The Brooklyn
of New Orleans is
Bywater.

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Street art Live music Natural wine Laid-back Emerging Waterfront
The case for Bywater

Bywater is the coolest neighborhood in New Orleans for backyard natural-wine bars, Music Box Village concerts, and Sunday record-digging at Euclid.

Bywater is where New Orleans gets weird on its own terms. Shotgun houses painted in sherbet colors, backyard wine bars that turn into full-blown concerts, and nobody rushing anywhere. The creative energy here is real, not for show. Walk Chartres Street on a Sunday morning and you'll feel it in your chest.

Crescent Park turns Bywater's derelict wharves and rail sidings into 20 acres of public open space, a riverfront greenway stretching 1.4 miles along the Mississippi River.
Close contenders

Other cool neighborhoods in New Orleans.

Faubourg Marigny

Frenchmen Street is the live music strip the French Quarter wishes it still was. Clubs spill into the sidewalk every night. More locals than tourists, barely.

Tremé

The oldest African American neighborhood in the country. Brass bands still rehearse on porches here. Get a plate lunch and listen.

Mid-City

Bayou St. John on a Saturday afternoon is peak New Orleans. People picnicking, paddling, doing absolutely nothing with great commitment.

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Three sides of the neighborhood

Where to go in Bywater.

01
Stay in Bywater

Hotel Peter and Paul, just over the line in Faubourg Marigny on Burgundy Street, has parlors with marble fireplaces and cypress moldings and a plant-filled sunroom.
02
Eat & Drink in Bywater

Bywater eats at its own pace.
03
Do & Shop in Bywater

StudioBE on Royal Street is Bmike Odums' warehouse gallery - floor-to-ceiling murals on Black resilience.
All 24 spots mapped out

Bywater, corner to corner.

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Our 24 top picks

The Bywater guide.

Practical info

Good to know.

The boring numbers that decide whether you stay three days or four.

CurrencyUSD
LanguageEnglish
Cost level $$$Moderate to expensive
Best monthsLate October to early December and mid-February to April
Local time UTC-5
Plug type US plug · 120V/60Hz
Emergency911
Local tip
Thursday nights at Vaughan's start late. Don't show up before 10pm or you'll be drinking alone in an empty room.
North America · USA

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Head to head

How does New Orleans stack up?

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Common questions

Things to know about Bywater.

What is the Brooklyn of New Orleans?
The Brooklyn of New Orleans is Bywater. Bywater is where New Orleans gets weird on its own terms. Crescent Park turns Bywater's derelict wharves and rail sidings into 20 acres of public open space, a riverfront greenway stretching 1.4 miles along the Mississippi River.
What is the coolest neighborhood in New Orleans?
Bywater is widely considered the coolest neighborhood in New Orleans. Bywater is where New Orleans gets weird on its own terms. Shotgun houses painted in sherbet colors, backyard wine bars that turn into full-blown concerts, and nobody rushing anywhere. The creative energy here is real, not for show. Walk Chartres Street on a Sunday morning and you'll feel it in your chest.
Where should I stay in Bywater, New Orleans?
The best boutique hotels in Bywater include The Lookout Inn of New Orleans, Hotel Peter and Paul, and Bywater Suite Hotel. The Lookout Inn of New Orleans is the one to book first. Four themed suites - Mardi Gras, Bollywood, Elvis, and Mission - in an owner-occupied inn on Poland Ave with a saltwater pool and poolside cabana. It's been in the Wall Street Journal and the Times, but it still feels like crashing at a friend's place in the Bywater.
Is Bywater in New Orleans safe at night?
Bywater is generally fine during the day and early evening, with families and dog walkers on the main residential streets. After dark, stick to lit corridors and avoid cutting through the industrial stretches toward the river or the rail tracks. Call a cab or rideshare for late returns rather than walking back from the Marigny. Lock cars and leave nothing visible.
Is New Orleans expensive?
New Orleans runs pricey, and Bywater's converted-cottage guesthouses cost more than CBD chains. The airport taxi is a flat $36 into Orleans Parish, or $40-50 by rideshare. To save, book in August or early September, when rates often drop to half of spring pricing, but expect real heat.
When is the best time to visit New Orleans?
Aim for late October through early December or mid-February through April, when days sit in the 60s and 70s with low humidity and the afternoon storms back off. Steer clear of July and August, when heat indexes top 100F and a few blocks on foot feels punishing. January runs damp and chilly but rarely actually freezes.

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