New Orleans 2015 safety with kids
 

We are planning to spend 2 days in New Orleans the first week of June with our 2 children. We plan to visit Jackson Square, Cafe Du Monde, the French Market, and just tour a little of the French Quarter & Garden district. We will not go on Bourbon street and we will not be out after dark. We will also have our dog along with us. I have been in Milwaukee Wi, and Chicago Il, and never had any issues with crime, maybe a few bums here and there. We obviously will stay away from any creepy looking people, never going in alleys. I just have read so much about the crime and wonder if it is just a lot of paranoid people posting or is it just that bad and we should skip it.

How old are the kids?

The kids are 9 & 11. Thanks!

It is not that bad and no you should not skip it.

Bourbon Street is pretty safe with all the tourists, even after dark.

Also, I'm not sure how you define 'creepy' people, but you will see some interesting characters around Jackson Square for sure. And by interesting I don't mean criminals.

I go to New Orleans at least twice a yr. I think you will be ok. Even being just around Jackson Square and French Market, your kids will likely see some surprising things. Last trip we saw an old hippie guy walking his pet pig next to Jackson Square. Full size pig. On a leash. Lol. Kids will love it. There are a lot of different kinds of people in NOLA.

Where are you staying? You can likely go out after dark safely, but depends on where you are staying. I also ask because I wonder what hotel allows dogs, if you are in a hotel. I may be taking my French bulldog down there later this yr.

The kids may like the WWII museum (it's very good at presenting the WWII culture along with the war, and the 4D Tom Hanks movie is very good). And I think they would like Mardi Gras world, where the floats and costumes are. There is a small house-museum in Treme, across Rampart from the French Quarter, that houses a personal collection of Mardi Gras Indian costumes. They might enjoy a walking tour of St. Louis Cemetary, it is fascinating.

I hope you will expose them to some of the unique musical history and foods in NOLA also. You can see lots of street performers, jazz music, mimes, etc on Royal St behind Jackson Square. In Jackson Sq. You can perhaps teach them about Andrew Jackson at his statue there- revered in LA, but bloody bloody bad to the American Indians.

Btw, on Wednesdays there is a nice farmers market set up in the French Market. Close to that part of the French Market is a fantastic snow cone stand with about 30 flavors. Good break for the kids and you.

Personally, I am with the OP, I would not take my kids that age anywhere on Bourbon St. Too much raunch, and it can erupt right in front of you. IMO Royal is a much better St for kids that age, the part of Royal that is pedestrian only.

This helps a bit, thanks for responding!!

I've never found New Orleans to be particularly unsafe- but I take basic safety precautions and am from the DC area so that's a factor. I actually don't think Bourbon is unsafe per se, but u wouldn't take kids there. It's seedy and a bit tawdry and very crowded. Fights will erupt and drunks will hassle you. Ugh. The Jackson Square area is wonderful and Royal is great for walking around.

shalecki, would you mind please sharing with me what hotel you ae staying in that accepts dogs? I have had a very hard time finding a hotel in New Orleans city proper that accepts dogs. I need to find one as I am taking my French bulldog there in a few months.

With that level of fear, there is little strangers can say to assuage it. We just came back and our Louisiana relatives told us not be out after 9 PM. We stayed in the Quarter and one night we arrived back at 1 AM.

No one can assure another's safety under any circumstance and one should always take precautions but your fear is too deep.

Take them to ride the streetcar up St. Charles Ave.
Aquarium
Audubon Zoo
Paddle wheel boat on the MississippI

We lived in New Orleans when our children were young - so many places to take them for entertainment. You'll have a wonderful time.

http://www.marriott.com/hotel-search....pet-friendly/

http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net/h...leans&state=LA

Thanks Deb. Not so easy...The only two Marriott properties in New Orleans proper (not Metarie or Baton Rouge or Monroe, but NOLA) that takes dogs are the Residence Inn downtown and they charge a $100 nonrefundable fee, even if you stay just one night, and the Ritz Carlton, which has the same type mandatory and non-refundable fee but that one is $150.

I have looked and looked. This will only be for 1 night while I am driving through and stopping overnight to see someone in NOLA-- really would like to avoid an extra $100 or $150 to have the dog sleep in the rm.

Will check out your other link also.