![\"The](\"http:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/movotoblog\/2013\/11\/trendiest-new-orleans\/images\/10.jpg\")
Source: Wikipedia user Infrogmation<\/p><\/div> Before we take you on a virtual tour of some of the finest spots by the Bayou, let\u2019s take a look at how we got our rankings. Like any of our other Big Deal Lists, we needed some measurable information to determine which New Orleans neighborhoods were the best. We settled on the following criteria:<\/p>\n We started with a list of 71 New Orleans neighborhoods and gave each neighborhood a rank from one to 50 in each criterion, based on the data, with one being the best possible score. As far as amenities go, we settled on restaurants, coffee shops, and bars per capita because we realize it\u2019s important for everyone to have a lot of choices. We then added these up to get the total amenities score per neighborhood. For New Orleans residents and visitors alike, it may not come as much of a surprise that the French Quarter tops our list. Those lucky enough to live here have known this is the best neighborhood for years\u2014and now, the numbers are there to back it up. Just what do those numbers tell us? Also known as Faubourg Marigny\u2014or, as some residents like to call it, just plain awesome\u2014the Marigny neighborhood comes in as a close second, mostly due to its low percent of old fuddy duddies\u2014I mean, married people. Just 17 percent of Marignians are married and with 29 bars to choose from, there are plenty of opportunities to bump into Mr. or Ms. Right. In addition to the beautiful historical homes which define Uptown, this neighborhood has a wealth of amenities and is even quite walkable. Uptown\u2014along with two more neighborhoods coming up on our list\u2014tied in terms of desirability, according to area agents, and when you take a closer look, it\u2019s no wonder why. Just next to Marigny lies Bywater, though perhaps a more accurate name would be \u201cBuyliquor,\u201d for the number of bars this neighborhood has to offer. Fourteen bars for a population of just over 3,300 means plenty of options to pick your poison. Bywater also scored well in its number of coffee shops\u2014five\u2014for those who want something a little less strong. No. 5 on our list, the Lower Garden District, scored well in amenities overall, but in particular its number of coffee shops and restaurants, with 11 and 57 respectively. Now that\u2019s a lot to choose from, so allow us to help you out a bit. As far as coffee goes, Corner Muse is a cute and quaint little shop, selling not only coffee, but local art and jewelry as well. When you get hungry, you can stick around Corner Muse, or spice things up a bit with some Caribbean food from Maya\u2019s. Just west of the Lower Garden District is No. 6 on our list, the Irish Channel neighborhood. Dotted with an eclectic mix of working class 19th century architecture, shotgun houses, and more modern buildings, the Irish Channel is certainly unique. It\u2019s also one of the most desirable areas in New Orleans, according to agents, tying with Marigny, Uptown, and Freret. Mid-City\u2014more like aMenities City, am I right? But seriously, Mid-City comes in at No. 7 on our list, mostly due to its total number of amenities. This historical district is bustling with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, shops, galleries, things, and whatnots, largely because the famous\u2014 and always buzzing\u2014Canal Street runs right through this neighborhood. Freret comes in at No. 8 on our list, but according to local agents, it ties for No. 1 with Marigny, Uptown, and the Irish Channel in terms of desirability right now. It also has a good number of restaurants and singles, with a married population of just 30 percent. While we can\u2019t exactly point you to the best singles, we can point you to some of the best restaurants in the area. The Central Business District comes in at No. 9 on our list, and No. 1 in terms of walkability, restaurants, and coffee shops per capita. It came in second for the total number of amenities in the area, which makes sense, as the Central Business District is essentially New Orleans\u2019 downtown. Coming in at No. 10 on our list is Central City. It makes the top 10 mostly because of its total number of amenities, high single population (just 25 percent married), and a WalkScore of 77. You might be called The Big Easy, New Orleans, but coming up with a top 10 for your fabulous neighborhoods was no stroll down Canal Street. You\u2019re a vibrant city, rich with culture, history, and all that jazz\u2014and competition for best neighborhoods was fierce. But when all was said and done, it looks like the French Quarter really is the best neighborhood in NOLA. F\u00e9licitations, Vieux Carr\u00e9! New Orleans, NOLA, The Crescent City, The Big Easy\u2014whatever you want to call it, one thing is for sure: This is one helluva place. Tourists may know this city as a place to go for Mardis Gras, perhaps the spot for Cajun food, or even a good place for some jazz\u2014but beads, Boudin, and brass aside, New Orleans is not just a wonderful place to visit; it\u2019s also one of the finest cities in which to live. If you happen to disagree, it may just be that you\u2019ve been spending time in the wrong NOLA neighborhood, because as studies show, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-places","post--single"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nNew Orleans<\/a>, NOLA, The Crescent City, The Big Easy\u2014whatever you want to call it, one thing is for sure: This is one helluva place. Tourists may know this city as a place to go for Mardis Gras, perhaps the spot for Cajun food, or even a good place for some jazz\u2014but beads, Boudin, and brass aside, New Orleans is not just a wonderful place to visit; it\u2019s also one of the finest cities in which to live.
\nIf you happen to disagree, it may just be that you\u2019ve been spending time in the wrong NOLA neighborhood, because as studies show, your neighborhood within a city can change your view entirely. Which studies? Well, this one for starters.
\nIn this study, we have taken one very subjective subject\u2014which New Orleans neighborhoods are the best\u2014and used empirical data to settle the score once and for all. Without further ado, Movoto Real Estate<\/a> presents our winner: The French Quarter. Here is the complete list of the top 10 neighborhoods in NOLA:
\n1. French Quarter<\/a>
\n2. Marginy<\/a>
\n3. Uptown<\/a>
\n4. Bywater<\/a>
\n5. Lower Garden District
\n6. Irish Channel<\/a>
\n7. Mid-City<\/a>
\n8. Freret
\n9. Central Business District
\n10. Central City
\nWhy is the French Quarter at the top of the list? And what makes Marginy just marginally better than Uptown? Read on to find out how we came up with this order and just what makes each of these N\u2019awlins neighborhoods so nice.
\nLaissez les bons temps rouler!<\/p>\nHow We Did It<\/h2>\n
\n
\nTo get each neighborhood\u2019s desirability score, we asked New Orleans real estate agents which areas were the most desirable for young adults, 20-35 years old. To gauge each area\u2019s walkability, we used WalkScore.com. Finally, we ranked those neighborhoods with a lower percent of married people higher, because what fun is going out and meeting a bunch of married folks?
\nAfter we rated each neighborhood, we averaged the criteria together and gave each city an overall score. The lower this number was, the higher the area ranked.<\/p>\n1. French Quarter<\/h2>\n
\nFirst of all, the French Quarter has more amenities than it knows what to do with. With over 270 restaurants, 147 bars, and 23 coffee shops, this neighborhood came in at the top for total number of amenities. Of course quantity doesn\u2019t mean quality\u2014but here, it has both. It has Caf\u00e9 Du Monde for beignet\u2019s sake. If you\u2019re craving something a little less sweet, head to Sylvain for lunch. If you\u2019re craving something downright sinful, just head to Bourbon Street. To skip the hullabaloo, try local favorite, the Old Absinthe House.
\nHow will you get from place to place? You will walk, of course. The French Quarter also came in among the best in terms of walkability.<\/p>\n2. The Marigny<\/h2>\n
\nMarigny has all the charm of the historic French Quarter, but with a fraction of the noise. The bar scene here is a bit more laid back. The Friendly Bar and Iggy\u2019s, for example, are just two laid back watering holes in Marigny. Running low on energy? Simply walk over to Who Dat Coffee Caf\u00e9 for a cup of joe and a pastry. It\u2019s no wonder agents ranked Marigny amongst the most desirable neighborhoods in the city.<\/p>\n3. Uptown<\/h2>\n
\nResidents in this swanky part of town can brunch at Milk Bar, lunch at Dat Dog, and schmooze with the likes of Harry Connick Jr., Lil Wayne, and Peyton Manning at Clancy\u2019s Restaurant. Once the sun sets, locals head to Cure, one of the top-rated cocktail joints in the city.<\/p>\n4. Bywater<\/h2>\n
\nTo get your caffeine and sugar fix, head to Shake Sugary on Saint Claude Ave. These guys are only open on the weekend, but they have some of the most beautiful, elaborate, and delicious cakes and pastries in town. Pair that with their dollar coffee and you have an addiction waiting to happen.<\/p>\n5. Lower Garden District<\/h2>\n
\nAnd with just 29 percent of the population married here, there are plenty of singles to mingle with while you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n6. Irish Channel<\/h2>\n
\nWhat makes it so hot right now? Well, for one, the number of restaurants\u2014there are 50 of them, after all. There are also quite a lot of singles here, with a married population of just 29 percent.<\/p>\n7. Mid-City<\/h2>\n
\nThe great thing about the bars, restaurants, and shops in Mid-City in particular, is that they are mostly haunted by locals; this is not your typical New Orleans tourist area. Finn McCool\u2019s Irish Pub, for example, is a favorite spot to watch the Saints and Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery is a great place to gorge yourself with sweets.<\/p>\n8. Freret<\/h2>\n
\nStart with something healthy, say Freret St. Poboy and Donut Shop, and then mosey on down the historic street to the High Hat Caf\u00e9 for some gumbo, tamales, catfish, or pimento cheese. The chef describes the place as \u201cbayou meets Delta.\u201d Now I\u2019m not sure what that means, but the food sounds good.<\/p>\n9. Central Business District<\/h2>\n
\nThe streets are lined with skyscrapers, specialty stores, thousands of residents\u2019 homes\u2014mostly restored historic commercial and industrial buildings\u2014and so many places to drink, eat, and caffeinate it\u2019s no wonder this neighborhood is trendy. For a night out, head to Bon Ton Caf\u00e9 where cocktail attire meets Cajun food. Probably best to leave your crawfish bib at home.<\/p>\n10. Central City<\/h2>\n
\nIn addition to the famous Leidenheimer Bakery, Central City is home to much culture\u2014the MLK statue and memorial, for example, is just near Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; and the Ashe Cultural Center and various art galleries also line the streets in this neck of the woods.<\/p>\nSo Much for Being Easy<\/h2>\n
\n(click to enlarge)<\/a>
\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/movotoblog\/2013\/11\/trendiest-new-orleans\/trendiest-neighborhoods-new-orleans-table.png\" "\\"The")
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