Street Car Line, Private Patio, Gated Parking!

Car: Recommended

Carrollton is the section of New Orleans that is at the far end of Uptown from the French Quarter, between the Audubon & University District of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. It is often considered part of Uptown, but it has its own history and traditions (including being a separate city in the 19th century), so it will be treated on its own here. The high ground of the 'Carrollton Spur' was fortunately above the great flood which devastated much of the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leaving this charming neighborhood intact.

Oak Street has restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, and live music venues.

It is at the far end of the St. Charles Streetcar line (the green cars) whose other end is on Canal Street in the Central Business District. Carrollton is near Tulane and Loyola Universities and many students and professors live here and patronize the local businesses. It is a mixed residential/commercial neighborhood, with urban advantages where the trees are taller than most of the buildings. Carrollton has many small business and good restaurants. The food and shopping make it an attractive place for visitors to spend half a day in between streetcar tours.

The streetcar runs through Carrollton on Saint Charles, then turns on to Carrollton Avenue at a place known as The Riverbend. You see a cluster of restaurants, shops and businesses here. There are more a block up, beyond the one bit of late 20th century architecture visible, the mini-strip mall with the Walgreens, behind which you'll find a small park surrounded by Victorian houses made into specialty shops and restaurants. The two other parts of Carrollton the visitor should know about are Maple Street, which parallels St. Charles, intersecting with Carrollton just inland from the Riverbend, with row of businesses running a pleasant 6 blocks down to Cherokee. The other business street is Oak Street, 4 blocks further inland (away from the river and St. Charles) than Maple extending on the opposite side of Carrollton Avenue. Long less upscale than Maple, in recent years many trendy shops and restaurants have opened on Oak as well.

From the French Quarter, Central Business District, or Uptown, take the St. Charles streetcar, and for the most central location get off at the Riverbend or Maple Street stop. Almost everything mentioned here will be within a maximum of 6 blocks walk in this pedestrian friendly neighborhood.

Walk around enjoying the Victorian residential architecture and plentiful flowering plants, sip coffee or eat a meal at an outdoor table on Carrollton Avenue while the old streetcars rumble by.

The Maple Leaf Bar is a popular live music venue

Anthony Bean Community Theater 1333 S. Carrollton Ave Check website for show schedule.

Old Carrollton City Hall. The neoclassical building on Carrollton between Maple an Hampson is now a school.

John Kennedy Toole's House: Fans of the novel 'A Confederacy of Dunces' can take a walk by the Pulitzer Prize winning author's former home on Hampson at the downtown river corner of Adams. There's a historic marker out front. Look from the sidewalk; it's still a private home.

Palmer Park, at Carrollton & Claiborne Avenues and the end of the streetcar line. The last Saturday of each month it hosts the Arts Market of New Orleans [3] from 10a to 4p, with tents of arts and crafts vendors, refreshments, and free live music. Occasionally hosts other events and concerts.

Po-Boy Festival, Big one day festival each November; Oak Street and the surrounding area is lined with food vendors, featuring great po-boy sandwiches and other local treats. Also free live bands and other special events.

Live music

Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow Street, at Dublin a block up from Carrollton

Maple Leaf Bar, 8316 Oak, tel. 866-9359 [5]: Contemporary New Orleans brass bands like Rebirth, (who play here every Tuesday night when they are not traveling); also R&B, Cajun, Zydeco, and more at this funky legendary local music venue -- includes the college crowd when school is in; dancing; late-night shows; casual; funky. (Despite the name, remember it's on Oak Street, 3 blocks up from Carrollton, not Maple).

Eat

Carrollton has some of New Orleans' finest restaurants; for the number and variety within a short walk of each other it is rivaled only by the French Quarter.

Budget

Restaurant on Maple Street

Babylon Cafe, 7724 Maple Street. Middle Eastern, great value and excellent home-made bread

Camelia Grill 626 S. Carrollton just off St. Charles: A favorite with locals and visitors, it's an old style diner done New Orleans style. When there's a line it moves fast, but if it's dauntingly out the door remember that Carrollton has lots of other good eats within a short walk. Some think its best caught off hours and avoided during lunch rush and during Mardi Gras, when many people who don't seem to know anywhere else in town to eat.