Carrollton, New Orleans: neighborhood guide

Carrollton sits at the far uptown end of the St. Charles streetcar line, between the Audubon and University district and Jefferson Parish. It was its own city in the 19th century, and locals still treat it as separate from Uptown proper. The result is a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood where the live oaks are taller than most of the buildings.

The streetcar runs along St. Charles, then turns onto Carrollton Avenue at a junction known as the Riverbend. That corner is the main cluster of shops and restaurants. Two more business strips run inland: Maple Street, which parallels St. Charles and has about six blocks of shops down to Cherokee, and Oak Street, four blocks further inland, which has become busier with bars, restaurants and small shops in recent years.

Because Tulane and Loyola universities are close by, students and faculty live here and keep the cafés and cheap eats going. The neighborhood is pedestrian-friendly: almost everything described here is within about six blocks of a streetcar stop.

Carrollton suits travelers who have already seen the French Quarter and want a calmer base, or who are visiting the universities. You get a real residential neighborhood, good local food, and a streetcar that drops you downtown without a car. Hotel supply is thin — most beds are small guesthouses, B&Bs and short-term rentals rather than big hotels, so book early (check).

It does not suit a first trip built around the French Quarter, because the streetcar ride to Canal Street takes roughly 40–50 minutes and runs less often late at night (check). If your evenings end on Frenchmen Street or Bourbon Street, you will be paying for ride-hailing back, which adds up over a trip.

If you are deciding between neighborhoods, Uptown and the Audubon and University district are closer to the museum and park cluster, while the Central Business District and Faubourg Marigny put you within walking distance of the Quarter.

Food is the main reason to spend half a day here. The Riverbend corner and the blocks just up Carrollton Avenue hold a cluster of restaurants and cafés, and Maple Street adds more between Dublin and Cherokee. Oak Street is the liveliest strip for bars and casual dinners, with the Maple Leaf Bar at 8316 Oak as the long-running music venue — despite the name, it is on Oak Street, about three blocks up from Carrollton.

Carrollton Station, at 8140 Willow Street near Dublin, is the other local live-music room. Both book brass bands, R&B, Cajun and zydeco, and both get busy when the universities are in session. Check listings for the night you are in town; schedules change weekly.

For a cheap meal, look for po-boys, plate lunches and neighborhood cafés along Maple and Oak. Prices are lower than in the tourist core, and many places are small enough that a table without a reservation is normal on weeknights.

The St. Charles streetcar is the simplest way in from the French Quarter, the Central Business District or Uptown. Get off at the Riverbend or Maple Street stop for the most central position. Fares are low and paid on board; exact change or a transit card helps (check current fare).

By car, take the Carrollton Avenue exit from Interstate 10 and head south toward Uptown. After about two miles, at Claiborne Avenue, the road changes from a wide urban thoroughfare to one lane each way with streetcar tracks in a grassy median — that is the sign you have arrived. Continue about a mile to the Riverbend, where Carrollton meets the river and the streetcar turns onto St. Charles.

Parking is easier than in the French Quarter, though you may park a block or two from your destination. Watch the signs: some blocks restrict non-residents to two hours, enough for a meal but not for leaving a car all day. Many of the older streets are one-way, and some side streets are narrow enough that you may need to pull over to let oncoming cars pass.

The pleasure here is walking: Victorian houses, flowering gardens, and streetcars passing outdoor café tables on Carrollton Avenue. The old Carrollton City Hall, a neoclassical building on Carrollton between Maple and Hampson, is now a school. Fans of "A Confederacy of Dunces" can walk past John Kennedy Toole's former house on Hampson at the downtown river corner of Adams; there is a historic marker outside, but it remains a private home, so look from the sidewalk.

Marsalis Harmony Park, at Carrollton and Claiborne at the end of the streetcar line, hosts the Arts Market of New Orleans on the last Saturday of each month, 10:00–16:00, with craft stalls, refreshments and free live music. The Po-Boy Festival takes over Oak Street and the surrounding blocks for one day each November, with food vendors and free bands.

The Anthony Bean Community Theater at 1333 S. Carrollton Avenue stages shows through the year; check its schedule before you go.