Where to stay in New Orleans
 

We are planning a Christmas vacation to New Orleans. There will be 2 adults and 4 kids (ages 3-10). We will be driving there so we will have a car. Which part of town is best to stay in? It seems like most of the touristy stuff is in and around the French Quarter. Is it important to stay in the French Quarter or is it easy enough to drive there from another part of town? Hotels in other areas seem to be cheaper. We don't want to spend the extra cost of a hotel in the French Quarter if it's not that important.

Somewhere in the Garden District would work if you want to ride the St. Charles streetcar down to Canal Street.
Walking in the FQ is the best IMO.
Be sure to eat a begniet from Cafe du Monde.

We visited New Orleans post-Christmas in 2014. For our family of 4 (parents with two adult children), it was more important to find an affordable suites hotel than it was to be in the midst of the French Quarter. (Since you are traveling with young children, I would imagine you might like a suites-hotel as well.)

We stayed at the SpringHill Suites at 301 St. Joseph Street which is near the Convention Center. We thought the hotel was very nice and they have rooms with two queen beds and a sofa bed which should be large enough for your family. Parking costs $30 per day.

The hotel is just over a mile from Jackson Square, in the center of the French Quarter. This was not too far for us to walk, but I don't know about you and your kids. It was also just a couple of blocks away from the tram station which runs to the Garden District. We rode the tram or walked everywhere. We drove to NO as well, and only used our car for excursions outside of the city, e.g. Chalmette Battlefield. I don't know what it would be like to drive to the French Quarter and try to park there.

If you take your car to the French Quarter you will have to put it in a garage - so do that only if you are staying there. Otherwise take public transit.

But you should be aware that there are areas with compromised safety very near the tourist areas in NO. So ask your hotel concierge or front desk for a map or the areas that you should limit you sightseeing to and thoe you should avoid - esp with small kids.

We prefer to stay in the Quarter even with a car. It keeps us from wandering into dodgy areas. There is not much public parking in the quarter. There is a public lot but it's small and fill up fast.

One of our favorite hotels is the Dauphine Orleans. It puts you right in the middle of things in the quarter and has parking.

http://www.dauphineorleans.com/?&utm...hine%20orleans

I really loved Le Meridian and it was just a couple blocks outside the Quarter.

Cool rooftop pool.

Whatever you do, don't stay at the Monteleone, a wizened old man.

You need to figure out other logistics too - like what hotels will provide a room for 6.

But no, not everything is in the FQ. City Park has attractions for your hobbits and it's nowhere near the FQ.

The hotels we have been looking at are in the warehouse district. Is this area ok to stay in? One hotel in particular we are looking at is the Hyatt House New Orleans/Downtown.

Yes, the Warehouse District is fine to stay in, but the Hyatt House is a bit of a trek to the Quarter, esp for your little ones. You would do well to take Uber or cabs. Definitely don't try to drive to the Quarter from the Warehouse District - it's not worth the hassle and expense of parking. Let someone else drive!

Map of the streetcars and bus routes. http://www.norta.com/Maps-Schedules/...ules-Maps.aspx
Use the public transit instead of trying to drive and park.

We stayed in the Warehouse District in 2010 and loved the neighborhood. Close o good restaurants, the WWII museum and a lot of art galleries, and out of the mayhem that is the French Quarter. We're staying there again this year.