Is Marigny a good place to stay in New Orleans?

The Marigny is a good base if live music is the reason you're coming to New Orleans. Frenchmen Street is in the middle of the neighbourhood, the French Quarter starts across Esplanade Avenue a few minutes' walk away, and the Rampart–St. Claude streetcar runs along its northern edge.

The area is a neighbourhood of brightly painted Creole cottages, small inns, corner bars and cafés. Frenchmen Street is where locals go to hear music, with jazz, brass and blues clubs side by side, many with no cover charge, and an art market that opens in the evenings. Away from Frenchmen, streets like Royal and Chartres in the Marigny are quiet and residential, and Washington Square Park sits at the heart of it all.

The downside is that big hotels with pools and full service are rare here; most rooms are in guesthouses and small inns. Frenchmen Street is loud until late, and some of the streets further from the Quarter feel deserted at night, so a rideshare home is wise after a late set.

What makes the Marigny special is that it feels like the New Orleans people live in. You can walk into the French Quarter by day, then spend the evening going from club to club on Frenchmen Street listening to some of the best musicians in the city. For a second visit, or a music-first trip, it's hard to beat.