Overview

Take a walk through the evolving Bywater with this self-guided GPS audio tour. Historically a working-class neighbourhood, it has become a destination for artists and those seeking alternatives to the spectacle of the French Quarter. With its artist-run collectives, new bars and restaurants, and music venues popping up all over the neighbourhood, nightlife has begun to migrate here.

This walk will wind you through some of its non-commercial, daytime offerings, with an eye toward some of the natural, historical, and overlooked details that give it character. Along the way, your walk will be punctuated with poetry, and you will have some personal time with the Mississippi River that makes the city "crescent."

Description

Pass By: 5 Press Gallery, 5 Press St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117

It features the work of artists connected to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, or NOCCA

Pass By: New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, 2800 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70117, USA

It's a tuition-free arts conservatory for high school students. Entrance is by audition only, and such luminaries as the Marsalis brothers and Trombone Shorty have emerged from here.

Pass By: Crescent Park, Piety St. at Chartres St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117

The tour passes through Crescent Park. It stretches for 1.4 miles along the Mississippi River. It's a fairly recent addition to the city and has provided Marigny and Bywater residents new access to the Mississippi River which borders the neighborhood.

Pass By: Mississippi River, Mississippi River, Louisiana, USA

The tour briefly walks along the river

Pass By: Rusty Rainbow Bridge, Rusty Rainbow Bridge, New Orleans, LA 70117, USA

By locals, it's called The Rusty Rainbow, but it's actually the Piety Street Arch. While the other two entrances to the park allow for vehicle and handicap access, this one is very stair-heavy. The view from the top is a great way to watch the passing clouds or check out the fireworks on the many occasions New Orleans celebrates with them.

Pass By: Mickey Markey Park, 3301 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70117, USA

Mickey Markey Park is a destination for families and dog owners in the Bywater. It was renovated a few years ago. From a fenced-off mostly-dirt field, it was turned into a sprawling green space for leashed dogs, soccer games, and lounging with a take-out pizza. A lot of birthday parties are hosted here with bouncy houses, summertime sprinklers and baby pools. And it's a spot for other, more unorthodox gatherings as well. This is the starting point for the annual naked bike ride, for instance. It's great for people-watching too. On weekends and nice-weather evenings, parents often gather with adult beverages while kids monkey around on the playground equipment.