Bywater & Marigny

My favorite thing to do on a free Saturday is park in the Bywater and just wander. I'll try a coffee shop I haven't been to yet (Petite Clouet, Ghost Ship on St. Claude where they roast in house) and just see where the street takes me. Walk down Dauphine and you'll find Just Like Heaven vintage, the Bargain Center where you can get completely lost in random vintage knick knacks, Satsuma Cafe, Parlor Books. A block off in any direction and there's the Country Club, Pizza Delicious, Crescent Park along the river. At night, Bacchanal for wine, Frenchmen Street for live music where you walk the strip and let the sound pull you in, St. Claude for bars like Saturn Bar, Kajuns, All Ways Lounge and Emporium if you want something weirder and more local.

One day during the Crazy Cat Lady Bywater bar crawl, we stopped at Markeys Bar and across the street a neighbor had racks of clothes out on the sidewalk. I found a sparkly vintage dress for fifty dollars that fit like it was made for me. That moment is the Bywater: something unexpected and perfect around every corner, if you're paying attention.

The buyer who belongs here is a creative. Someone earthy, artsy, who wants to walk everywhere and never leave their neighborhood. Someone who wants to be surrounded by other people who chose this city on purpose and live it fully. It's funkier and more artist-community than Mid-City's friendly bustle or the Irish Channel's creative-professional energy. If that's you, this neighborhood will feel like home the first time you walk it.