South - How unsafe a place is New Orleans?

I was reading hotel reviews on tripadvisor.com for a good place to stay. To my great surprise, so many people wrote not to stay in a particular hotel because they didn’t feel safe during their stays. Typically, people give bad comments for various reasons; rude staff, dirty room, poor location, dubious charges and bad neighborhood. This is the first time I can remember where people overwhelmingly attribute their unfavorable experience to safety concerns.

Is New Orleans that bad? I am having 2nd thoughs about my trip.

Is New Orleans that bad? I am having 2nd thoughs about my trip.
Just like any city, there are areas where you probably wouldn't want to walk alone, it is not a reason to cancel your trip (IMO)

Laissez les bonnes temps roulez! :)

Sweet Willie is 100% correct. You can identify areas of your home city that would not be safe. The established tourist areas are generally excluded from that list. The same is true of most cities in this country. Stay alert and take normal precautions & you will be fine. New Orleans is no more dangerous for visitors than other places you have been and has more to offer a visitor than most.

I have to admit, there are certain times of the year that downtown New Orleans (especially bourban st.) isn't for everybody. Depending on your interests, favorite activites, and maybe even age, I think you can always find something that will be fun as long as you don't just wander around lost.

For instance, if you're not the party type, don't let bourban st during mardi gras past 11pm cross your mind. Go in the daytime and enjoy an evening dinner cruise.

Hubs and I love New Orleans, and go at least once a year. We walk a lot of miles in that city, using very basic common sense and never feel uneasy.

I went to Tulane for two years and my local friends thought that I was crazy when I walked to some places during the night. I personally never felt unsafe, however. In my opinion some people are overly cautious for no reason.

During my last two month trip to Brazil I got robbed by three guys who put me down on the street. Does this make me hesitant to go there? Absolutely not. I loved the place and still love. Will go there later this year/early next year for some time.

25 yr old female here...took my first big trip by myself to New Orleans for some meetings. I stayed downtown and felt completely safe. The only place I felt the heebie jeebies, was 7 or 8 blocks down Bourbon Street. NOLA has really cleaned up and is renovating almost all of their abandoned buildings in the downtown area, tons more street lights than before etc...

I was reading hotel reviews on tripadvisor.com for a good place to stay. To my great surprise, so many people wrote not to stay in a particular hotel because they didn’t feel safe during their stays. Typically, people give bad comments for various reasons; rude staff, dirty room, poor location, dubious charges and bad neighborhood. This is the first time I can remember where people overwhelmingly attribute their unfavorable experience to safety concerns.

Is New Orleans that bad? I am having 2nd thoughs about my trip.

A couple of months ago, I hosted a meeting of about 20 people in New Orleans. We stayed in the French Quarter and had a great time. That said, because New Orleans can be a little tricky, especially in the French Quarter, we gave everyone a safety guide.

Things we included in the safety guide:
- Always stay with a group at night. Don’t wander off anywhere alone, and stay in well lit areas.
- Don’t talk to street people. Just keep walking and say "local” if you want to.
- Stay on streets that have other people traveling on them. If a street looks deserted, stay away from it.
- If you become lost, it is probably better not to talk to someone on the street. Ask an employee of a business close by for directions. You don’t want to look like a “tourist”. Generally, try not to stand around looking at a map either. This makes you a big bull’s eye as “tourist”. Act like you know where you are even when you don’t.
- There is one silly local scam that has been around for probably forty years. It was actually mentioned in a book I read that was written in the 60’s, and it still goes on today. Some “kids” may stop you and say, “I bet I can tell you where you got those shoes!” Ignore these people! The response from most people would be to wait and see if they could guess where you BOUGHT your shoes. This is not the case. The answer they will give you is “You got them on your feet in Bourbon St.” and then demand that you give them money because you lost the bet. It sounds silly, but these people will harass you for this money to no end. It’s best to just keep walking!
- Under no circumstances should you enter one of the cemeteries unless it is with a large guided tour group usually given by one of the park services. This even applies to broad daylight. This is mainly an issue because the type of graves in these cemeteries are above ground which means there are a lot of places to hide for would be muggers.


HTH!
GG

OK, so I lived in New Orleans just before I moved to Europe and it's not that bad a place. In fact, I frickin' loved the place! My family would always stay at the Wyndham Hotel at Canal Place. It's in a great location downtown, easily accessible to the shopping areas, French Quarter, and very well lit Casino. My dad is afraid of everything, and he will stay at no other hotel in New Orleans. As for the safety, as usual you have to be careful. I wouldn't recommend walking down any alleys alone, and if you do then just closely follow another group of people. The biggest to remember in New Orleans is to never get comfortable! It's a really cool place, just be smart and never let your guard down. Hope this helps!

:D














I was reading hotel reviews on tripadvisor.com for a good place to stay. To my great surprise, so many people wrote not to stay in a particular hotel because they didn’t feel safe during their stays. Typically, people give bad comments for various reasons; rude staff, dirty room, poor location, dubious charges and bad neighborhood. This is the first time I can remember where people overwhelmingly attribute their unfavorable experience to safety concerns.

Is New Orleans that bad? I am having 2nd thoughs about my trip.

Parts of New Orleans (including a small portion very near tourist areas) are around the top of the list of highest crime areas in the USA, including murder. New Orleans is significantly more dangerous than a lot of foreign places you are hesitant to visit. The odds of getting hurt there are a lot higher than most every place else you're going to travel this year. If you don't stumble drunk and alone into the seediest areas full of desperate crackheads and angry drunks, then the odds of your getting hurt are still very very tiny overall. However, being aware and avoiding stupid behaviors doesn't change the fact that New Orleans is more dangerous than other places.

The bad places are fairly obvious, you'd have to be supressing better judgement somehow to go into them, perhaps the drunken delusion that being with friends makes it safe and ok.

People may "feel safe", but what does that mean really? Their "feelings" don't change the statistically elevated risk. Tourists often "feel safe" at foreign political rallies too, so interesting and exciting. Then they are oh so very surprised when things go bad, despite the State Department warning them about these in travel advisories year after year.

I love New Orleans, it has to be one of the best places to eat in the world.

Cabs in New Orleans are affordable and usually plentiful. If you are EVER in doubt or uncomfortable, take a cab to where you are going, even if its just a few blocks.

Program into your cell phone now: United Cab (504) 522-9771.

And have a great trip!

[My family would always stay at the Wyndham Hotel at Canal Place. It's in a great location downtown, easily accessible to the shopping areas, French Quarter, and very well lit Casino. My dad is afraid of everything, and he will stay at no other hotel in New Orleans.


I LOVE the Wyndham at Canal. I have stayed there twice. Are the views fabulous or what?! Easy, safe walk to FQ.

...for it has so much to offer: great food, vibrant nightlife, interesting culture, etc. Why does it have to be so dangerous?

Seriously, America: take back this city! :)

Writing from New Orleans - been here since Sunday and still alive - if anything it's the food that is most likely to kill us, and we have done some damage.

This is my 3rd post Katrina visit (all business related), and in an earlier stage of my life I lived here for about 6 years. In my opinion the central business area and well travelled areas of the French Quarter are about as safe as anyplace else in the USA. Likewise riding the streetcar up St Charles and visiting the uptown, riverbend, university and Audobon Zoo areas ought to pose no problems. Beyond that, especially if you don't know the city, caution is advised, and really that's alway been the story with New Orleans.

I'm happy to report that despite all the pain of the past 3 years, New Orleans retains the grit, funk, and soul that make it perhaps the coolest city in America.

...for it has so much to offer: great food, vibrant nightlife, interesting culture, etc. Why does it have to be so dangerous?

Seriously, America: take back this city! :)

:confused::confused::confused:

Just curious, how many times have you been a victim of crime when you visited our city?

:confused::confused::confused:

Just curious, how many times have you been a victim of crime when you visited our city?

From the 1984 World's Fair to recent times, everyone in my circle who has visited your city comments that it's a dodgy spot. Please note that I'm not trying to offend any New Orleanians. As noted, I want to love New Orleans, but the stats don't lie: it's a dangerous place.

Too bad, really, as I could probably find work in my field there, too. :(

From the 1984 World's Fair to recent times, everyone in my circle who has visited your city comments that it's a dodgy spot. Please note that I'm not trying to offend any New Orleanians. As noted, I want to love New Orleans, but the stats don't lie: it's a dangerous place.

Too bad, really, as I could probably find work in my field there, too. :(

I'm not from NOLA, but I would say you hardly answered the question. Listening to people spread rumors is hardly indicia of a dangerous city.

I have been several times post-Katrina and while there are certainly parts of the city I would not want to walk alone (or perhaps even with company), those parts of town are the same ones I would have avoided pre-Katrina. I generally travel alone when I go to NOLA and have had absolutely ZERO issues walking alone, at night in the Quarter and in the CBD. Those walks have included to and from Harrahs.

While you can say stats don't lie, they can also be contorted to say damned near anything...and one thing is for certain- few people know how to properly read crime stats (or most anything that discusses a rate of occurrence).

From the 1984 World's Fair to recent times, everyone in my circle who has visited your city comments that it's a dodgy spot. Please note that I'm not trying to offend any New Orleanians. As noted, I want to love New Orleans, but the stats don't lie: it's a dangerous place.

Too bad, really, as I could probably find work in my field there, too. :(

Unfortunately, stats don't tell the entire story, either. I read somewhere recently that my home, Birmingham, AL was in the top ten most dangerous. Unless you are a drug dealer, politician or have a habit of trolling the projects, that "stat" is as far from the day-to-day truth as the Earth is from the Horsehead Nebula.

Let's look at some numbers taken from official sites. For the period Jan-Mar 2008, NO (New Orleans) has experienced 278 violent crimes and 1,088 non-violent crimes.

ok, while I could not find current 2008 visitors, the 2007 number is 7.1 MILLION. So, using that number as baseline, then roughly estimating the first quarter of 2008 would be about 1,775,000 visitors. OK, as of the end of March, NO has a population of 559,234.

The bottom line is that you have a 1 in 1,708 chance of becoming a victim. That's pretty darn low. Of course, for the victim, it is too high, but with a little caution and foreplanning, there is no need to crawl in a hole and avoid life! Just my opinion, FWIW.

Edited.

I'm not from NOLA, but I would say you hardly answered the question. Listening to people spread rumors is hardly indicia of a dangerous city.

I have been several times post-Katrina and while there are certainly parts of the city I would not want to walk alone (or perhaps even with company), those parts of town are the same ones I would have avoided pre-Katrina. I generally travel alone when I go to NOLA and have had absolutely ZERO issues walking alone, at night in the Quarter and in the CBD. Those walks have included to and from Harrahs.

While you can say stats don't lie, they can also be contorted to say damned near anything...and one thing is for certain- few people know how to properly read crime stats (or most anything that discusses a rate of occurrence).

If you are insistent that I "answer the question", I can assure you that New Orleans' reputation was more than enough to keep me away from that city before Katrina, and the situation hasn't gotten any better since then. Anecdotal evidence has long-time New Orleanians abandoning the city for the North Shore if they choose to stay in the area. I understand that Covington, for instance, has been enjoying a mini-boom owing to this exodus. Yes, some of this is attributable to wanting to be less vulnerable to flooding or to have better schools for their kids, but crime is almost always noted as being the factor that finally pushed these people who love New Orleans out to its fringes.

In my country, truly bad neighbourhoods are few and far between, so a place reputed to be as dangerous as New Orleans is not desirable in my books. This is regrettable because crime excluded, it has so much to offer.

I agree that stats for things like rape, assault, break and entry, etc., can be manipulated (e.g., not reported at all or not reported unless certain things are "triggered"), but it's kind of hard to argue with murder and non-negligent manslaughter stats. Death is very much a final outcome, and murder and non-negligent manslaughter is the only category of crime that all law enforcement agencies in the US are required to report to the FBI, apparently. And this particular incident rate per 100,000 people is awful in New Orelans (highest in the United States in 2007, apparently, outpacing Detroit, Baltimore, Newark, Oakland and other perennial champions). Violence in Louisiana in general, and New Orleans in particular, is even being looked at critically by long-time residents and lovers of the area: http://www.lpb.org/programs/LApublicsquare/topic.cfm?MonthofEvent=02&YearofEvent=2008.

Please understand that I want to love New Orleans; I regret only that it has to be so dangerous.

From the 1984 World's Fair to recent times, everyone in my circle who has visited your city comments that it's a dodgy spot. Please note that I'm not trying to offend any New Orleanians. As noted, I want to love New Orleans, but the stats don't lie: it's a dangerous place.

Too bad, really, as I could probably find work in my field there, too. :(

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I've lived here all of my life (quite a few decades) and NEVER have been a crime victim. My best advice would be to stay in your ultra-safe cubbyhole and continue your attempt to love the Crescent City from afar. It is NOT anymore dangerous than any other large city, unless you do something as stupid as going into crime infested areas. I think you need to expand your "circle" because clearly your present one doesn't know what they are talking about.

I'll rephrase my original question, how many times, & when, have members of "your circle" been victims of crime in New Orleans?

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I've lived here all of my life (quite a few decades) and NEVER have been a crime victim. My best advice would be to stay in your ultra-safe cubbyhole and continue your attempt to love the Crescent City from afar. It is NOT anymore dangerous than any other large city, unless you do something as stupid as going into crime infested areas. I think you need to expand your "circle" because clearly your present one doesn't know what they are talking about.

I'll rephrase my original question, how many times, & when, have members of "your circle" been victims of crime in New Orleans?

I don't intend on getting into an online war of words with you, so I'll keep this short. Of the leading Western countries, America is always most dangerous. And of the parts of America that are most dangerous, New Orleans is always near the top of the list.

I'll thank you not to insult my circle of friends and family because you think that they don't know what they're talking about. My friends and family have lived the world over and have travelled far and wide. Just because you have decided that crime levels in New Orleans are tolerable in your opinion does not mean that others have to agree with your assessment and to accept your opinion as valid.

[QUOTE=Maclock;10057460]....Anecdotal evidence has long-time New Orleanians abandoning the city for the North Shore if they choose to stay in the area. I understand that Covington, for instance, has been enjoying a mini-boom owing to this exodus. Yes, some of this is attributable to wanting to be less vulnerable to flooding or to have better schools for their kids, but crime is almost always noted as being the factor that finally pushed these people who love New Orleans out to its fringes.


:-: Sorry, but I have to call BS here. The mini-boom on the Northshore is primarily due to the levee failures. Please don't try to attribute it to anything else unless you are here every day and know the facts. And, please don't quote any more "news" sources. Unless you are actually living it, it's rumor-mongering. In fact, I have clients who are wanting to move back to N.O. because they can't stand the Northshore. Several new Northshore residential developments that were on the drawing boards are falling by the wayside.


Violence in Louisiana in general, and New Orleans in particular, is even being looked at critically by long-time residents and lovers of the area: http://www.lpb.org/programs/LApublicsquare/topic.cfm?MonthofEvent=02&YearofEvent=2008.

:-: :D:D:D None of the people on that panel are long-time residents of New Orleans and only one lives in the neighboring parish.

Violence in Louisiana in general, and New Orleans in particular, is even being looked at critically by long-time residents and lovers of the area: http://www.lpb.org/programs/LApublicsquare/topic.cfm?MonthofEvent=02&YearofEvent=2008.

:-: :D:D:D None of the people on that panel are long-time residents of New Orleans and only one lives in the neighboring parish.

Ummmm...deliberate use of the word "area", mate, anticipating that someone might wish to draw such distinctions. These folks are Louisianans. That's all I wanted to say.

We've only visited once (two years ago) but thoroughly enjoyed our week there. We stayed in the French Quarter and wandered around at all hours of the day and night, often returning to the hotel after dinner quite late. As others have said, all that is necessary is the usual common-sense precautions that would apply to visiting any city. We were on Bourbon Street for the usual night-time festivities. It didn't seem at all dangerous, unless your idea of danger is some drunk 20-something vomiting on your shoes. Very interesting sights that night, but also a very obvious police presence (a number of police on horseback), and we never felt unsafe at any time. As with any tourist city, e.g. Las Vegas, New Orleans has a vested interest in keeping itself safe and fun to visit.

In particular, the people who live and work in New Orleans were extremely solicitous and friendly. I suspect this is partly attributable to their desire to please tourists, of which the city was notably devoid so recently after Katrina, but I also suspect it reflects the warmth and hospitality of the region. We met lots of wonderful people who were only too happy to tell us about their city and make recommendations and suggestions.

New Orleans is one of the few cities in the U.S. that Mrs. PTravel and I agree we'd like to return for another visit. I definitely recommend it.

My wife was a crime victim in Rome a few years ago so I guess we should avoid that great city now. Oops, too late, we were just there again in November.

I've been to New Orleans probably a dozen times since Katrina, and personally, never had a problem.

I will add this to what has already been said. Even if you believe the stats, the fearmongering, etc, to the point that you believe the city is very dangerous, you still don't need to let that stop you from visiting.

The "tourist" areas are fairly compact, and cabs are cheap and plentiful. Even if you are uncomfortable walking the streets at all, you can still cab it everywhere and see the most unique city in the US - hearing great music, eating great food, marveling at great architecture, and meeting great people.

I've been to New Orleans probably a dozen times since Katrina, and personally, never had a problem.Likewise. I've been 15-20 times post-K, and am as comfortable in New Orleans as I've ever been. Granted I know the city better than most tourists, but that results in my venturing to parts of the city that most tourists never see, still without any problems. The tourist areas are very safe.

No city in crime free, and New Orleans is no exception. Try hard enough and you will find someone who knows someone who knows someone who was mugged while visiting New Orleans. Or New York. Or London. Or Rome.

I'd like to see the stats that suggest the New Orleans is any more dangerous to visit as a tourist than any other major city.

We've only visited once (two years ago) but thoroughly enjoyed our week there. We stayed in the French Quarter and wandered around at all hours of the day and night, often returning to the hotel after dinner quite late. As others have said, all that is necessary is the usual common-sense precautions that would apply to visiting any city. We were on Bourbon Street for the usual night-time festivities. It didn't seem at all dangerous, unless your idea of danger is some drunk 20-something vomiting on your shoes. Very interesting sights that night, but also a very obvious police presence (a number of police on horseback), and we never felt unsafe at any time. As with any tourist city, e.g. Las Vegas, New Orleans has a vested interest in keeping itself safe and fun to visit.

In particular, the people who live and work in New Orleans were extremely solicitous and friendly. I suspect this is partly attributable to their desire to please tourists, of which the city was notably devoid so recently after Katrina, but I also suspect it reflects the warmth and hospitality of the region. We met lots of wonderful people who were only too happy to tell us about their city and make recommendations and suggestions.

New Orleans is one of the few cities in the U.S. that Mrs. PTravel and I agree we'd like to return for another visit. I definitely recommend it.

Cool. Now, this is the kind of helpful, non-combative reply that helps FTers.

Thank you for your input, Mr. PTravel!

My wife was a crime victim in Rome a few years ago so I guess we should avoid that great city now. Oops, too late, we were just there again in November.

If you made a choice never to return on the basis of that incident alone, people would be totally unreasonable to dispute your decision. Wishing to visit great cities doesn't mean that one must be expected to put oneself at risk in places where crime is a problem. If one chooses not to travel to a supposedly great city because one fears that one's safety might face elevated risk for victimisation, then that's a legitimate choice.

Crime can be random; that, I will allow. The two most serious incidents I have faced have been in cities which are, on the numbers, two of the safest large metro areas in G7 countries.

I have also ridden the Red Line alone far into the southside of Chicago, something my fellow men caution crackers against doing, and I had no problems. Granted, it was during the daytime, so it might be expected to be safer, I guess. Would I do it again, late at night? I don't know. Has the southside of Chicago improved in the last few years? Perhaps so. Was it ever really that dangerous? I don't know.

We're not here to talk about Chicago or Rome (or anywhere else for that matter), so I'll stop now.

Mrs. & I are from New Orleans and have lived here for the last six years, w/ lots of relatives in the city. Some general comments are offered.

It's a wonderful city, but I believe there is a significantly higher risk of crime here than in other US cities. Doesn't mean don't go, it means use caution and trust your instincts.

In general, the tourist areas, and especially the casino area, are safe, because there's a lot of security. Pickpockets are likely in the quarter and during carnival parades

PERSONAL NEW ORLEANS CRIME EXPERIENCE:
My wallet was lifted during a parade a decade ago, now I either wear a money belt or stuff beads or junk in the pocket with the wallet.

A daughter was groped in the quarter about 7 years ago. About 4 years ago, when she was trying to park near her apartment, on Magazine and 8th St, a car or biker was following her, so she drove over the river to the Westbank to spend the night w/ us to avoid a long, potentially dangerous walk.

Great aunt - murdered in her apartment a few decades ago, probably by someone looking for drug money. Still unsolved.

Several cars stolen from relatives. Several break-ins of houses, when no one was home.


SUGGESTIONS
Crime can be drive by, or bicycle by - e.g., a purse snatching or armed robbery. If nervous, be cautious and do what you can to improve the situation, e.g., talk to somebody on cell phone while walking, or at least pretend to.

If driving, stay on well lit, well traveled streets.

Risk goes up exponentially in some areas that are near safe areas, e.g., hotels at/near St. Charles. Ask at your hotel about safety, if they say don't walk at night, but take a cab to the hotel do it, or stay downtown in the brightly lit tourist area. St. Charles Ave itself is generally safe, it's just a block off the street that things get scary.

It's safe during the morning/day to park on Esplanade, near the French Quarter and walk in, but we don't do this at night.

It's safe, and pleasant, to eat at sidewalk tables at neighborhood restaurants along Magazine street in day/afternoon/evening. (Reginelli's has two nice restaurants on Magazine, one at State St, one around 8th or so - w/ $2 pitchers of Abita Amber^ on Mon. and Tuesday. It's probably still safe at night, but when the crowds mostly go home, you should too.

The University area (Tulane/Loyola) is pretty safe, as the schools have security patrols on and very near campus and neighborhoods nearby have private security patrols, but caution is still needed v. drive by crime.

Folks here devote a lot of energy to worrying about crime/safety, probably more than in any other major city, if New Orleans is still considered a major city.

It's worth a visit, but be cautious.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for your reply, bucketlist! Your insight is most helpful.

Couple of first or second hand experiences -

Got in late stopped in French Quarter for dinner before checking in to hotel. Car broken into, briefcase stolen from trunk. (Mine).

My wife's friend lived there. She was raped on her own front lawn and her diamond engagement ring stolen by the perp.

Having experienced the above, I still go there. But watch where you walk. Cab it if not sure.

I've never been a crime victim in New Orleans - but on our last trip (pre-Katrina) my husband and I did experience aggressive solicitation by some prostitutes - including a very beautiful transvestite - in a major tourist area. We didn't feel threatened though. Robyn