What it is like to live in the Garden District.
The Garden District sits roughly between St. Charles and Magazine, Jackson and Louisiana. Most of it was built between the 1830s and the turn of the century, on lots that started large and were later subdivided, which is why a Greek Revival mansion can share a block with a raised cottage. It is a local historic district, so what you can see from the street is reviewed.
The streets, and what the mornings are like.
Walk Prytania and Coliseum first. Prytania has the bigger front elevations. Coliseum has the better sidewalks, which is to say the worse ones, buckled up by oak roots into something closer to terrain than pavement. Every block has at least one fence worth stopping in front of. The cast iron here is not decoration borrowed from somewhere else. It is still doing its job.
It is quieter than people expect for a neighborhood wedged between two busy streets. Walking tours come through mostly on Prytania and First, mostly between ten and three, and you learn the rhythm and route around it. Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 anchors the corner of Washington and Prytania, with Commander's Palace across the street from it, which tells you most of what you need to know about how this neighborhood mixes the everyday and the famous.
The historic district review is the thing to understand before you buy, not after. Exterior work visible from the street goes through the Historic District Landmarks Commission: windows, roofing, fences, paint in some cases, and anything structural you can see. That is not a reason to avoid the neighborhood. It is a reason to have your contractor, your budget and your timeline lined up before you close, and to read the permit history on the house.
Magazine Street is the practical edge. Groceries, restaurants and shops, all within a walk from most of the district. St. Charles gives you the streetcar and the parade route, which is a feature eleven months of the year and a fact of life in the twelfth. Between the two you can live here without driving much, which is not true of most places with houses this size.
The housing stock.
Some of the grandest houses in the city, with smaller cottages and doubles tucked along the edges.
House types
Greek Revival and Italianate mansions on deep lots, raised center-halls, and Queen Anne houses, with side-hall shotguns, doubles, and cottages closer to Magazine Street. Condos exist, mostly in converted older houses, and new construction is almost unheard of.
Condition and era
Much of the district was built between the 1840s and the 1890s, with more filling in through the early 1900s. Many houses have been restored with real care. Others carry a century of layered repairs, and the difference is not always visible from the sidewalk.
What to watch for
Foundations, slate and metal roofs, ironwork, plaster, and old wiring and plumbing. Exterior work usually needs historic district approval, so factor that into any renovation plans. Owning an Old House covers what to check.
What is around.
What your days look like once you live here.
Eating and drinking
Commander’s Palace sits right on Washington Avenue, Coquette is a few blocks away on Magazine, and the rest of Magazine Street’s restaurants and bars are an easy walk. Coffee and a corner store are rarely more than a few blocks off.
Walking
The district is compact and made for walking: roughly a dozen blocks from St. Charles to Magazine and from Jackson to Louisiana. Most errands, a coffee, and the streetcar are a short stroll under the oaks.
Green space
There are few formal parks inside the district. The gardens themselves are the green space. Coliseum Square is a short walk, and Audubon Park is a quick streetcar ride upriver.
Getting places
The St. Charles streetcar reaches the CBD in about 15 to 20 minutes. By car, downtown is usually 5 to 10 minutes and the airport about 25 to 30. Plenty of residents get by with one car or none.
Homes for sale in the Garden District
Three questions about the Garden District.
The ones people ask me most as a New Orleans real estate advisor.
Is the Garden District a good place to live?
Yes, if you want architecture, quiet streets, and an easy walk to Magazine Street and the streetcar. The trade-offs are price, the upkeep that comes with older and larger houses, and a steady stream of walking tours on the sidewalks most afternoons.
Can you renovate a house in the Garden District?
Yes, with care. The Garden District is a local historic district, so most exterior work visible from the street needs approval from the Historic District Landmarks Commission before it begins. Interiors are largely yours to change. Budget extra time, and hire contractors who have worked with the commission before.
What does a house in the Garden District cost?
It is usually among the priciest neighborhoods in the city, though it ranges widely from a side-hall cottage near Magazine to a restored mansion on a corner lot. What Your Money Buys has current price bands, and I am happy to pull this month’s sales for the blocks you like.
Read next.
Honest price bands by neighborhood.
What to check before you make an offer.
What caring for an older house involves.
Oak canopy, Magazine Street, and Audubon Park.
Walkable blocks close to downtown.
Luxury Real Estate Advisor License ID: 995701126
+1(504) 617-5184 | richard@richardhebertrealtor.com
The Garden District guide.