Safety in NOLA
 

Hi all,<BR><BR>I'am reading all I can find about New Orleans. We'll spend five days there in late February. Travel sites, this one included, warn about some crime. Is this an issue? Dos and donts? Thanks a lot.

During the day you shouldn't have any trouble walking alone and even at night on Bourbon St. However, at night it is always best to stay on main streets and travel in numbers. I've never had any issues in NOLA but had a couple friends that have. It's really no different advice than I'd give for any other major city. Enjoy!

The New Orleans crime rate is similar to that of most cities with one major exception. The city does have a high murder rate, which is concentrated in bad neighborhoods that tourists don't visit. For the French Quarter, Warehouse Dist., Marigny, Garden District, and Uptown, the crime rate is pretty average. Take the same sensible precautions you would anywhere.

A little more specific: I visit the French Quarter about once a year, and the advice I was given before my first trip still holds: do not venture beyond Rampart Street or go into the cemeteries. Ever. Even the guidebooks tell you that. <BR><BR>I ignored that advice only once when I took a city bus to the New Orleans Museum of Art. I was extremely uncomfortable,and took a cab back to my hotel. <BR><BR>Having said that, the New Orleans Museum of Art is rarely mentioned as a destination as it seems most people visit to dine out and to party, but the musuem really is a gem.

All good advice above, stay in &quot;obvious&quot; areas which are well traveled. The Quarter is rarely a problem, often I am walking around after midnight.<BR><BR>The NOLA is a great idea!! I always recommend it to visiters. Get off the usual tourist track and see the other side of New Orleans....NOLA, Magazine Street, Audubon Zoo and park etc.

We've never felt unsafe in the Quarter but at night we do avoid dark side streets. (We stay on Chartres, which is very quiet but sufficiently lit.)<BR>I have read repeatedly that if you visit one of the cemeteries (they're unusal), you should do it with a tour group.<BR>

When I said we &quot;stay on Chatres,&quot; I meant that's where our hotel is - we certainly feel free to walk around the Quarter where people are.

New Orleans has made some significant progess in fighting crime. The NOPD had been one of the lowest paid in the county and that, in part, contributed to the crime problem. A new police chief and better pay for the officer's has helped.<BR><BR>The advice from previous posters makes sense. Don't go past Rampart Street (a major housing project Storyville, sits just a few blocks from there) and definately avoid some of the cemetaries, even during the day. Areas like the Garden District are fine. <BR><BR>In terms of the Quarter, I've never had a problem on about a 1/2 dozen trips in the last 5 years.

Just wanted to say that I am in agreement with everything people said above. Use common sense and stay out of the bad neighborhoods and you'll be fine. If you ever feel uncomfortable on the street, just go into the nearest restaurant, shop, or hotel. Also, in the Quarter, there are lots of cops on foot and on horseback so they are very accessible. They will even escort you back to your hotel if you are staying in the Quarter or make sure you get into a cab if you are staying outside the Quarter. The most common crimes in the Quarter that I have heard of are pickpockets and purse snatchings. So when I went out at night, I left my purse at the hotel and just carried an ID and a little cash.

Was in NO with my 2 kids a couple years ago. We did not rent a car just walked around the FQ and took the streetcars up and down St. Charles. We were never out really late of course but we did come home late evenings sometimes. There is always so much activity in the FQ we felt completely comfortable but we stuck to the main streets, no dark side streets.

To KenCT. I quote you &quot;I ignored that advice only once when I took a city bus to the New Orleans Museum of Art. I was extremely uncomfortable,and took a cab back to my hotel.&quot;<BR>My NO buddies for next weekend are big on flea markets &amp; Cafe du Monde. I wanted to go to NOMA Saturday morning by myself. I assumed I would take a bus up Esplande. Safety problem? <BR>

I've taken the same bus to the museum and can't imagine why KenCT was nervous. It was a fine, air conditioned bus and the other passengers were fine. Most were just commuting from work, reading the paper, etc. The Esplanade is beautiful, so enjoy the homes along the way.

Hi again,<BR> <BR>I started this thread. Many thanks to all of you for the great advice. Your help is greatly appreciated. <BR><BR>If I may, I would like to ask you two more questions:<BR><BR>We will be staying four full days and two half days in New Orleans. Would a day trip to Baton Rouge be worth it? We would be renting a car and leave early in the morning, stay over night and then drive back to New Orleans and spend our last half day there. How does this sound to you?<BR><BR>Thanks again, guys :)<BR><BR>MS

Well, I visited the quarter in 1990 with no problem, stayed at the Monteleone.<BR><BR>However, when I visited in spring of 2000, my daughter and I made the mistake of walking home after dinner at 8 pm and we were robbed at gunpoint, not more than 100 feet away from a busy neighborhood store near Royal St. <BR>I advise you to cab it anywhere after dark especially if you're not traveling with several people. Don't carry a purse like I did; according to a local, that was one of my main mistakes- and the other was walking on the side of the street where the cars were parked, blocking our escape.<BR>According to many of the local store personnel, police were understating the crime risk due to a drop in tourism.<BR>Please be VERY careful- it's a wonderful city to visit, but don't feel too relaxed about walking after dark beyond heavily populated streets. Trust me, we were within a short distance of a LOT of people when this happened. Use the cabs.

I think 4 days wouldn't be enough time to justify a trip to Baton Rouge. We've done it but we were staying 5 days in the Quarter, then had another week to go to St. Francisville and Baton Route.<BR>New Orleans has so much to see and do (including day trips to nearby plantations and swamps) that 4 days will easily be quite full for you.

To Jane and Susan, my discomfort taking a city bus to NOLA from the FQ may have had something to do with the time of day. School had apparently just let out and the bus was jammed with kids, many of whom were loud, horsing around, etc. It might be different at different times.<BR><BR>When I visit New Orleans, I usually get a Visitour pass, unlimited travel on the streetcars and busses. I particularly like the trolley which does a circuit around the FQ every fifteen minutes or so. So I do take the buses quite regularly.<BR><BR>Nevertheless, that trip to NOMA has made be think twice about where I'm going and the time of day that I'm going there.

I meant to enter NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art) instead of NOLA.

&lt;&lt;&lt;The advice from previous posters makes sense. Don't go past Rampart Street (a major housing project Storyville, sits just a few blocks from there&gt;&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>No such project as Storyville (which was a &quot;red-light district&quot; many, many years ago...that housing project is Iberville. Either way, stay well away from there. <BR><BR>I live in NO, work downtown, and take usual precautions for a big city, and enjoy your stay!!<BR><BR>Anne

About the day trip to BR...I wouldn't bother. It's a quick trip (a little over an hour), so can easily be done in a day (I go back &amp; forth every day on weekends for LSU softball games), but if I was visiting NO, I'd stay here.<BR><BR>Anne

If I were planning a day trip, I'd head for the plantations instead of Baton Rouge.