You’ve heard about the French Quarter and the Garden District, but do you know about Uptown and Mid-City?  And did you know that within each New Orleans neighborhood there are unique districts and communities?  Lower Decatur is part of the French Quarter, and Mid-City is comprised of Bayou St. John, Lower Mid-City, and Esplanade Ridge, just to name a few.  New Orleans is a city of neighborhoods.  Each one is distinct; but all of them are Naturally N’Awlins.

The Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, a non-profit organization dedicated to “the preservation, restoration, and revitalization of New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods,” offers visitors (and locals) free maps, architectural guides, and brochures about twenty of New Orleans’ most interesting neighborhoods, all of which are available on its website.  The brochures can be downloaded for free and include self-guided tour itineraries, neighborhood profiles, historical time lines, maps, lists of annual neighborhood events and of neighborhood organizations.  The brochures are well written and feature stunning photos.  You should get a copy of each one even if you don’t have time to tour each neighborhood.  In and of themselves, the brochures can take you “walking through New Orleans” as Fats Domino would have said had he written a song about them.

You can also click here for a general guide to our neighborhoods, but know that in the future, 411 NOLA will be bringing you articles that will reveal local flavor of the places that we love and call home.