The French Quarter (Vieux Carré) is home to the oldest streets in New Orleans.
While The Garden District is filled with opulent mansions, the streets/rues of the Quarter tell the stories of the Creole working class.
This entire district is a National Historic Landmark, and each of its buildings is filled with its own fascinating (often haunted) history.
A truly American city, New Orleans and the streets of the French Quarter are a melting pot of cultures, characters, and traditions.
Grab your black ankle boots, these are the streets of New Orleans explained:
Why I’m Qualified to Write This Guide to French Quarter Streets
I’ve always been captivated by the rues of the French Quarter. I’ve wandered them for years, desperate to learn the stories hidden in every crooked brick and cast-iron balcony.
I know them intimately, and I love sharing their secrets.
Also, I’ve been to NOLA dozens of times (and stages of life), collaborated with the talented local tour guide, NOLA Tour Guy, and am just… a New Orleans enthusiast tbh.
What is a Rue?
In the French Quarter, streets are still called ‘Rues’ (French for streets). Each Rue of the French Quarter is like a petal on a rose- unique yet inseparably part of a whole.
Read: What to Wear in New Orleans by the Month
Bourbon Street
The city’s motto is ‘Let the Good Times Roll‘ (Laissez les bon temps rouler, in French), and nowhere is this more obvious than on Bourbon Street.
With neon lights, bars, strip clubs, blaring music, and forever dressed in parade vibes, Bourbon Street is a French Quarter essential.
Here’s the first thing you need to know about Bourbon Street: it’s not named after booze (but what are the odds, really!?) but after the French ruling family of the time, the House of Bourbon.
The next thing you need to know about Bourbon is that you won’t find many locals here; this street is mainly for tourists and visitors.
Some of my fav places to party on Bourbon
- Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar (built around 1722, the oldest structure used as a bar in the US)
- The Famous Door for dancing and drink specials
- My Bar at 635 for easy balcony access
Note:
The French Quarter is one of the few places in the US where possession of alcohol in open containers is allowed on the street. Glass containers are not allowed.
Read: The Bourbon Street Bucket List
Rue Royal
Think opulence, refinement, and rarity.
Art galleries, antique shops, and fine dining are what you’ll find on Royal Street.
This area of the quarter has been listed as one of the most expensive places in the world to shop, but it is definitely worth a visit, even if you can only window shop.
Though Royal runs parallel to Bourbon Street, you won’t find many other similarities. Royal is (French Quarter) quiet and is the most art-centric of the rues.
Must-Stops on Rue Royal
- Antiquing at M.S. Rau
- The (slightly macabre) Myth Gallery
- The famously haunted and mysterious LaLaurie Mansion
Note:
Each afternoon, 3 blocks of Royal Street, between St. Louis and St. Ann Streets, are closed to traffic to create a pedestrian zone.
Read: 11 Creepy, Haunted Places in New Orleans
Rue Decatur
Decatur begins at Canal Street and ends in the hip Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.
Once called “Levee Street“ (Rue de la Levée), this was the original location of the levee.
The river changed its course in 1870, and the street was renamed Decatur. In the late 20th century, lower Decatur Street became a center of the local punk subculture. It contains many musical venues and is not far from Faubourg Marigny’s Frenchmen Street venues.
The most famous sights on Decatur Street:
- Jackson Square
- Café du Monde
- Tujague’s is the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans
- How to pronounce Decatur
Read:
Rue Chartres
This French Quarter street cuts right through Jackson Square. Rue Chartres is also home to must-see museums, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum and The Cabildo.
The most notable spot on Chartres is the St. Louis Cathedral, the longest continuously operating cathedral in the US and one of NOLA’s most known gems.
Don’t miss these shopping spots on Rue Chartres-
- Crescent City Books is a used bookstore known for its hard-to-find titles and antique maps.
- United Apparel Liquidators is where you’ll find luxury designers discounted by up to 90%.
- How to pronounce Chartres
Read: Guide to the Garden District of NOLA
Rue Dauphine
Like many streets in New Orleans, this rue got its name from the wife of a French royal heir.
Dauphine runs downstream into Bywater and hosts excellent bars and clubs, such as the LGBTQ-friendly Good Friends Bar.
While on Dauphine Street, get your fill of mortician equipment and graphic crime scene footage at The Museum of Death.
Take a visit (or enjoy a stay!) at the luxurious and haunted Dauphine Orleans.
Read: How to Visit New Orleans on a Budget
Rue Du Rampart
Rue Du Rampart is the northern border of the French Quarter.
This street runs across Esplanade Avenue, flows through the Marigny neighborhood, and continues into the Bywater neighborhood.
The name comes from the wall, or “Rampart” (Rempart in French), built in the city’s early years to protect New Orleans from attackers.
Today, Rampart has great bars and restaurants (don’t miss the Bar Tonique for cocktails) and an entrance to Armstrong Park.
Safety Tip: The edges of the Quarter can get rowdy at times. Stay vigilant and stay strapped with pepper spray.
Read: Where to Park in the French Quarter
Rue St. Ann
This French Quarter street is known for 2 things-
- The House of the Voodoo Queen. Some say Marie’s Laveaus’ spirit inhabits 1020 St. Ann Street, which was built on the foundation of her cottage. This book covers the Queen’s full story.
- The TV show NCIS has its headquarters on St. Ann between Royal and Bourbon streets. The actual set is in Jefferson Parish, but fans of the series can visit its exterior entrance on Rue St. Ann. Find it on Google.
Tip: Rue St. Ann is also great for finding cheap hotels within the Quarter.
Read: Best Souvenirs in New Orleans
Rue Toulouse
Check out the discreet alley passageway to The Dungeon, a goth club with a rumored ghost in the bathroom.
At the Mississippi River, you’ll see the docking place for the Steamboat Natchez, a classy riverboat known for its incredible Creole cuisine and live jazz cruises.
Read: The Food Guide to New Orleans
Frequently Asked Questions
Every street in the French Quarter is safe so long as you practice basic travel safety, like not keeping things in your back pocket, avoiding sketchy people, etc., Bourbon, Royal, and the more heavily trafficked parts of the Quarter will have the most police presence and fellow tourists.
– Along North Peters, there are large lighted lots at Toulouse and Decatur.
– St. Peter and Decatur is the entrance to the French Market parking lot.
– Just at the downriver border of the Quarter is another French Market lot at the corner of Decatur and Elysian Fields.
Without a doubt, the most famous street in the French Quarter is Bourbon. Of all the rues in the French Quarter, you can’t come to New Orleans without at least walking down Bourbon Street.
The oldest street in the French Quarter is Bourbon Street, which dates back to 1718.
– New Orleans’ Garden District is famous for its architecture, ghosts, and gardens.
– Check out the gaunted sites that New Orleans is known for.
Read: My Unbiased Review of Le Richelieu Hotel in New Orleans
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So those are the streets of New Orleans.
Do you have a question that wasn’t answered here? Let me know in the comments below 🙂
