A little further up the river, but just a short taxi or streetcar ride away, is the Garden District. Picture beautiful tree-lined streets and historic houses. It tends to be a little more relaxed and without the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter and the CBD. The historic Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
New Orleans cityscape at dusk with the French Quarter on the right and the Central Business District on the left. Woldenberg Park is in the foreground along with the Mississippi River pier. Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter, is full of people during Mardi Gras, even though this is not the main route of the parade. This is for die-hard partiers only.
For a good night's sleep, stay anywhere else in town for the two weeks leading up to your vacation. New Orleans is especially famous for its luxury boutique hotels and picturesque inns near the French Quarter. In terms of nightlife, if you're looking for a classy club, you'd better stay in the French Quarter. There are plenty of great university and dive bars in this area for casual cocktails or more upscale restaurants that bring life to the Garden District.
The Central Business District of New Orleans is the professional center of the city, with glittering skyscrapers, fun bars and nightlife, open parks and exclusive restaurants scattered throughout the area. When looking for the best places to stay in New Orleans, another important factor to consider is location. Hotels tend to be quieter and more spacious than in the French Quarter, and many meet the needs of business travelers with business centers, Wi-Fi and other useful services. In the Garden District you can find streets full of local and independent stores selling everything from antiques to jewelry and zebras.
One of the best places to stay in the Garden District is the beautiful Sully Mansion bed and breakfast. Known for its diverse heritage, a mix of Africans, Caribbean, French, Spanish, Creoles, Cajun and Native Americans, New Orleans is brimming with cuisine, music, language and architecture not found anywhere else in the world. Spanning 13 blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street (and staying here in a hotel) isn't for the faint of heart. However, the area is quieter than the French Quarter and perhaps a little more exclusive, making it a great place to stay in New Orleans if you want something a little quieter.
Esplanade Ave and its magnificent French Creole houses link Tremé with City Park, an exuberant and extensive green space in Mid-City that houses an art museum, a sculpture garden, botanical gardens and a variety of attractions for children. The nearby Garden District Marketplace is an 8,000-square-foot market that houses up to 90 different vendors selling food, art and crafts, showcasing the many small businesses in and around New Orleans. However, it can be more expensive because everyone wants to stay in the French Quarter and there are a limited number of rooms. You can stay at major branded hotels or check in to a smaller B&B or a boutique hotel, which the Garden District is famous for.
