Neighborhood Overview
Central City occupies a pivotal location in New Orleans, sitting just uptown of the Central Business District between St. Charles Avenue and Claiborne Avenue. Once a thriving commercial and cultural center for African American life in the city, Central City has experienced decades of disinvestment followed by recent waves of redevelopment. This historically significant neighborhood contains landmarks of civil rights history, musical innovation, and Black entrepreneurship while facing complex challenges of equitable development.
Quick Facts
- Population: Approximately 11,000 residents (down from pre-Katrina levels)
- Demographics: Historically African American, with increasing diversity in recent years
- Housing: Mix of historic shotgun homes, newer mixed-income developments, and public housing
- Historic Significance: Home to Dryades Street/Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard commercial corridor, civil rights organizing sites, and significant cultural institutions
Free Spaces
Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Cultural Corridor
Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., between Calliope St. & Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Once the heart of Black commerce and civil rights organizing, this walkable corridor is lined with restored storefronts, murals, and historic markers. Named after local activist Oretha Castle Haley, it’s free to stroll, with art and architecture telling the story of Central City’s leadership in social change.
A.L. Davis Park (Historic “Shakespeare Park”)
2600 LaSalle St., New Orleans, LA 70113
A major site in the civil rights movement, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke during the 1960s. Today it’s a peaceful public park with trees, walking paths, and open lawns — still serving as a gathering place for rallies, second lines, and Sunday brass bands.
Central City Murals & Public Art Trail
Along Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. & Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Vibrant community murals honor icons like Mahalia Jackson, Buddy Bolden, and Fats Domino. Take a self-guided walk to see these large-scale works, all created by local artists to celebrate the neighborhood’s musical and cultural heritage.
Mahalia Jackson Childhood Home Marker & Walk
2402 Prytania St. (corner of Central City & Garden District line)
A free, public marker commemorates the Queen of Gospel’s early years in the neighborhood. The surrounding streets reveal the same tight-knit blocks where she first sang in church choirs before becoming an international legend.
Keller Library & MLK Neutral Ground Gardens
4300 S. Broad St., near MLK Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70125
Though technically at the Broadmoor–Central City edge, this space represents the neighborhood’s recovery spirit. The neutral ground nearby hosts green infrastructure gardens and murals celebrating community and sustainability — all open to the public.
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