New Orleanians live all over the city, but where you'll be happiest depends on how you live: whether you want to walk to music, have a yard, be close to the river or stay on higher ground. There's no single best neighborhood. There's the one that fits you, and the one that floods on your street. Learn both before you sign anything.
We've been answering this question from behind the counter for twenty years, usually for somebody who just fell in love with the city on a trip and wants to know where to start looking. We already wrote the big guide on moving to New Orleans. This one is about the map.
First, Understand the Water
Before you fall for a porch, understand that elevation matters a lot here.
The oldest parts of the city sit on the high ground along the river, the natural levee the Mississippi built up over centuries. That's why so much early growth went upriver along it. Geographer Richard Campanella has written about how 19th-century New Orleans spread onto that better-drained land. There are other ridges too, like the Gentilly Ridge and the Metairie Ridge. Generally, the closer you get to the river or one of those ridges, the higher you are. The lower areas in between are where water collects.
That doesn't mean higher neighborhoods never flood. Summer storms can flood streets almost anywhere for an hour or two. But it does mean you should look up any address before you rent or buy.
How to Check a Flood Zone
The city's NOLA Ready flooding page links to the tools you need. Start with the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the city's Ready for Rain flood risk tool. The LSU AgCenter has a Louisiana flood map tool too.
Then ask the neighbors. Seriously. Knock on a door, or ask whoever's on the porch next door, "Does this street flood?" They will tell you exactly how deep it got last summer and where they move their car.
Then Talk About Insurance
NOLA Ready is blunt about it: homeowners and renters policies usually don't cover flood damage. Flood insurance through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program is a separate policy, and it takes 30 days to kick in, so you can't buy it the day a storm shows up in the Gulf. Renters can get contents coverage too.
Get real insurance quotes, flood included, before you make an offer on a house. They can change your budget a lot. We won't pretend to know your numbers. Your agent will. Then read our hurricane prep guide, because you'll need it by your first June.
If You Want to Walk to Music
Look downriver of the French Quarter. The Faubourg Marigny has Frenchmen Street at its front door. The Bywater, just past the railroad tracks, is a little quieter and has Crescent Park on the river. We broke down the difference in "Bywater vs Marigny: Which One Are You?"
Both are on old, relatively high ground near the river. Both have also seen rents rise and plenty of houses turn into short-term rentals, something we wrote about in Short-Term Rentals: The Pest That's Eating New Orleans Neighborhoods. If you move in, be a real neighbor.
If You Want Old Houses and Parades Out Front
Uptown is a big, loose name for a lot of neighborhoods upriver of the CBD, and that's where you'll find the Irish Channel, the Garden District and the blocks off Magazine Street near our shop. You get shotguns and doubles, corner bars and the parade routes. Living on or near St. Charles during Carnival is its own lifestyle, and not everyone survives it.
The Irish Channel sits between the Garden District and the river, though nobody quite agrees where it starts. We've got a whole post on that argument.
If You Want to Be in the Middle of Everything
Mid-City has Bayou St. John and City Park on one side and the streetcar into downtown on the other, and it's where a lot of people end up when they want space without leaving the center. We wrote a full guide to Mid-City. Check flood risk here block by block.
If You Want History on Every Corner
Tremé, just lakeside of the Quarter, is one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in the country and the home of Congo Square and a deep brass band tradition. If you move here, know that you're joining a community that has been dealing with displacement for decades. Show up and support the people and businesses already there.
If You Want a Yard and a Little Quiet
Gentilly is the one too many newcomers miss. It stretches from around I-610 up toward the lake, and Gentilly Terrace in particular sits about four to five feet above sea level, which counts as high ground here. It has the largest collection of Craftsman bungalows in Louisiana, according to the Preservation Resource Center. It also flooded badly in Katrina when the London Avenue Canal floodwalls failed, so do your homework on any specific address.
If You Want a Different Pace
Algiers Point is across the river but still in New Orleans. It feels like a small town, and the ferry gets you to Canal Street in minutes. If you work downtown, that commute beats most traffic.
Further out, the West Bank and Metairie in Jefferson Parish have more yards and more of a suburban feel, though don't call the West Bank a suburb to anyone from there. Plenty of people who love the city live in Metairie because they wanted a driveway. We've got affectionate defenses of both coming.
Wherever You Land
The neighborhood you pick matters less than how you live in it. Know your neighbors. Learn your street's flood history. Go to the second line when it comes through. Figure out which corner store has the best po-boy and defend it with your life.
Blake sketched the line "Be A New Orleanian, Wherever You Are" on a sticker at the Mello Joy coffeehouse in Lafayette during the Katrina evacuation, at a time when a lot of us didn't know when we'd get home. It still applies to newcomers. Be A New Orleanian. Wherever You Are. Even if wherever you are is a rental in Gentilly you found last week.
And when the summer rain hits and your street turns into a canal for an hour, you'll want our When It Rains It Floods Jacket. Welcome home.
New Orleans Neighborhoods to Live In: FAQ
What is the best neighborhood to live in New Orleans?
It depends on how you want to live. The Marigny and Bywater suit people who want music and walkability, Uptown suits people who want old houses and parade routes, Gentilly suits people who want bungalows and a quieter street, and Algiers Point suits people who like a small-town feel with a ferry commute. Check flood risk for any specific address first.
How do I check if a New Orleans address is in a flood zone?
Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the city's Ready for Rain tool, both linked from ready.nola.gov. Ask neighbors how high water gets on the street, too.
Do I need flood insurance in New Orleans?
Homeowners and renters policies usually don't cover flood damage, so the city recommends flood insurance through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. Policies typically take 30 days to take effect.
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