Garden District / Uptown

Historic Uptown New Orleans residence with yellow siding, red shutters, iron fencing, and a lush landscaped front garden shaded by mature trees.
A person dressed in a colorful costume and mask, standing behind a decorated float with clouds and snowflake decorations.

Along St. Charles Avenue, the streetcar runs past 19th-century mansions, live oaks and some of the most admired residential architecture in the country.

View of a backyard with a swimming pool, surrounded by plants, trees, and a wooden fence. There is a two-story house with a yellow exterior and red window shutters, featuring a covered porch with a ceiling fan.

The Homes

The Garden District is known for grand Greek Revival and Italianate houses built in the mid-1800s, set back behind iron fences and deep gardens. Across Uptown, you'll find raised center-hall cottages, Victorian shotguns, doubles and stately homes on tree-lined streets near Audubon Park and the universities.

Living Uptown means being close to neighborhood restaurants, coffee shops, independent businesses and green spaces while remaining connected to downtown by the St. Charles Avenue streetcar. Mardi Gras routes, Audubon Park, Magazine Street and generations of local institutions make daily life here as much about the neighborhood as the house itself.

For the blocks below Jackson Avenue, toward downtown, see my guide to the Lower Garden District.

Before You Buy

Before you buy Uptown, look beyond the architecture and the block. Historic-district restrictions can affect future renovations, while the age and condition of the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical systems and drainage can materially change the cost of ownership. Insurance can also vary significantly between seemingly similar properties. I help you investigate those issues early, so you know what you're buying before you make an offer.

Daily life here centers on the streetcar, Magazine Street's shops and restaurants, and long walks under the oaks. Audubon Park, Tulane and Loyola anchor the upper end, while the Garden District keeps a quieter pace just off St. Charles.

Homes here often carry generations of family history. I help sellers present that history honestly and well, and I help buyers see past a dated kitchen to the bones of a house worth keeping.

In 2025, I sold a condominium on Sixth Street in the Garden District, just around the corner from the world-famous Commander's Palace.

Questions Buyers Ask About the Garden District and Uptown

  • Yes. The Garden District is a local historic district overseen by the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission, and the Commission now reviews much of Uptown as well. Exterior changes, demolition and new construction usually need approval before work begins. The rules vary by district and by how the building is rated, so I check both before you make an offer.

  • Not in most cases. In residential districts, the city allows one short-term rental license per block face, chosen by lottery, and the operator has to live on the property. Some commercial and mixed-use zones follow different rules. If rental income matters to you, I confirm the zoning and the current license status of the block before you write an offer.

  • The Garden District and the blocks along St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street sit on higher ground near the river and stayed largely dry after Hurricane Katrina. Farther from the river, toward Claiborne Avenue, the ground is lower and some blocks took on water. Heavy rain can also flood streets for a few hours. I pull the flood zone for every address and suggest getting an insurance quote early.

  • Greek Revival and Italianate mansions, Queen Anne Victorians, raised center-hall cottages, double-gallery homes and shotgun singles and doubles. Most were built between the 1840s and the early 1900s. Many sit on deep lots with side yards and gardens. Uptown also has condominiums in converted historic homes and in newer buildings.

  • The St. Charles streetcar runs through both neighborhoods, and Magazine Street is lined with shops and restaurants. Audubon Park and the Tulane and Loyola campuses are Uptown. During Carnival, major parades roll down St. Charles and Napoleon avenues, which limits parking and access for a few weeks. If you're buying on or near the route, I'll show you what parade season looks like from that block.