I had a bad time in New Orleans, and it was one of the few trips I wished I hadn’t been on. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, my first experience in the city was my cab driver sharing how he was victim of a violent car theft; I then went on to personally witness some sketchy situations.
Beyond the safety issues, the city infrastructure was poor and there were other aspects of NOLA that just didn’t suit my traveling habits.
Since NOLA is often touted as a dreamy/fun destination, I wanted to share my honest opinion on why I didn’t like the city, plus tips on how to have a better experience than I did.
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Table of Contents
Reasons to Avoid Visiting New Orleans
Note: these are my personal experiences, and I totally understand that many people travel to NOLA and have a fantastic time. I’m not sharing these experiences to bash the city, but instead to explain why New Orleans might not be the best destination for everyone, plus share tips on how to avoid these negative situations. Some of these things I didn’t like may even be “pluses” for you, and in that case, great.
1. There’s more crime + sketchy behavior in broad daylight.
CW: violence, drugs.
NOLA is the 7th most dangerous city in the US, according to Forbes. I don’t doubt this after my time in the city, as I heard a horrific story from my cab driver, and then personally witnessed people doing hard drugs in broad daylight.
My airport cab driver gave me a warm welcome to the city by telling me how he almost died while driving for Uber (it was shocking, but a helpful and fair cautionary tale). It all started when he got a pickup request in one of the unsafe neighborhoods. Since the rider was highly-rated, he didn’t think much of it (though it turns out, he had stolen someone’s phone to call the Uber). Once they arrived at the remote drop-off location, the rider pulled a wire around the driver’s neck and tried to strangle him and steal the car.
Luckily, the driver was able to pull the wire off, hand over the keys, and run away. They found his car weeks later, but they never caught the thief, and Uber never did anything about the situation.
Later in my trip, I saw homeless people doing syringe drugs just yards away from my Airbnb. While I didn’t feel threatened by them or anything, it was sad to see and shocking that people were doing hard drugs out in the open. There were a lot of syringes on the sidewalk in that area as well, which is a health and safety hazard.
Solutions/tips: Make sure to properly research your hotel/Airbnb neighborhood. Here are the most dangerous neighborhoods in NOLA to avoid and here are some top hotels in a safe + conveniently located part of the city.
This was a mistake I made, as I was staying on the outskirts of two dangerous neighborhoods (7th Ward and St Roch on the border of Faubourg Marigny). I didn’t think to check my neighborhood safety since it was relatively close to the French Quarter. This is something to look out for, as Airbnbs will advertise themselves as “close to the French Quarter,” when it’s actually in dangerous neighborhood.
Also, even if you stay in safer neighborhoods, be aware that pickpocketing is common in the city center, so be vigilant and hold onto your bags.
2. Infrastructure isn’t great.
One of the first things I noticed were the uneven, crumbling sidewalks and the stench of the trash bags along the roads. This was the case even in one of the nicer neighborhoods in the city, Faubourg Marigny.
The uneven sidewalks are not only an inconvenience, but also a mobility issue for people who use wheelchairs.
3. The city isn’t very walkable.
New Orleans is a pretty big city with a good amount of spread. While there is public transport, it doesn’t get you everywhere, especially if you’re staying in a more affordable neighborhood outside the city center.
Even where there is public transport, it often takes twice as long as a rideshare service. I ended up renting a car for a day and doing a handful of taxi/rideshare trips (taxis from the airport are a flat fee, by the way, so it’s probably cheaper for you to take that than rideshare).
Solutions/tips: Check which sights you want to see beforehand and look for a stay near convenient transport stops. The 12 streetcar line runs through some top sights in particular, as it starts in the city center and goes through the Garden District (massive, historic homes) to Audubon Park. You should also be prepared to rent a car or take a rideshare service for destinations further from your home base.
If you do rent a car, make sure to get one that isn’t flashy, because car theft is common. The rental agency tried to give me a Mustang, and I refused in favor of a Toyota Camry.
4. The weather is hot and muggy.
NOLA is warm year-round, and in early April, it was already hot and muggy (in the 80s with 80% humidity). As a result, after walking around the city and going on runs, I was a sweaty mess.
Solution/tips: if you’re looking for cooler weather, visit in the late fall through early spring. If you go while it’s warmer, bring breathable clothing that doesn’t show sweat.
5. Party culture is very prominent.
Many people go to New Orleans to drink, and there’s no shortage of that if that’s what you’re looking for. On Bourbon Street, you’ll find bar after bar, pounding music, and bright lights.
If you’re not a partier or drinker, it feels like there’s not as much to do in the evenings in the city center. That said, there are a lot of live music joints and restaurants. It’s just not as “in your face” as the bars, and you will need to do some more research.
6. Local food is often heavy/not plant-based.
NOLA has tons of local specialties, including crawfish, beignets, po boys, gumbo, red beans and rice, muffuletta, and jambalaya. None of these are traditionally vegan, and only the beignets are vegetarian (even the beans traditionally have meat in them).
These foods are also pretty heavy and may leave you feeling bloated/uncomfortable. I enjoy eating comfort foods from time to time, but it feels like more of a challenge in NOLA to find lighter meals made from whole foods. You’ll notice that most of the popular plant-based options still fall on the “heavier side”.
If you’re looking for plant-based restaurants, I personally enjoyed Breaks on Oak. They have a vegan muffuletta (cold cut sandwich) and their burger was also solid. Meals from the Heart is also highly recommended, and they have vegan beignets. Dat Dog is another local favorite with a vegan hot dog, but I personally thought it was just okay (the hash browns were solid though). If you like hot dogs, it may be worth a try.
Solutions/tips: you can always cook for yourself if you have access to a kitchen, and that may be something to look out for as you’re booking a place to stay (if eating more plant-based/whole foods is important to you).
Reasons to Visit New Orleans
I wanted to provide some of the positive experiences I had in NOLA, as it wasn’t all bad. Again, my goal isn’t to discourage you from going, but to provide my honest experiences so you can plan ahead.
1. The culture is rich.
New Orleans is home to a diverse culture and history. Of course it’s the birthplace of jazz, and you can find live music all over the city.
You can also learn about Voodoo-Catholicism, a religion that was born in the city when the enslaved West Africans blended their religious practices with those of local Catholics. There’s a museum dedicated to Voodoo in NOLA.
Another history museum is The National WWII Museum, which reviewers say is unique because of its interactive storytelling; you get to know the real people who lived through the war. The museum is absolutely massive and can take up to a full day to go through.
I enjoyed the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, which is full of medical artifacts from the 1800s to 1900s. One of the interesting facts I learned is that speculums (the pap smear tool) have not changed in centuries.
Finally, there’s the Whitney Plantation about an hour outside town, which is nationally renowned for its depiction of the history of enslaved people forced to work there (rather than brushing over the horrors or commercializing the plantation by turning it into an “aesthetic” place).
2. You’re surrounded by nature.
NOLA is surrounded by parks and wildlife preserves, including Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge, and Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area.
I visited Jean Lafitte briefly, and saw plenty of snakes and an alligator on a short walk at Barataria Preserve within the park.
You can take swamp tours to see wildlife as well, but make sure to pick an ethical operator that doesn’t feed the gators, and doesn’t use speedboats—this kayak tour seems to fit the bill. Unfortunately, on a lot of tours, they let you feed marshmallows to the alligators, which doesn’t seem right at all (bad enough to be feeding them, let alone feeding them marshmallows).
Even if you can’t get outside the city, the parks (Audubon Park and City Park) are beautiful and full of historic oaks covered in Spanish moss. It doesn’t get more romantic than that.
Final Thoughts
While I didn’t have a great experience in New Orleans, I can see how others may enjoy it, especially if you stay in a safer neighborhood with access to a convenient transport line.
If you decided to go to NOLA, I hope this post can help you have a smoother trip than I did. If you don’t want to go anymore, I would recommend Savannah or Charleston as some other similar-ish Southern destinations that I enjoyed more.
Let us know (respectfully) in the comments what you thought of NOLA if you’ve visited!
