the same thing. Muggers wait for just such a opportunity. Don't walk on deserted streets (yes, you'll see some, even close to Bourbon Street) and don't give money to the many street performers. Be discreet with your cash and cautious of your surroundings, and you'll be fine.

others have recommended NO for my solo trip -- reading this makes me rather nervous...any other tips from solo women travelers?

Joan, sometimes you have to have a little leap of faith, you know? My mother (75 years old) goes to New Orleans once a year by herself and has done so since 1954.

I was just in New Orleans for a conference. I spent some time with the group from my area, and ventured off solo at other times. Use common sense and you will be fine.

I'll remember not to go into alleyways in NO to relieve myself - just like I do in any other city in the world !

Thank you zzzzzz - I wonder why that's always an issue here.

Regarding publicly relieving oneself: there are several reasons for this in N.O. The city naturally tends to attract the college party types, especially since the bars will set up streetside stands to sell drinks when their establishments are full. N.O. is an old town with few public facilities to begin with, and when you add the constant and easy availability of liquid refreshment, combine it with packed bars and restaurants, guess what? That's right, relief in a dark alleyway. After you've wandered the streets with a full bladder and no restroom in sight, that alleyway may just start looking pretty good to you. It certainly seems to for a lot of male tourists there.

As a local, I can tell you that New Orleanians are not amused when people "relieve" themselves on the streets. We don't do it in your town and you shouldn't in ours, regardless of how much you drink or how "unavailable" you may think bathrooms happen to be. Our neighbor, who just turned 85, saw a guy unzip next to her gate last year. She snuck around the corner, flung the gate open and quickly spray painted "it." We still get a laugh from it, although I do hope he got the spray paint off before he returned home...

The funny part was that the guy was screaming that he would call the cops. If he did, of course, NOPD would bust HIM as well so he thought better of it and left the issue alone.

Great story, John! I can't believe people try to insinuate that it's the city's fault that people drink too much and then can't find a bathroom, so using an alley is only alternative. Every bar and restaurant in the Quarter has a restroom for cusstomers. There are public restrooms at the French Market for those people who are not consuming anything and/or don't use the restrooms where they drink and eat.

It's no insinuation Meg, it's a fact. People, mostly men, routinely urinate in public in New Orleans, for all the reasons listed above, and more. Maybe they're too drunk to stagger around and find a restroom. Maybe they're too lazy. Doesn't change the fact that it happens.

Restrooms in bars and restaurants are great if you can get inside. The two times I've visited Nawlins, there were lines outside of the most places, especially Pat O's, but that didn't stop them from serving Hurricanes from their street stand. Even the streets were mobbed with people. So just where are all of these people who are being served drinks on the open street supposed to go? If N.O. allows businesses to do that and does not provide additional facitilites, then yes, they ARE responsible for the consequences -- routine public urination.

once again we have people who can't take responsibility for their own actions. you KNOW it's improper and illegal to pee on someone's house or in a dark alley so if you do it you will be arrested and fined. case closed. no one's fault but your own.

There are plenty of bathrooms in the French Quarter. Not every bar or restaurant has lines and the French Quarter is full of hotels. I have never had any trouble finding a bathroom. If you want to drink, you have to do so responsibly. This includes not driving, not urinating on the streets, etc. Yes, it may be easier to just go on the street but that doesn't make it right.

Last year, I saw a guy relieving himself between two parked cars. I called NOPD and described the guy. He was arrested and fined $500. Bet he never does it again!