An argument against our city’s reputation for being “adults only.”

Visitors often debate whether to bring their children to New Orleans. So many phone calls turn into my own personal tirade against everything that is known about life in the city.

Mardi Gras? Definitely adults only, right? Bourbon Street, drunken staggering through the French Quarter, the exchange of beads for… a glimpse of flesh…

The attractions? Dark jazz clubs at night, the sophistication of the country’s best restaurants, brewery tours…

What on earth would we do with the kids while we have fun? Audubon Zoo? The Aquarium? A bit of education at the World War II Museum?

Sure. Of course these are all fun options for kids, but that’s the surface. That’s the stuff of travel brochures and one-time visits. I can promise you, if you bring your kids and really let them enjoy the city – you’ll be back. Maybe every year.

There are over 70,000 kids under 18 who live, go to school, ride their bikes, play ball, dance, participate and live day to day life in New Orleans. Surely they’re not spending every day at the Zoo and the Aquarium.

New Orleans is so rich in real living, and a trip with your kids may take you back in time to a nostalgic look at urban neighborhoods of the past. Our oak-lined canopied streets are narrow and bordered with parked cars, causing traffic to hum along at about 20 mph within the city, with one-way streets and stop signs every few blocks… life is SLOW here.

You’ll no doubt be surprised to see kids riding their bikes in this picturesque scene, basketball goals set up at the end of driveways and on corners… little ones skipping along the sidewalk as their parents roll the baby in the stroller on the way to drop the “big kids” off at school.

You’ll see the high schoolers jogging on the streetcar tracks between the streetcars, practicing for sports at the Fly, and teens gossiping on the corners as they enjoy the walkability of their neighborhoods.

Neighborhood grocery stores, prolific small parks, intimate charter schools throughout the city, and a noticeable lack of organized flow give kids in New Orleans lots of freedom to walk and explore, and a general sense of small town “everybody-knows-everybody” on every block.

No matter which side of town you’re on, the porch-sitting, sidewalk-chatting community here is alive and well. So, how to jump in as a visitor and let your kids soak up this vibe?

First, do the downtown stuff that will introduce them to the energy and excitement of how we live in New Orleans every day.

They don’t have to be 21 to enjoy music in the streets – you’ll hear some of the most amazing musicians, who just stand on corners sometimes and play. This is something that lives in the air. It’s not for sale, you don’t need tickets, and the only way to find it is to walk, walk, walk. And let your kids run ahead while you browse and enjoy. This is how we learn to love. This is how New Orleans begins to live under your skin and in your heart. Just walk.

While you’re downtown, you can take them for dinner on a riverboat cruise, buy them a cheap t-shirt and explore the fun French Market for souvenirs. You can walk the riverfront, grab some beignets, stop in front of Rouse’s Market on Royal Street for the amazing music of Doreen Ketchens and her family ensemble – seriously, just right outside on the street. People just dance on the pavement, caught up in it. Happens all the time.

The kids will remember strangers dancing together in the middle of the day. This is not night life. It’s just life.

For some nature loving, there’s City Park, with 1300 acres of nature and beauty, a little train and amusement park for the young ones; plus the “Flying Horses” carousel – one of the oldest in the US, and such a photo op for your vacation memories.

After all that? The family is probably tired. Like, really tired.

My favorite thing to do on a day of exhaustion before I lived here… ride a lazy streetcar and see the whole entire city in a day… without walking.

It’s so incredibly cheap. $1.25 for the ride all the way through town, and a $.25 transfer if you want to turn around and go all the way back, or move over to the Canal line and see more.

I love this option for kids. (And adults). Catch the beginning of the line at Carollton and Claiborne Ave. It’s easy to park there, and then… just ride.

You’ll meet everyone, see everything. Tourists and locals alike ride the streetcar every day. It runs along St. Charles Avenue, so you can see Tulane and Loyola University, Audubon Park, and all the majestic oaks and historic mansions along the way. Restaurants are plentiful, and you can “hop-on-hop-off” throughout the day, taking breaks, grabbing food (of course – the food!) and walk a few blocks if you want, to catch the streetcar again when you need a rest.

The leisurely pace of this journey could take hours to travel the small eight miles of our whole entire “big city,” and it’s the best way to relax, see it all, and even make notes of places you want to check out later.

Prytania Theater is another local secret. A third-generation family business, it’s like stepping back in time – again. Fun, classic matinee movies all summer, the latest blockbusters at night – (Rocky Horror Picture Show at Midnight…). Super inexpensive, intimate, and BYOB. What’s not to like?

So there’s just some of it.

This little guide might get you through your first visit to New Orleans with kids. But you’ll be back. They’ll demand it.

As your understanding of the city grows, bring them back for Mardi Gras among the neighborhoods. I promise, they’ll never forget it. It’s just a block party for everyone, 100% kid-friendly, and everything you’ve seen on TV becomes shallow caricature as you embrace the innocent joy of carnival in a community that loves its traditions.

By the way… after you visit a few times with the kids, you may fall under the dangerous spell we call, “New Orleans Fever.” You might not be able to let it go. You might, in fact, decide that it’s the best place in the world to live, and even to raise kids.

I’m a realtor, you know, so… if you get the fever, call me. I’ll help you make it happen!

Anne Beck,

New Orleans Fever Victim