Central City

Understand

The area of "Central City" centered around Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard (historically known as Dryades Street) was a center of African-American commerce and culture in the first half of the 20th century. The end of racial segregation ironically hurt the neighborhood, as much of the African-American business as well as people went to other parts of the city. The area perhaps hit bottom in the 1980s, then the first projects to revitalize the historic neighborhood began. Another blow came in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina. As the city repopulated afterwards, Central City became notorious for shockingly high rates of violent crime, as rival gangs and drug dealers exchanged gunfire in the streets. Although crime has gone down from mid-2009 to early-2012, Central City is still a dangerous neighborhood, not recommended for casual visitors. Projects to revive the historic O.C. Haley business strip are starting to show fruit, though it still has a long way to go. Those who decide to visit should be particularly aware of their surroundings and inquire about conditions in advance.

Getting there

By car A car is without a doubt the best way to get around Central City, if for no other reason than that it is much safer to avoid waiting at bus stops and taking long walks through the neighborhood. Parking is relatively easy. Taxis will drop you off here, but you may have a lot of difficulty getting one to pick you back up, even when called.

By bus

Bus 91 runs from Rampart St at the north end of the French Quarter (a good pick up spot is at Canal and Rampart) and will take you directly along Oretha C Haley Blvd to the art centers and Cafe Reconcile.

See

1 Ashé Cultural Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, ☏ +1 504 569-9070. Ashé's mission, essentially, is to be a community gathering space for the creation of art, but also to help drive community renewal. You'll need to check the website, but they have occasional events that would appeal to a visitor, like drum workshops, film screenings, etc. 2 Lafayette Cemetery #2. Unlike the interesting Lafayette Cemetery #1, #2 has not been maintained and is not terribly safe anyway. The same can be said for adjacent St. Joseph Cemetery #1. New Orleans has many more interesting and safer cemeteries; skip these. 3 Southern Food and Beverage Museum, 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, ☏ +1 504-569-0405. W-M 11:00AM - 5:30PM. Museum founded in 2004 about the food of the southern US. $10.50. (updated Jun 2018) Hotel Hope, 3923 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, ☏ +1 504 821-7773. This homeless shelter for women and children used to be the Crescent Palms Motel, which originally opened as Mason's Hotel, a black-owned hotel where black guests would be welcomed. As such, it attracted and hosted not a few African American celebrities, like Mary Wells, The Drifters, the Marvelettes and Martha and the Vandellas. You can appreciate it from the outside even though the neighborhood is a bit rough, or maybe drop in and make a donation.

Do

Mardi Gras Indians Uptown Super Sunday Once a year, "Mardi Gras Indian" tribes from the upriver sections of the city have a grand parade, with elaborate costumes and multiple brass bands, starting around LaSalle Street on the downriver side of Washington Avenue. Usually held on a Sunday shortly after St. Joseph's Day (March 19); check with local publications or radio WWOZ 90.7 FM for details if you're in town this time of year.

Buy

Ashé Boutique, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd (inside the Ashé Cultural Center), ☏ +1 504-569-9070. M-F 9AM-5PM. The Ashé Boutique has a good assortment of art, jewelry, handbags, etc. made both locally and from parts afar (mostly African). It's a small shop, but it's worth stopping buy if you are in the neighborhood, and the proceeds go towards the upkeep of the arts facility.

Go next

Travel pretty much in any direction and you will see a big contrast (try the upscale old money Garden District just a short drive riverwards/south!), as Central City is much poorer than the surrounding neighborhoods. If you are in New Orleans with an interest in African American history, the Tremé is really the local star.