New Orleans neighborhoods & hotels - 2
 

Do you know anything about the Central Business District? I have a rate of $79/ night, 4-night total $355, at 2 hotels in basically the same area. <BR>1-Comfort Inn DT-Superdome at 1315 Gravier St bet Loyola Ave & LaSalle St. They have shuttle service into the French Quarter but don’t think they have one coming back. Is this a safe neighborhood? Is the hotel decent? Money is definitely an issue so looking for clean & safe & anything beyond that is a bonus! <BR>2-Sleep Inn CBD at 334 O’Keefe Ave bet Union & Pardido Sts. They also have shuttle service into the FQ but nothing coming back. I realize this is just a bed & a bath. Like I said, looking for clean & safe. Is walking 3 blks off Canal, away from the FQ, suicide? Will I be spending a fortune on cabs? <BR> <BR>Other hotel options available to me: <BR>3-Quality Inn Maison St. Charles at 1319 St. Charles Ave bet Clio St & MLKing Blvd (approx). Rate there is $89/ night, 4-night total $400. I’ve read some nice things about this hotel & nothing dissenting. Is it that wonderful? Any ideas, personal experiences would be helpful. <BR>4-Hotel St Pierre at 911 Burgundy in the FQ. The rate here is $109/ night for 3 nights & $79 for one week day night, for total of $455. Especially interested in any first hand experiences here, looking for reason not to spend the money! Seriously though, is it worth it? <BR> <BR>This is my first real vacation, certainly the first alone, so looking for a good trip, safe & pleasant. Do not want to be dealing with irate service people at the hotel, a battle to get my bath cleaned, etc! Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. <BR>

The CBD hotels are pretty close to each other - maybe a couple of blocks apart, but I'd go for the O'Keefe location. O'Keefe actually turns into Burgundy once you cross Canal, so it's a few blocks closer to the Quarter than the Gravier location. Don't worry if there's not a shuttle coming back, a cab ride is only going to cost you $5 from anywhere in the Quarter. I'd definitely take a cab though - especially late at night or if you're walking alone after dark. It's not that they are in a particularly BAD neighborhood, it's just a bit deserted at night - kind of creepy, I guess. As for St. Pierre, I like the location. I live across the street from it - and I feel pretty safe here. Nice residential neighborhood, not too many disturbances, no neon, no bar on every corner. The St. Pierre seems like a nice, quiet place - but I haven't stayed there. There were some prior posts on this board by somebody who had some money stolen from their room there - but hey, you shouldn't leave money in ANY hotel room anywhere - that's just a given. The upside of this place is that you can walk everywhere in the Quarter OR - the FQ shuttle bus has a stop a block away. The shuttle makes a loop through the Quarter, into the CBD and down to the Convention Center on the river then back passing by the Aquarium and Jackson Square. It runs every 15 minutes until 6 on weekdays and 5 on week-ends - $1.25 or $5 for a day pass. I don't know much about the St. Charles hotel you mentioned, but that's right on the streetcar line which would get you to and from the Quarter. This may be the place for you if you want to see some of uptown. If you are going to spend most of your time in the Quarter, I'd stay in it or closer to it. Hope this helps. Please let me know if you need any more info.

PSST! We lived in N.O. for almost 5 years. My serious advice to you is, if you want to be in the French Quarter, get a hotel there. It is not safe to walk anywhere in N.O. outside of the French Quarter in the late evening. Since tourism is the life blood of N.O. they put all their law inforcement there, and it is a very safe place to be. However, there are public projects just outside of the quarter (Desire) that I would not want to walk about in even in the daytime. Busses and trolleys are okay, only if you don't have to walk away after you get off, or wait for them in the dark. Not to scare you, but N.O. was, at the time we lived there, known as the "murder capitol of the world". It is a good idea to exercise extreme caution.

Julie is a bit shrill with her "murder capital of the world" statement (high crime rates of the U.S. pale compare to South Africa and some South American cities, for example!) but you should know that crime is down over 50% since 1994. You can walk comfortably in many more places than you could then. The Central Business District and Faubourg Marigny neighborhoods are becoming "the" places to stay because of the noise and expense of the Quarter. If you can afford it, however, the Quarter's the way to go!

It's me again. Ok latest updates: St. Pierre doesn't sound safe (stealing by maids) and the Sleep Inn-CBD has no trans into FQ, so I'd be cabbing it both ways or walking to Canal where I can catch public trans -- sounds too iffy. Le Pavillon has a promo rate of $105/ night each night -- is it worth it, or for that amount should I be able to stay IN the FQ? Also, has anyone stayed there, is it good neighborhood, safe, convenient, etc? Also looking at the Olde Town Inn, which is in the other direction! Rate: $90/ night, no frills. Help! <BR> <BR>And thank you, sincerely, for all the help you've offered so far.

Olde Town Inn is located in a residential neighborhood in the other direction from the Quarter. The area is not terribly tourist-friendly and that St. Claude/Elysian Fields area is not where I'd suggest you stay...higher than average crime. Le Pavillon is past Sleep Inn, so that doesn't help either. When are you coming down? If it's during a high demand period, you're gonna have a really difficult time finding accommodations under $100 in a great area.

Hi. Last July, I stayed at the St. Charles Inn at 3636 St. Charles Ave (899-8888). It is not near the French Quarter, but the streetcar stop practically outside the door made travel very convenient. The hotel was comfortable and the staff friendly. I was on my own to attend a librarians' conference & was happy I stayed there.

Thanks, Heather, but that's a little too far away. <BR> <BR>Coming first weekend of Feb for my birthday -- like a week before Mardi Gras parades start.

Just booked the Hotel Villa Convento on Ursuline St. Read it was a good hotel, others had had good experiences there, & the rate was right! As is location. First time in a B&B for me. Keeping fingers crossed!

Good decision.

Theresa, you'll love Villa Convento and that entire area of the Quarter. Excellent choice! More and more people are staying near Esplanade Avenue because of the neighborhood feel...let us know what you think when you get back!

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I got back on Tuesday and am already planning my next trip to NO! I had a fantastic time and thank you, thank you, thank you for your help & advice. The day I left I drove past the Ramada where I'd originally intended to stay. Yikes! It's not 'across from' a highway, it's ON the highway! The Villa Convento was nice, the people were lovely. I didn't realize they were under construction; made day-sleeping difficult, and you know I wasn't missing a moment of the nightlife, so I just did without sleep for a couple of days! I'd stay there again but would want a room fronting the street, rather than an interior one. Those stairs are just a little to rickety; I used the elevator as much as possible.

I've heard the Ramada on Canal is pretty cheap, is it a nice hotel?

Teresa--so glad you had a good time and that your New Orleans trip was memorable! Come back soon. <BR> <BR>Betty - yes, the Ramada on Canal is cheap. And yes, it's terrible. It gets extremely poor reviews on every travel board I've seen. Stay elsewhere!

CBD can be isolated at night and on weekends and totally lacks ambience & you will spend a bit on cabs! <BR>I have a B&B in my home in a great historic neighborhood (Algiers Point)located across the river from the French Quarter...just a free ferry ride away, walking distance!! Please visit our web site @ www.HouseOfTheRisingSunBnB.com <BR>Reasonable rates ($85-125) and warm hospitality! <BR>Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler