Is Garden District a good place to stay in New Orleans?

The Garden District is a good base if you want New Orleans at a gentler pace. Most hotels sit along St. Charles Avenue, where the streetcar rumbles under the oaks to Canal Street and the CBD in around 20 minutes, and Magazine Street's shops and restaurants are a few blocks away.

The area is famous for its grand 19th-century mansions, gardens behind iron fences and quiet streets shaded by live oaks. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 and Commander's Palace sit at its heart, Prytania Street has inns and stately homes, and Magazine Street runs for miles with boutiques, antique shops, cafés and bars. The Lower Garden District, closer to downtown, has most of the places to stay.

The downside is the distance from the French Quarter. Every trip to Bourbon Street or Jackson Square means a streetcar ride or a taxi, nights are quiet, and there are few big hotels with full facilities. If nightlife is the main reason for your trip, the Quarter or the Marigny will suit you better.

What makes the Garden District special is its beauty. Riding the St. Charles streetcar past mansions, walking past the tombs of Lafayette Cemetery and lingering over brunch on Magazine Street shows a side of New Orleans many visitors miss. For couples and second visits, it's a lovely place to wake up.