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[jonesey]

Quick question:

My wife is a business consultant going to NO Halloween week (getting into town on the 31st in the evening).  The work is east of NO (I think; I don't know much about NO) but she's thinking about staying in the French Quarter.  By herself.  For a week.  Starting on Halloween.  FWIW, she's 5' tall and about 99lbs soaking wet.  Yes, I'm worried.  She's never been there and thinks she'll be able to "walk around" the Quarter (again, by herself) and "check it out" while she's there. 

Now, she travels for a living.  Goes to NYC (and northern NJ) all the time by herself with no issues, so I might just be a Nervous Husband, but I'm hoping someone with actual NO experience can fill me in.  She wants the Quarter; I'd rather her stay in a Hampton Inn near the work site (it's at the intersection of the 510 and the 10 freeways, if that helps anyone).

Thanks!

[larryc]

She'll be fine. The quarter is heavily policed and she has the street smarts for other areas of the city.

We were in NO this summer and went out one night. Some of the streets were blocked off and every block there was a vehicle barricade and a security officer. Twice as we walked by the officer stopped my wife: "Are you OK, ma'am? Is this man bothering you?"

She loved it. At the music club she was like "You gonna get me a drink or shall I have you arrested on the way home?"

[wanna_writemore]

(NOTE: It's been several years since I've been there.) The good thing about the Quarter is that there are always a lot of people around in the main streets.  People get in trouble when they get drunk and stumble around, or wander down dark deserted streets.  If she stays in the busy areas and stays alert to her surroundings, especially after dark, everything should be fine.  I would be especially cautious on Halloween night due to excessive partying, but I would imagine if she has work to do she won't be out late partying.

[spectacle]

I was there the week of Mardi Gras (for a conference, not the event) and had no problem.  I'm a smallish woman and walked around on my own all week.  If she's a good traveler and knows how to walk around purposefully, she should be fine.  It's a delightfully walkable city.

[sugaree]

In my experience, the French Quarter is one of the safer areas of New Orleans because that's the tourist district and it's in the interest of city boosters to keep it safe. That said, drunken tourists also make easy targets for muggings, but if your wife isn't staggering in the gutter puking hurricanes (and nothing in your post suggests that she would be), she should be fine. The general opinion of the area was that anything north of Lafitte's Bar (at Bourbon and Royal, I think?) got more dicey than the main touristy area.  

I haven't been back since Katrina, though, so perhaps my thoughts here are out of date? Regardless, even in the "bad old days" of the murder capital of the US, I would rather gouge my eyes out than stay at a Hampton Inn in the suburbs when there are restaurants/clubs/bars/history/museums/etc. to see and experience. Especially on Halloween! I can think of few more than there on that particular night.

[hmaria1609]

I was in New Orleans for ALA over the summer.  It was my 1st time going to N.O. too. I stayed at the Holiday Inn-French Quarter on the lower end of Royal St.  During the day, when not at the convention center, I had a wonderful time exploring the French Quarter on my own.  There's lots of great shops and restaurants.
At night, well, I didn't stay out past 10 pm. I also took not to venture too far from the hotel. Bourbon St can be noisy any time of day.
Since this is her first time, I wouldn't pass up being in the French Quarter. (Quick note about museums: check the operating hours before you go; the ones owned by LA state are closed on Mondays) Again, just don't be out too late at night and be mindful of your surroundings.
For beignets--hit up Cafe Beignet on Royal St.  It's a quieter venue than Cafe du Monde.  Only drawback, it closes in the late afternoon (around 5 pm)

[collegekidsmom]

Well, I also went to ALA in NO this summer! Stayed near the French Quarter,was alone most of the time,  and I have to agree exactly with hmaria1609 that it seemed (and I was told) that there is a different between walking around there during the day or at night. I was there almost a week, and pretty much everyone advised me about the night alone in that area. Daytime, no problem. There were so many people around and so much going on. I was mostly in the downtown areas near the major hotels.

[mended_drum]

Have her take standard precautions against pickpockets, stay in the tourist areas and avoid getting too inebriated, and she'll be fine.

[menotti]

She'll be safer in the French Quarter than she would in eastern NO.  Eastern NO is much less populated.  Standard precautions for a big city and she'll be fine.

[eigen]

I'm in grad school here, and it's a pretty safe city if you're careful.

Does she have a lot of time she wants to spend in the French Quarter?

If not, the hotels are a lot more expensive, there, and parking is a lot tighter. There's a Hampton Inn on St Charles St in the "Uptown" area that is nice- the area as a whole is a bit quieter, but the hotel is on the streetcar line that runs downtown, so it's easy to get around.

As others have mentioned, the Quarter isn't that bad if you're careful of your surroundings- but some of the other areas around the quarter can be a bit worse (central business district, 9th ward). I also agree that East NO is by and large a less safe place to stay then either the Quarter or Uptown NO.

[concordancia]

I was in New Orleans for ALA over the summer.  It was my 1st time going to N.O. too. I stayed at the Holiday Inn-French Quarter on the lower end of Royal St.  During the day, when not at the convention center, I had a wonderful time exploring the French Quarter on my own.  There's lots of great shops and restaurants.
At night, well, I didn't stay out past 10 pm. I also took not to venture too far from the hotel. Bourbon St can be noisy any time of day.

I stayed in the same hotel and walked back and forth between there and Frenchmen Street alone every night (music that isn't cover bands!). There are a few iffy blocks on the way, but I never had any trouble.

[fiona]

Don't walk around alone on dark streets and avoid going into cemeteries, which are historically fascinating but also very attractive for muggers.

If she wants to visit cemeteries, take guided tours.

During the day, tourist areas are fine.

The Fiona

[schoolmarm]

I hope that she will be fine.  I stay a little west of the French Quarter two years ago in the summer.  I was hassled by the homeless, drunks and addicts.  I typically travel the world by myself and New Orleans was HANDS DOWN the most uneasy place I've been.  I was back at my condo by 6 or 8 pm each night...too bad because I would have really enjoyed the music scene.  I figured that if I was getting hassled in the late afternoon that night in the French Quarter would not be a good idea.  I felt safe at the Harrah's casino.  Not safe in the neighborhood of the WWII museum or in the north and west parts of the French Quarter or along that big boulevard where the streetcars run. The train station was also a bit interesting, but I felt safer there then in other places.

Have her walk with someone.  I would have been fine had I brought along a drinking (or non-drinking) buddy. I can't imagine what NO would be like at Halloween.  Sounds fun, but I'd take Manhattan for New Years instead!

[mystictechgal]

I haven't been back to NO since Katrina, but was there many times, previously. When Andrew hit I was staying in the hotel adjoining the conference center. First time I'd stayed outside the Quarter. Previously, I felt safer in the Quarter than I did outside it. I probably was safer, too. Far more people, a larger police presence, and the Fire departments are also always open and staffed. During Mardi Gras the Fire Departments used to do cookouts, offering free food. Dunno if they still do that, or not.

I got approached a lot by folks panhandling outside the Quarter. Not so much, inside, and those that do hustle there tend to have a sense of humor and act and dress so as not to offend or scare away the tourists. My favorite was when my husband was along with me and a young man approached and told him, "I'll bet you five buck I can tell you where you got those shoes." My husband doubtfully took him up on it. His reply? "You got 'em on your feet!" I insisted my husband pay up, but got the definite sense it would have been okay if he hadn't. The kid was happy with the laughs he got. Then again, my guess is that he could afford to be happy with the laughs. He was undoubtedly cleaning up with his schtick. The folks that approach you outside the Quarter, not so much.

She should be fine. Tell her to go, among other places, to O'Flaherty's Irish Pub if they're still there. Nice place, good food, good music, good people--and they owners are shirttail relatives of my husband on the maternal side if we trace it back to the old country.

FWIW, I'm 5'3" and weigh less than 120 pounds. I would definitely stay in the Quarter with no qualms.

[prytania3]

I'm in grad school here, and it's a pretty safe city if you're careful.

If you have to be careful, it's not all that safe, now is it?