New Orleans/Central Business District

The Central Business District (CBD) is the part of New Orleans similar to what many cities call "Downtown" (though in New Orleans this term is often used to refer to a broad portion of the city down river from Canal Street). Just "up" (meaning up the Mississippi River) from the French Quarter is the CBD. Like many other large American cities, this area has skyscrapers and modern office towers housing cooperate and regional offices; however some interesting 19th-century architecture is also preserved. The area also has hotels, residences, restaurants, museums, and art galleries. Located here are the Morial Convention center, Lee Circle, Champion Square, and the gigantic Caesars Superdome. The main avenues are Canal Street, Poydras Street, Loyola Ave and St. Charles Ave.



Some locals and guidebooks still refer to the CBD or the older part of it as the American Quarter, as it was the first part of town settled by large numbers of people from other parts of the United States, as opposed to the older French Quarter.

The portion of the "CBD" nearer the river is often called the "Old Warehouse District" or Warehouse District. In the late 20th century many of the 19th-century warehouses were converted into condominiums, art galleries, and restaurants.

See

 * Art galleries line Julia Street. Evenings of the first Saturday of the month are festive with new exhibits opening.


 * Walking tours of the buildings of the Old American Quarter.
 * Walking tours of the buildings of the Old American Quarter.
 * Walking tours of the buildings of the Old American Quarter.
 * Walking tours of the buildings of the Old American Quarter.

Live entertainment

 * Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue). Casual bar with local rock and other bands.
 * FQB, on the 3rd floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal. Th-Sa nights jazz bands and singers, in the style and atmosphere of an upscale pre-World War II jazz club. They serve good meals as well. Not cheap, but truly swank.

Buy

 * Art at the galleries along Julia Street.

Budget

 * Mothers 401 Poydras. Great "po' boys" (New Orleans style sandwiches); Located at Poydras @ Tchoupitoulas in the lower CBD. Try the "debris" po'boy, made with the bits of beef that remain in the pan once the main cut is removed. The bread pudding is also famous and very good. Weekday lunch crowd of local business people, but the line moves fast.
 * Mothers 401 Poydras. Great "po' boys" (New Orleans style sandwiches); Located at Poydras @ Tchoupitoulas in the lower CBD. Try the "debris" po'boy, made with the bits of beef that remain in the pan once the main cut is removed. The bread pudding is also famous and very good. Weekday lunch crowd of local business people, but the line moves fast.
 * Mothers 401 Poydras. Great "po' boys" (New Orleans style sandwiches); Located at Poydras @ Tchoupitoulas in the lower CBD. Try the "debris" po'boy, made with the bits of beef that remain in the pan once the main cut is removed. The bread pudding is also famous and very good. Weekday lunch crowd of local business people, but the line moves fast.

Coffee and snacks

 * PJ's Coffee popular local chain with locations at 622 Canal Street and 644 Camp Street.

Mid-range

 * Tomas Bistro 755 Tchoupitoulas. Contemporary Creole. Dinner nightly. +1 504 527-0942
 * Tomas Bistro 755 Tchoupitoulas. Contemporary Creole. Dinner nightly. +1 504 527-0942
 * Tomas Bistro 755 Tchoupitoulas. Contemporary Creole. Dinner nightly. +1 504 527-0942
 * Tomas Bistro 755 Tchoupitoulas. Contemporary Creole. Dinner nightly. +1 504 527-0942

Drink

 * Circle Bar, 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue). Casual joint with good jukebox

Sleep
Numerous hotels are in this part of town.

Go next
The convenient location of the neighborhood, especially the area between Rampart and the river, allows easy access to other parts of town: walk across Canal Street and you're in the upper part of the French Quarter. Take the red Canal Streetcar line away from the river to the attractions of Mid-City, or in the other direction the end of the line and you're at the edge of Faubourg Marigny. The green St. Charles Streetcar line takes you to Uptown and Carrollton. The ferry at the foot of Canal Street (free for pedestrians, $1 for cars) will take you across the Mississippi to the Algiers neighborhood, and give you a scenic budget mini-cruise of the River in the process.