The Central Business District ("CBD") is the part of New Orleans similar to what many cities call "Downtown" (though in New Orleans this term is often used to refer to a broad portion of the city down river from Canal Street). Just "up" (meaning up the Mississippi River) from the French Quarter is this district, with many 19th and 20th century office and business buildings. The last of New Orleans old independent department stores closed up and the buildings were generally turned into hotels in the 1980s and 1990s. The main avenues are Canal Street and Poydras Avenue. While not as picturesque as the French Quarter, many hotels and restaurants are here, and the Quarter is a short walk from the portion closer to the river. The area further inland, towards Claiborne Avenue, is less convenient unless your destination is the Superdome or one of the local hospitals.

Some locals and guidebooks still refer to the CBD or the older part of it as the American Quarter, as it was the first part of town settled by large numbers of people from other parts of the United States, as opposed to the older French Quarter

The portion of the "CBD" nearer the river is often called the "Old Warehouse District" or Warehouse District. In the late 20th century many of the old 19th century warehouses were converted into condominiums, art galleries, and restaurants.

Attractions

 • Art galleries line Julia Street. Evenings of the first Saturday of the month are festive with new exhibits opening.
 • Audubon Aquarium A fine aquarium at the foot of Canal Street. Nearby is the Riverwalk, an upscale mall, mostly of stores that can be found in most major cities.
 • Confederate Museum 929 Camp Street just down from Lee Circle.
 • Contemporary Arts Center 900 Camp just up from Julia
 • D-Day Museum 945 Magazine Street, around the corner from the Confederate and other museums on Camp Street
 • Harrah's Casino 512 S. Peters (at the foot of Canal Street, river end of Poydras) the state's only land based casino (there are riverboat gambling venues in the suburbs), across from the Aquarium
 • Lafayette Square center of what was the "Old American Quarter" in the early 19th century, with the city's old neo-classical city hall and a belle epoch courthouse. On St. Charles Avenue a block up from Poydras.
 • Louisiana Children's Museum 420 Julia Street
 • Louisiana Super Dome when no games or events are scheduled, you can take tours.
 • New Orleans Arena the "Baby Dome" beside the Superdome, hosts smaller shows & sporting events.
 • Morial Convention Center - the first part of the city's large convention center complex was built during the 1984 World's Fair and is named after a former mayor.
 • Ogden Museum of Southern Art 925 Camp Street.
 • Walking tours of the buildings of the "Old American Quarter"

Lodging

Numerous hotels are in this part of town.

Budget
 • Les Carillons 842 Camp Street, towards the upper end of the CBD, close to the Julia Street art galleries. 566-9200 or 1-877-224-4637

Midrange
 • Embassy Suites New Orleans Hotel 315 Julia Street - Official Website at
 • Hotel Monaco, 333 St. Charles Avenue. +1 504 561 0010.

Upscale
 • The Fairmont 123 Barrone (just up from Canal Street) has been one of the city's top hotels for almost a century; some locals still call it "the Roosevelt" as it was known decades ago when celebrities ranging from Frank Sinatra to Huey Long stayed here. The elaborate lobby decorations for the Christmas season are locally famous. 529-7111
 • New Orleans Hilton 2 Poydras Street. Some rooms look over the Mississippi River; connects to the Riverwalk Mall with no need to go outside. 561-0500
 • Le Pavilion 833 Poydras Street one of the older elegant hotels
 • Ritz-Carleton 921 Canal: Top notch hotel in what had been the Maison Blanche Department Store building. It's the Windsor Court's rival for finest in town.
 • The Sheraton New Orleans - Four Stars. A Starwood Hotel. 500 Canal St. (504) 525-2500.
  • The Whitney - A Wyndham Historic New Orleans Hotel 610 Poydras Street. (504) 581-4222. A nationally registered landmark.
 • Windsor Court 300 Gravier Street (near where Canal and Poydras meet the River): often rated the finest in town, and one of the best luxury hotels in the world. If you want the tops and are willing to pay top dollar for it, this is the place.
 • Wyndham New Orleans Hotel at Canal Place 100 Rue Iberville. (504) 566-7006.
 • Wyndham Downtown Riverfront New Orleans Hotel 701 Convention Center Boulevard. (504) 524-8200.

Dining

Budget
 • Le Petit Paris 731 Common, off St. Charles: Good crepes and quiche
 • Liborio's 321 Magazine Street. Cuban, popular with local businessmen for lunch, also open for dinner.
 • Mothers 401 Poydras. Great great "po' boys" (New Orleans style sandwiches); Located at Poydras near Tchoupitoulas in the lower CBD. Weekday lunch crowd of local business people, but the line moves fast.
 • 721 Common. Cheap Mexican and tequila shots

Mid-range
 • Cobalt  333 St. Charles Avenue
 • Genghis Khan Central Asian & Korean, 201 Barrone in the Barrone Plaza Hotel
 • Michaul's  840 St. Charles: Cajun
 • Mulate's 201 Julia Street at Convention Center Boulevard: The other well known Cajun place
 • Liborio Cuban Restaurant  321 Magazine Street at Gravier Street

Splurge
 • Emeril's: One of the finest restaurants in town located in the warehouse district. Ask for Charlie the bartender, a man who takes his drink seriously.
 • Grill Room at Windsor Court Hotel: Contender for best restaurant, but very expensive; Located in the CBD just down from the Casino. They also serve a fine high-tea.
 • Palace Cafe 605 Canal Street: French Creole, noted for the seafood and duck dishes, and the luscious white chocolate bread pudding.

Drink

 • 360 2 Canal Street (top floor of the World Trade Building on the Mississippi River front) Great view with dancing to djs.
 • Circle Bar 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue) Casual joint with good jukebox
 • Cobalt 333 St. Charles Avenue upscale cocktails
 • Gordon Biersch 200 Poydras. Handcrafted beer brewery and restaurant. 522-2739
 • Lafayette Hotel 600 St. Charles Avenue. This small Hotel just off Lafayette Square has two bars:
 • Lafayette Sports Club Sports bar, with the games on big screens.
 • Raspitin Vodka Bar Vodka fans will find almost 100 different varieties available here.
 • Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar 701 Tchoupitoulas. Relaxed. All-you-can-eat crawfish party Sunday evenings.
 • Sazerac Bar & Grill 123 Barrone in the Fairmont Hotel. Sip the original Sazerac cocktail; also serves upscale food.
 • Wine Loft 725 Tchopitoulas. Scores of good wines by the glass every day.
 • Whiskey Blue 333 Poydras (in the W Hotel) Swank upscale bar

Live Entertainment

 • Le Chat Noir 715 St. Charles: Classy bar with music, cabaret, and theater performances.
 • Circle Bar 1032 St. Charles (on Lee Circle at Howard Avenue) Casual bar with local rock and other bands
 • FQB on the 3rd floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal. Thursday through Saturday nights jazz bands and singers, in the style and atmosphere of an upscale pre-WWII era jazz club. They serve good meals as well. Not cheap, but truly swank.
 • Howlin' Wolf 828 South Peters in the Warehouse district music venue; they host a good variety of local and visiting acts; definitely get a hold of their schedule in The Gambit, a weekly paper.
 • Michaul's 840 Saint Charles: Cajun music
 • Mulate's 201 Julia Street at Convention Center Boulevard: Cajun music
 • Orpheum Theatre 129 University Place: Home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
 • Saenger Theater 143 N. Rampart, at Canal Street. The most gorgeous of the city's beautiful old picture palace theaters, hosts traveling Broadway shows and concerts.
 • Le Salon 300 Gravier (in the Windsor Court Hotel) 596-4773, swanky hotel bar often has good jazz pianists, vocalists, and small combos
 • State Palace Theater 1108 Canal Street.
 • True Brew 200 Julia: Coffee house often has music or theater performances

Get out

The convenient location of the neighborhood, especially the area between Rampart and the river, allows easy access to other parts of town: walk across Canal Street and you're in the upper part of the French Quarter. Take the red Canal Streetcar line away from the river to the attractions of Mid-City, or in the other direction the end of the line and you're at the edge of Faubourg Marigny. The green St. Charles Streetcar line takes you to Uptown and Carrollton. The ferry at the foot of Canal Street (free for pedestrians, $1 for cars) will take you across the Mississippi to the Algiers neighborhood, and give you a scenic budget mini-cruise of the River in the process.