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Bayou St. John

4.8 (27 reviews)

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Dominik D.

Walk, run, or heck swim, your way to City Park from here. It helps you see the neighborhood better than if you took bigger roads. Don't ignore the houses, some of them are really nice and all of them have a lot of NOLA character to them.

July 4th on Bayou St. John, Krewe of Kolossos, 2013
Jen B.

Bayou St. John is a lovely waterway that curls through Mid-City and provides so many lovely areas to walk, bike, exercise (you or your dog), sit and watch the world go by, picnic, play volleyball, float your raft or kayak, catch a festival (see: Bayou Boogaloo), watch ducks and other water fowl & an occasional alligator, and so much more. Throughout the year a number of celebrations occur on and around Bayou St. John. Bayou Boogaloo, a funny and weird water 'parade' on the 4th of July (see: Krewe of Kolossos), birthday parties, weddings, memorial celebration, voodoo celebrations, & family gatherings. One of my favorite things to do with visitors is grab a po-boy from Parkway bakery and sit on the banks of the bayou and enjoy a beautiful day in the best neighborhood around.

Andi F.

This area has a rich history in the life of New Orleans. I am not even sure where to begin with this area. I can't begin to fill in the details properly for the history, the impact on the life and culture of the area, so I will be throwing in some links to fill you in and I won't have to come up with some creative way to reword what others have written so prolifically on. This area of the city, between Mid-City, City Park, parts of the Quarter, is filled with restaurants and things to do, sprinkled in with fun festivals. In my imagination, this is where I live. So many things. It is serene and peaceful. I would love to be proposed to by the Magnolia Bridge, or have a small wedding there. The sunsets are beautiful here. The neighborhood surrounding is a prime location to be close to everything important. A history of how New Orleans life has been influenced by this area is detailed here: http://www.pontchartrain.net/491204 A detailed history about this area is listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_St._John A less detailed history is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_St._John,_New_Orleans The Magnolia Bridge crosses over the Bayou and is listed here for YELP: https://www.yelp.com/biz/magnolia-bridge-new-orleans and is detailed even further in this article: http://gonola.com/things-to-do-in-new-orleans/things-to-do/gonola-find-magnolia-bridge-at-bayou-st-john The Bayou Boogaloo is held every year in the spring here. It is quite fun with several sound stages, food, drinks and trinkets to buy. http://www.thebayouboogaloo.com/ and https://www.yelp.com/biz/mid-city-bayou-boogaloo-new-orleans-2 give all of the necessary details. Come down and take a look for yourself. Don't take my word for it.

Bayou St. John Triathlon Fall 1985
Fifi Z.

Fall 1985, Bayou St. John Triathlon! Canoe, bike run! Fifi and Be! Every Fall & Spring! They need to bring this back!

Carly S.

What an amazing neighborhood biking/hiking/watersport/relaxing spot. It extends from Lafitte Street and Jefferson Davis in Mid-City all the way out to Lake Ponchartrain; hence the history as a shipping channel for the city of New Orleans. If you drive toward the lake down Carrollton/Wisner until it turns into Beauregard, you can actually walk around what remains of Fort St. John, which was built in 1701 to protect the bayou. As activites go, I love to walk here, though the only real spots with trails/sidewalk are on the Wisner section past City Park. If you enjoy kayaking, canoeing, or stand up paddle-boarding then this is definitely your spot. You can even rent a kayak at certain spots on the bayou. There are also a few clubs that meet to enjoy sports like running, volleyball, and bicycling all along the bayou. And then, of course, you can just party on the banks of the water. Bring a grill, drinks and friends and sit under a tree anytime you want--who doesn't love that? Did I mention that there is a festival that basically just celebrates partying on the bayou? It is called Bayou Boogaloo and it is wonderful. In a nutshell, this place is awesome and I'm so glad to live close enough to enjoy it!

Moonlight evening on the Bayou.
Steve F.

It's nice to be able to do one's evening perambulations along one of the most historic waterways in the country. As Ryan pointed out, it's the reason New Orleans exists in the first place, and for that, it should be honored. I've been walking along the bayou almost every evening for over a year and I never tire of it. There's the rare summer breeze that materializes after dark, making those July and August evenings a bit more tolerable. Earlier in the day there are families out, and always runners, walkers, and dog walkers out on the banks. Springtime sees clusters of our growing Mid City young professional (I won't say hipster) population picnicking on crawfish along the banks. It's hard to imagine what it was like as a busy working port for so much of its history. Now it's just an idyllic spot to enjoy.

Beautiful sunset on da bayou!

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Review Highlights - Bayou St. John

Even when Iived in Uptown I spent half my time in Mid-City because my of my friends lived down here.

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Frenchmen Street Corridor - Pool at The Frenchmen Hotel

Frenchmen Street Corridor

4.3(119 reviews)
3.5 kmMarigny

The eastern border of the French Quarter, these few blocks are packed with a variety of…read morerestaurants, bars, tattoo parlors and alleys that have art and other goods for sale, this is a lovely place to wander day and night. There is always something going on. Always music playing, food being served. I always suggest this to visitors from out of town as an experience away from Bourbon Street. This is a more refined nightlife. Close enough to all other popular locations. I could spend an entire evening within the confines of these 3-4 blocks and be fully entertained. Some of the event venues you can eat in the dining area and listen to the music in the next room.

My sister's Bach party and I stayed right in the heart of the French Quarter. After a fun,…read morefriendly, slightly drunk, chaotic night on Bourbon Street, we were looking for something more chill. We heard that Frenchmen Street offers a good amount of jazz music, so we headed over. Funny enough, we were a little late getting there and ended up at Café Negril because most places were either super packed or had a cover charge. (Feel free to look them up for my review!) - Dope live reggae band and no cover charge! Overall, Frenchmen Street was quite a fun experience. We enjoyed the lively music and vibrant atmosphere. Even better, we decided to walk back to our Airbnb--which was about a mile or so--and the whole area felt safe, even late at night. Definitely a great spot to unwind and soak in some authentic jazz vibes after a wild night on Bourbon!

Photos
Frenchmen Street Corridor - Pic taken on 09.26.24

Pic taken on 09.26.24

Frenchmen Street Corridor
Frenchmen Street Corridor

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French Market - Oyster Bar at French Market

French Market

3.7(876 reviews)
3.5 kmFrench Quarter
$$

Costume jewelry, artwork, brickabrac, t shirts booths, Mardi Gras trinkets and masks, graphic…read moreplaying cards, cute printed colorful or revealing dresses for sale. This past year I've had a thing for purchasing copper jewelry- most bracelets from South Korea, Mexico City, Tijuana and Mt. Charleston. Wondered if anyone ever made copper necklaces. I saw a few vendors that had thick linked chains. I bought the medium $45 length- tax is high in New Orleans. Far cry from dainty but copper is supposed to be good for arthritis and health. Ok let's see.

It's been around since 1791, but the six blocks that make up the French Market don't yield much in…read morelocal historical value. Congested with wandering tourists, most of the vendors sell items that could be found at any flea market in the country. A lot of the souvenirs and clothing fell way short in reflecting authentic New Orleans craftsmanship. I was hoping for a market more along the lines of Barcelona's La Boqueria with bounties of fresh produce and appetizing edibles, but there was just a row of fast food kiosks beyond the beignets at Cafe du Monde. Without a doubt, the highlight of the market was the strolling groups of musicians randomly playing jazz to enraptured tourists. RELATED - Exploring New Orleans? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/IvmEoOrXVB

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French Market
French Market - Photo 1: Montage of images from the French Market

Photo 1: Montage of images from the French Market

French Market - Photo 10: French Market

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Photo 10: French Market

Canal Street

Canal Street

4.3(6 reviews)
2.7 kmCentral Business District

Canal street has changed over the years. It used to be a mix of department stores and tourist…read moretraps. Department stores have changed into hotel now, so mostly only tourist traps remain. Especially since Adlers Jewelry Store closed after so many years. The first time I went to NOLA, the riverfront was mostly vacant and run down. There was a dead rat we named and spoke to every day..."Norman - your looking a little flatter today" Now there's malls, casino, restaurants, fountains, and a park running along the river. Streetcars will get you up and down the street for a nominal fare (get the 24 hour pass) And enjoy one of America's top streets!

On a map of New Orleans you'll see the French Quarter that has all the cool history and…read morearchitecture that you're looking for when you visit. Further south you'll see a bunch of government buildings, hotels, and modern looking buildings. The street that divides these two sections is Canal Street. A canal was originally planned for this divide in the 1800s and although it was never built, the street that ended up getting built took the "canal" name. Nowadays it is the main street in the shopping district of New Orleans with shopping malls like Canal Place and further down the Riverwalk Outlets. Besides shopping there are plenty of hotels and other places of entertainment like the Sazerac House (I highly recommend you check this out), theaters, a casino, and the Audubon Aquarium. It's only a short walk from the French Quarter and Bourbon Street so you'll likely find yourself roaming these streets during your visit to New Orleans.

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Canal Street
Canal Street
Canal Street

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China Lights

China Lights

4.6(8 reviews)
1.8 kmCity Park

So beautiful!! For me, this was definitely a must see. It's in lovely City Park, so there's that…read moregoing for it right off the bat. The lights themselves are creative and cool and just fascinatingly gorgeous. I agree that the dragon, fish and pagoda are the big highlights here. Experiencing those alone are worth the admission price, in my opinion. We didn't partake in the food here-so I can't comment on that and for some reason Storyland was closed on a Saturday night unlike Celebration in the Oaks...so that was strange, but all in all I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it.

I am so excited! I enjoyed China Lights so much I went twice in a week!…read more First off, yes it's $18 but it's worth it- there is a lot going on, it's really enjoyable and you can make an evening out of it. There are a few different layers to China Lights, so let me hit them one by one. The lantern lights: This is the main attraction. Gorgeous lit up lanterns of all types that illuminate the Botanical Gardens. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I loved the panda bears and the penguins. Some of y'all know that penguins have a special place in my heart since I got to cuddle some once at the aquarium. I also loved the big light up ducks that were in a reflecting pool and moving around on a little track. I'm doing a terrible job at describing it, but trust me it's beautiful. It's really hard to describe how amazing the lights are in person and I can only imagine how much work this whole exhibit took to put together from the planning to the execution. It was definitely worth the work! The performances: In the tent where they serve the food they have nightly performances at 6:30 and 8:00. We caught the 8:00 show and the performers are straight from China. This is what they do for a living and it shows. First there were three young ladies who did acrobatics while spinning plates, the next man was a juggler who was only 18 but is an expert at juggling rings, there were contortionists who could do crazy bendy things and there was even a clown. The show lasts about 20 minutes or so and it was fantastic! These people are amazingly talented and I am so glad I got to see something like this in person. The food: I got a burger. It was a burger. Who cares? The star of the food show is the muffaletta egg rolls. Oh yeah, we are talking muffaletta goodies wrapped in a wonton and fried- totally healthy, right? OH MY GAAAAAH. So, I am going to have to go back just to get this egg roll again. It was incredible and I really should have just eaten this and called it a day. Seriously though, is there anywhere in NOLA that makes this so I can like have it on a regular basis? Please advise. All in all, I loved China Lights. It was a lot of fun and the weather is perfect for it right now. I went on both a weeknight and a weekend. I would suggest going on a weeknight because there are way fewer people and the lines to get tickets, food, bathroom, etc. are a lot shorter/non-existent. I will be back before May 1st and I hope that City Park makes this an annual thing.

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China Lights
China Lights
China Lights

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Bourbon Street - I finally made it to New Orleans lol

Bourbon Street

3.4(436 reviews)
2.9 kmFrench Quarter

A great way to walk around history. This place is intriguing and mysterious. From street hustlers…read moreto the bars, restaurants and people from all over the world. A great place to have fun and get lost in time at. It's been 26 years since I last was here and hope it won't take this long to return again!

When in New Orleans, Bourbon Street is bound to be on your Big Easy bingo card. So after my husband…read moreand I checked into our hotel, we decided to ring-in our getaway with a quick stop by Bourbon Street. STAR #1 - There's a variety of boozy haunts along Bourbon Street to ensure that your glass is never empty. My husband insisted that I try a hand grenade during our trip. So We made our way to Tropical Isle to check that off the bucket list. For those that haven't tried one, let's call it a Cajun Long Island. STAR #2 - There are some solid places to grab a bite on Bourbon Street. Let's say I'm a big fan of po boys and I def ate my fill. I highly recommend checking out NOLA Po Boys, and don't you dare skip the bisque. Legit next level YUM! STAR #3 - I really enjoy taking in the architecture and local flavor of any city I visit. Bourbon Street def gives you both and more! From taking in the beautiful balconies, the super cool street art, and the nearby cultural haunts - Bourbon Street probably has a little something for everyone. We're gonna refrain from going into detail on the takeaways directly, but let's say that it's not Bourbon Street without a show. There were sights to be seen... And it's not a visit to Bourbon Street without a show. While Bourbon Street is definitely something to experience; it's not on my must-visit list next time I find myself in The Big Easy.

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Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street - 1/01/2025 Memorial

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1/01/2025 Memorial

Bayou St. John - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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