New Orleans/Audubon and University

New Orleans was a rapidly growing city in the 19th century, spreading upriver, incorporating what had been farmland, plantations, and villages into the quickly developing boundaries of the city. By 1870 the area was pretty much filled in with the exception of a single plantation, whose boundaries included the majority of what is now this neighborhood. The city bought the land to turn into a park, but nothing much was done for some years until the city decided to hold a World's Fair here, the 1884 "World Cotton Centennial". About the only thing remaining here from the 1884 World's Fair is the curious metallic bolder on the east side of Audubon Park golf course; some locals will call it "the meteorite", but historians have documented it to actually be a huge chunk of iron ore that was on display here during the Fair but it was decided it was too much bother to remove it afterwards. After the Fair, the land between the Mississippi River and St. Charles Avenue was developed as Audubon Park. The area on the back side of St. Charles was divided into new homes for Tulane University and Loyola University, which both had previous smaller campuses elsewhere in the city.

This district also includes a long narrow strip on either side of Broadway (despite the grand name, the street isn't particularly broad). Before it was annexed to New Orleans in 1870, this was the town of Greenville; you may still hear some locals refer to the neighborhood near the river just upriver from the Park as "Greenville". Historic Greenville Hall is on St. Charles Avenue up from Broadway in the middle of what had been the district's third University, St. Mary's Dominican College, from 1910 to 1984; in 1984 the St. Mary's Dominican campus was bought by Loyola and is now a satellite campus of that University.

• Audubon Park. Pleasant park to walk around, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same fellow who designed Central Park in New York City. Runs from St. Charles Avenue to the river. 
• 🌍 Audubon Zoo. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-6PM. Very good zoo, see the rare white alligators, at the upper end of Magazine Street. Riverboats connect the Zoo to the Central Business District; also accessible from the St. Charles Streetcar via a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from the main entrance to Audubon Park on St. Charles to the Zoo. 
  • The Butterfly. A park along the Mississippi River front, on the other side of the Zoo.
• Cascade Stables. Horse stables, riding lessons. 

• 🌍 Tulane University. The main campus of New Orleans' most famous university stretches from St. Charles Avenue across from Audubon Park back to Claiborne Avenue. It includes a few attractions of special interest to some: 
• 🌍 Newcomb Art Gallery. 
• Tulane Jazz Archive, Jones Hall on Freret Street. New Orleans jazz fans can see a display of photographs and artifacts, and research by reading or listening to interviews with historic jazz musicians. 
• 🌍 Middle American Research Institute. With a major renovation of Dinwiddie Hall being completed, the pre-Columbian artifacts are not on public display at writing but will return in 2012. However a few items are on display elsewhere on campus, and the Institute sponsors special events. Lovers of ancient Meso-America should check the website for details. 
• 🌍 Loyola University New Orleans. 

• Uptown Crescent City Farmers Market. Market with fresh produce and fresh prepared local dishes. Every Tuesday 9AM-1PM, University Square parking lot (formerly known as Uptown Square), 200 block of Broadway, near the riverfront, a couple blocks on the upriver side of Audubon Park. 

• Campus Connection, 800 Broadway. University, fraternity & sorority related merchandise 
• Elio's Wine Warehouse, 6205 S Miro St (back from Calhoun & Claiborne), ☏ +1 504 866-1852. Good selection of wine, liquor, and beer. 
• Mushroom, 1037 Broadway (Back from Freret just off the corner of Zimple Street), ☏ +1 504 866-6065. New and used records; posters, t-shirts, and assorted paraphernalia. 

• The Boot, 1039 Broadway St. (Entrance is actually just off Broadway on Zimple Street), ☏ +1 504 866-9008. A favorite University District bar for decades. Also has a grill serving bar food and a small convenience store attached. 
• Felipe's, 6125 S. Miro (just down from Calhoun & Claiborne), ☏ +1 504 309-277. Daily 11AM-10PM. Mexican restaurant listed at "eat" above has a nice bar, with frozen margaritas and Mexican beer on tap in addition to standard bar drinks. Unlike most New Orleans bars, not open late. 
• The Palms, 7130 Freret (at Broadway), ☏ +1 504 861-0236. Bar & grill, mostly University clientele 
• Robert's Bar & Liquor Store, 3125 Calhoun St (just back from Miro, a block back from Claiborne), ☏ +1 504 865-1343. Old neighborhood smoky dive bar; pool table and ping-pong table. 

Wi-fi offered at some of the coffee houses listed above.

This is generally one of the safest sections of New Orleans. However criminals sometimes hunt for individuals with their guard down especially late at night. Lone students wandering dark streets after too much to drink are particularly tempting targets for them, so play it safe and call a cab or a friend.

The Carrollton neighborhood is adjacent just up river; much is within walking distance, and the further parts of Carrollton just a short streetcar ride up. St. Charles and its famous streetcar line also link the Audubon and University section to the French Quarter and Central Business District at the far downriver end, passing through Uptown on the way.