7th, 8th, and Upper 9th Wards, New Orleans: neighborhood guide

These wards sit north of the river, behind the Faubourg Marigny and Bywater, running from Esplanade Avenue east to the Industrial Canal. The 7th Ward, from Esplanade to Elysian Fields, grew as an Afro-Creole community in the 19th century and produced early jazz figures; the blocks near Esplanade Avenue and Bayou Road hold the area's more elegant old houses. The 8th Ward, Elysian Fields to Almonaster, is centred on the St. Roch neighborhood, once settled by German Catholic immigrants and now mixed. The Upper 9th Ward runs from Almonaster to the canal and includes Musicians' Village, built after 2005 for musicians and other working families who lost homes in the flood.

The whole area flooded badly in 2005 and recovery is uneven: some blocks have come back, others are still empty or boarded. The Florida area, farthest from the river, was built partly over an old landfill and was among the hardest-hit and slowest-recovering parts of the city. Along St. Claude Avenue there is a small, edgy arts scene with galleries, bars and a few ambitious kitchens, but architectural blight and violent crime still affect residents.

For a normal New Orleans trip, no. There are very few hotels or short-term rentals, almost nothing is walkable to the sights you came for, and the safety picture changes from block to block in ways a visitor cannot judge from a map. If you want this side of town, base in the Faubourg Marigny or Bywater, where you can walk to St. Claude Avenue venues and still have a normal tourist infrastructure around you.

Stay here only if you have a specific reason: visiting friends or family, working on a project, or a long trip where you already know the city and want a quiet, cheap rental with a car. Even then, plan to drive after dark rather than walk.

St. Roch Market at 2381 St. Claude Avenue is the anchor: a historic market building, the city's second-oldest working market after the French Market, now reopened as a food hall with several counters under one roof. It is the easiest stop for a visitor because you can see everything before you choose. Along St. Claude Avenue and around St. Roch you will find scattered bars, corner stores and a handful of kitchens that draw people from across the city; hours change often, so check before you go.

This is not a restaurant district. If you want a full dinner with choices, eat in the Marigny, Bywater or the CBD and come here for a drink or a daytime market meal. For the classic New Orleans dishes, the nearby wards do them better and more reliably.

The area is back of town from the Marigny and Bywater. Bus 88 runs along St. Claude Avenue, which is the practical transit option, but a car is easier: you can park on the side of most streets as locals do, and you are not dependent on a bus after dark. Rideshares work but can be slow to arrive late at night. A planned restoration of the Desire streetcar line has been discussed for years; do not count on it.

On foot, treat this as a daytime area and stay on the main commercial streets. Do not wander into empty residential blocks to look at houses, and do not walk alone after dark.

St. Roch Cemetery at 1725 St. Roch Avenue is the main historic sight: above-ground tombs, a stations-of-the-cross walk and a chapel built after an 1876 yellow fever epidemic, with a shrine where visitors leave charms and offerings. It is open daily, roughly 9am to 4pm. Go with other people, as with any New Orleans cemetery.

The William Frantz Elementary School building on North Galvez Street is a civil-rights landmark, the school Ruby Bridges integrated in 1960. It is a building to look at from the street, not a museum with regular visiting hours. Otherwise, the draw is the St. Claude arts strip: small galleries, bars and music venues that change programming constantly. Check listings the week you arrive rather than planning months ahead.