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Car Free Journeys – New Orleans By Steve Atlas Car Free Journey: December, 2011 By Steve Atlas This Month’s Spotlighted City: New Orleans, LA New Orleans is well known for its annual Mardi Gras celebration, and for being the birthplace of jazz. But the city is more than Mardi Gras and jazz. It’s also grand Greek revival mansions of the Garden District, river cruises on the Mississippi River, parks, festivals, a college community (Tulane and Loyola), and of course the famed French Quarter with its music, restaurants, and bars. Unfortunately, a weekend here is never long enough.
Getting Here From the Airport
On weekends, the E-2’s only stop in New Orleans is the Mid-City stop at South Carrolton and Tulane Avenues. From there, you can get the 39 bus to downtown New Orleans (Saratoga and Canal). Or you can walk about 10 minutes to South Carrolton and Canal, and catch the Canal Streetcar. (If you want to visit Audubon Park and its zoo before going downtown, RTA’s route 32 goes from the Mid City stop directly to Audubon Park.) Visit the Jefferson Transit website, www.jeffersontransit.org for E2 schedules to the airport, or the RTA website www.norta.com for transit in New Orleans. From the Train Station and Bus Terminal Three Amtrak trains serve New Orleans: The Crescent (daily from Washington D.C. and Atlanta), the City of New Orleans (daily from Chicago), and the Sunset Limited (three times each week from Los Angeles and San Antonio). Greyhound buses also stop at the Union Passenger Terminal on Loyola Ave., next to I-10. From the Union Passenger Terminal, RTA bus 28 will take you downtown. Take any bus going toward South Rampart and (North) Canal. (Buses don’t operate on Sundays after 6 p.m. on this route.) Where to Stay New Orleans' French Quarter, Downtown and Warehouse/Arts Districts are all great locations to stay without a car. New Orleans is a very "walkable" city, and by staying in these areas, visitors have easy access to the areas of town where activities are more popular. However, visitors staying in the Garden District/Uptown areas do have the advantage of being close to the St. Charles streetcar line. The historic St. Charles streetcars run through these districts and drop off visitors at the edge of the French Quarter on Canal Street. It's only $1.25 each way, but make sure you have exact change.
You can rent bicycles at the American Bicycle Rental Company (www.ambrec.com, or call toll-free (866) 293-4037), located at 317 Burgundy Street. View a city bicycle trail map at: http://nolacycle.noladata.org/. Taxi rates are $3.50 plus $2 per mile (.25 per one-eighth mile) thereafter. There is also an additional charge of $1.00 per passenger after the first passenger. During peak visitor times (including Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest) taxi rates are $5 per person or the meter rate, whichever is greater.
What to Do There is so much to do—and so little time to do it. You will probably want to spend at least one evening in the famed French Quarter, sampling the bars and music. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends that anyone interested in music should visit Frenchmen Street, also known as the local's Bourbon Street. The clubs that line this street give you a sample of every genre of music, including brass, jazz and zydeco. Fabulous food is a bonus at many of these places. Consider a boat trip on the Mississippi. The Steamboat Natchez (www.steamboatnatchez.com/) and Creole Queen (www.creolequeen.com/ offer daily cruises and dinner cruises, and a New Year's Eve dinner. Consider an organized tour. (http://www.neworleanscvb.com/things-to-do/tours/directory/). For a detailed list of attractions, and suggested itineraries, visit www.neworleanscvb.com. We recommend a ride on one or all New Orleans streetcar lines and a short ferry ride across the Mississippi on the free Canal Street to the neighborhood of Algiers Point: New Orleans’ 2nd oldest neighborhood.
But the St. Charles streetcar is just one of the RTA’s streetcars. Many visitors overlook the Canal Street and Riverfront streetcars. For descriptions of all streetcar lines and where they go, visit: http://www.norta.com/getting_around/Streetcars_for_Visitors/index.html.
Take the Free Algiers Ferry and Explore Algiers Point Before leaving, spend a couple of hours exploring Algiers Point: New Orleans’ second oldest neighborhood and a short boat ride across the Mississippi River on the free Canal Street Ferry. The ferry leaves from the end of Canal Street. The ferry runs every day from 6 am - 12:15 am, and departs from the New Orleans side at :15 and :45 past the hour. It departs from the West Bank on the hour and :30 past the hour. For more information about the ferry visit http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/ferry.html Once the ferry drops you off in Algiers Point, you'll be immersed in a pleasant, residential neighborhood that survived Hurricane Katrina entirely, and has preserved much of its original 19th century village charm. Grab a bite at any of the nearby cafes and pubs, stroll the Jazz Walk of Fame along the levee, or take a self-guided walking tour - see the Algiers Historical Society, http://algierspoint.org/AHS/walking.html, for information on tours and the neighborhood. Ride today and see the city from the other side! For more information about things to see and do in Algiers Point, please visit: www.algierspoint.org. Anne Kotch, a local tour guide and secretary of the Algiers Point Association offers these tips: “Come "ovah da rivah" and visit Algiers Point. Established in 1719, it is the second oldest neighborhood in the city and one of the best kept secrets in New Orleans. It is a neighborhood filled with turn of the century homes situated on streets lined with live oaks, magnolias and crepe myrtle. Algiers Point is a short ferry ride from the foot of Canal Street. There are three different walking tours available. These brochures may be found at the Visitors and Convention Bureau headquarters on 2020 St. Charles Avenue, the ferry terminal as well as in racks at the local Algiers businesses. “One tour takes you down the shady streets, past the Algiers Courthouse (third-oldest courthouse in continuous use in the State of Louisiana), businesses (Dry Dock Cafe and Vine and Dine), parks (Confetti Kids and Delcazal) and churches (Holy Name of Mary -a Tutor Gothic style church with over 75 stained glass windows, Mount Oliver Episcopal a Country Gothic style church built in 1867 and Trinity Lutheran Church a Gothic Colonial Revival style church built in 1875 by German families). A very interesting and educational stop would be Rosetree Glassblowing Studio and Gallery. Here you can watch an ancient art practiced by modern masters. “The walking tourist will have a feel of Deja-Vu as they look at the neighborhood. Many well known and soon to be released movies such as "Ray", "Deja-Vu", "The Green Lantern, "The Paperboy", and "On the Seventh Day" were filmed in the Point. A must see location is The Old Point Bar located at 545 Patterson Street. Over 25 movies have been filmed here alone. You might just wander onto a movie set actively filming. “Tours two and three are self guided walking tours that guide you through the era of Jazz in Old Algiers, "The Brooklyn of the South". These self guided walking tours take you by homes of jazz musicians such as the legendary brass band leader Henry Allen, Sr and his son Henry "Red" Allen (921 Verret Street) and jazz venues where greats such as Ray Charles and B.B. King played in the 1960's.”
It’s Nearly Time to Leave—and we’ve just got started! By now, you’ve seen quite a bit of New Orleans—including neighborhoods overlooked by most tourists. Hopefully, you’ve heard music in the French Quarter, traveled on at least one streetcar, visited Audubon Park and its Zoo, possibly enjoyed a short river cruise on either the Steamboat Natchez or Creole Queen, and explored Algiers Point after a short ferry ride. If the weather is bad, take the Canal Street streetcar marked City Park to the last stop, and visit the New Orleans Museum of Art (www.noma.org, or call (504) 658-4100. Remember two web sites: the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau site (www.neworleanscvb.com), and the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority site for streetcar and bus information (www.norta.com). Steve Atlas spotlights where to visit or live without depending on a private automobile. Visit Steve’s website: http://carfreeamerica.org. View past Car Free Journey columns, and special reports about good places to live without a car at www.pubtrantravel.com. E-mail Steve with your comments or ideas for future columns at steveatlas45@yahoo.com. |
New At Pubtrantravel Pubtrantravel welcomes Steve Atlas founder of carfreeamerica.org as its newest contributing writer. 20 Beaches You Can Enjoy Without a Car By Steve Atlas Vacation Destinations You Can Enjoy Without a Car By Steve Atlas Locations where it is possible to live without or with limited use of a car By Steve Atlas |
