New Orleans/Central Business District Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
The Central Business District ("CBD") is the part of New Orleans similar to what many cities call "Downtown" (though in New Orleans this term is often used to refer to a broad portion of the city down river from Canal Street). Just "up" (meaning up the Mississippi River) from the French Quarter is this district, with many 19th and 20th century office and business buildings. The last of New Orleans old independent department stores closed up and the buildings were generally turned into hotels in the 1980s and 1990s. The main avenues are Canal Street and Poydras Avenue. While not as picturesque as the French Quarter, many hotels and restaurants are here, and the Quarter is a short walk from the portion closer to the river. The area further inland, towards Claiborne Avenue, is less convenient unless your destination is the Superdome or one of the local hospitals.
Some locals and guidebooks still refer to the CBD or the older part of it as the American Quarter, as it was the first part of town settled by large numbers of people from other parts of the United States, as opposed to the older French Quarter.
The portion of the "CBD" nearer the river is often called the "Old Warehouse District" or Warehouse District. In the late 20th century many of the old 19th century warehouses were converted into condominiums, art galleries, and restaurants.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about New Orleans/Central Business District
