New Orleans/Mid-City and Esplanade Ridge

Mid-City is a portion of the city that is easy to get around in either with or without a car.

The restored Canal Streetcar line starts at the riverfront of the French Quarter (at Esplanade Avenue and the levee), turns on to Canal Street to go through the Central Business District, and continues into the heart of Mid-City. Once at the intersection of Canal Street and Carrollton Avenue in the center of Mid-City, the Canal streetcar branches into two lines. Cars marked "City Park" turn on to Carrollton Avenue, with the line ending at City Park in front of the NOMA Museum, a short walk from the Fairgrounds. Cars marked "Cemeteries" continue to the end of Canal Street at the far edge of Mid-City where a number of the city's old cemeteries are located.

• 🌍 City Park. The large park has winding lanes through old trees for walking or driving through, and includes such attractions as an outdoor sculpture garden, a botanical garden. As of 2022, renovations and improvements since Katrina have City Park looking more beautiful than ever. "Storyland", a children's playground based around fairy tale characters, has been a favorite of local children for generations. The Carousel Gardens Amusement Park has a beautiful merry-go-round (known to local old timers as "the flying horses" dating back to 1906, as well as an assortment of other amusement park rides including a miniature railway to ride around part of the park. During nights of the Christmas season there is an elaborate celebration with lights, additional rides, and music in the park called "Celebration in the Oaks". In 2020, the Louisiana Children's Museum moved to new larger quarters in City Park. 
• 🌍 New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) (just in the park from the Carrollton & Esplanade entrance). Worth a visit for art lovers; the art of this fine museum was fortunately high enough to escape the flood. Highlights from the permanent collection include a fine collection of jewelry, and paintings from France and Latin America. Open until 8:30PM Thursday nights. Louisiana residents get in free after 5PM with ID. 

• Louisiana Children's Museum, 15 Henry Thomas Drive (Inside City Park north of the Museum of Art). Indoor and outdoor exhibits of fun and education for children 

• Degas House Historic Home Courtyard and Inn, 2306 Esplanade Ave, ☏ +1 504 821-5009, toll-free: +1-800-755-6730. French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. The only home and studio of the French Impressionist Master, Edgar Degas, open to the public anywhere in the world. Degas lived with relatives in this house on Esplanade Avenue during 1872-1873; it is now a bed & breakfast, gift shop, wedding and special event venue. Tours are available daily. Secured offstreet/motorcoach parking. 
• Fairgrounds. Horse racing venue, and for two weekends of the year serves as the venue for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. 
• 🌍 Pitot House Museum and Gardens, 1440 Moss St (at Bayou St John). Historic house of a former mayor from the era of the Louisiana Purchase at the start of the 19th century. 

• Longue Vue House and Gardens, 7 Bamboo Road. Elegant mansion set in lush gardens is pretty and historic. In Western central New Orleans off Metairie Road, a short drive from Metarie Cemetery and Mid-City. 
• Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. Popular festival one weekend each May featuring free live local music along the banks of Bayou St. John near Orleans Avenue. Lots of local food and crafts vendors too. 

Mid-City restaurants are loved by locals, and the visitor can easily find out why. If the French Quarter and Central Business District seem too overwhelmed by tourists, one can get away to Mid-City and enjoy some of New Orleans best and most distinctive food surrounded by locals.

As mentioned above, visitors flock here during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and to a lesser extent during Voodoo Experience. At these busy times it's best to either make reservations well in advance, or expect to wait in lines, or plan to eat in another part of town.

• Bayou Beer Garden, 326 N Jefferson Davis Pkwy. 
• Beach Corner Lounge, 4905 Canal St (almost at the end of Canal Street by the Cemeteries). Dive bar, burgers 
• The Bulldog, 5135 Canal Boulevard (1 block back from City Park Avenue and the end of the Canal/Cemeteries streetcar line, right across from Greenwood Cemetery), ☏ +1 504 488-4191. Great beer selection; nice outdoor patio area. 
• Finn McCool's, 3701 Banks St. Very authentic Irish pub, perhaps New Orleans' most internationally diverse clientele. Popular with European ex-pats and soccer fans. Pub trivia Monday nights. Can get smoky. 
• 🌍 Mick's Irish Pub, 4801 Bienville St (at Bernadotte St), ☏ +1 504 482-9113. Neighborhood bar. Darts, ping-pong tables, cheap drinks. 
• Mid-City Yacht Club, 440 S St Patrick St. New since Hurricane Katrina, a friendly, unpretentious bar with a great beer selection. Watch the game on one of the HDTVs, throw some darts, or just hang out. Ball field across the street has baseball, softball, and soccer during the summer. 
• Pal's Lounge, 949 N Rendon St (at the corner of St. Philip Street, 2 blocks from the Bayou). Authentic old Mid-City neighborhood bar. Air hockey table. Eclectic crowd. Don't leave without taking a look at the men's room. 

• India House Hostel, 124 S Lopez St (at Canal St), ☏ +1 504 821-1904, info@indiahousehostel.com. Dorms (single-sex or co-ed) and private rooms (en suite or shared bathroom) available. Unlike most hostels, dorms are exclusively for out-of-state students (with a valid student ID) and international travelers with a non-American passport. Dorms from $17, private rooms from $45. 

The Mid-City branch of New Orleans Public Library is in the American Can Factory Building at 3700 Orleans Avenue. Many of the cafes listed above have free wi-fi.

Mid-City is an excellent microcosm of New Orleans as a whole in that some upper-income neighborhoods are bordered by lower-income neighborhoods and the level of safety can change from block to block. The neighborhood is generally safe in the daytime, but avoid areas on the Eastern side of Broad and around much of Tulane Avenue. The area closer to City Park around and to the West of N Carrollton is generally very safe, but always have your wits about you in this urban area.

Mid-City's central location allows easy access to other parts of town. Take the Canal Streetcar to the French Quarter and the Central Business District. Drive or take the bus to the other end of beautiful Esplanade Avenue to arrive at the lower edge of the Quarter and the hip Faubourg Marigny neighborhood (alternatively reached by taking the Canal Streetcar to the far end at Esplanade and the river levee). Lakeview and Lakeshore neighborhoods are a short drive away to the north west; to the north east is the Gentilly neighborhood. The Carrollton neighborhood at the upper end of Uptown can be driven to by taking Carrollton Avenue to the other end. The #32 bus "Leonidas" runs from Carrollton Avenue at Esplanade Mid-City to the Old Carrollton Riverbend neighborhood then ends by the Zoo in Audubon Park. However it winds through a rather rough section of Hollygrove en route, and it runs less than once an hour. Those relying on public transit may wish to consider getting to Uptown and Carrollton by a more indirect route: take the Canal Streetcar to the Central Business District, then the green St. Charles Streetcar up. While this route is longer, it may be less aggravating and is certainly much more picturesque.