The Big Easy Travel Guide: 12 Ways to Stay Entertained in New Orleans
Best Streets for Nightlife
Bourbon Street
One of the oldest streets in America, Bourbon Street sits in the heart of the French Quarter. It’s the place to be in New Orleans, day or night, and where most of the Mardi Gras crowds flock during Carnival season. If you’re looking to party and don’t mind crowds, you’ll find all the mainstays of nightlife on Bourbon Street.
You could wander endlessly from bar to bar or among countless clubs, restaurants and music venues.
Drinking has almost become a sport here as you can drink on the street, making it a magnet for bachelor and bachelorette parties. A favorite among tourists from all over the world, Blacksmith Shop Bar is one of the oldest bars in the United States, known for their live music and frozen purple “Voodoo Daiquiris.”
Or if you want to get a little more adventurous with your drinking, try your hand at an absinthe cocktail at the Old Absinthe House and make friends with the Green Fairy.
Frenchmen Street
If Bourbon Street is all about the drinking, Frenchmen Street is all about the jazz. Here you’ll find the epicenter of New Orleans jazz culture with over 20 bars and live music venues within a two block span. One of the favored, intimate music clubs in the area, The Spotted Cat, hosts bands starting at 2 p.m., seven days a week, with no cover.
For those looking to dance, The Maison offers more of a nightclub experience with brass and funk bands jammin’ until the wee hours of the morning. For a more varied selection of live music in a laid-back Jamaican-themed bar, head over to Cafe Negril. From R&B to rock and roll to reggae, you can enjoy it all with a few drinks or some Mexican food from the onsite taco truck.
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St Claude Avenue
The hipster stepchild of New Orleans nightlife, St Claude Avenue is an up-and-coming area for all forms of art and music. You’ll find theater, burlesque, live music and other performing arts venues sprinkled among bars, pop-up restaurants and gastro pubs serving everything from classic New Orleans po’ boys to Slavic soul food.
On the weekends you may stumble on an art opening at Barrister’s Gallery or all-night karaoke at Kajun’s Pub. One of the real gems of St Claude, however, is Saturn Bar, a true dive that features monthly dance parties and live music nearly every night.
Or if you’re looking for something a little classier, check out Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club. Although it looks unassuming from the outside, the club is a well-loved local spot for laid-back jazz and poetry slams.
