Crescent Park

Crescent Park is a 1.4-mile linear park along the Mississippi River in the Bywater and Marigny neighbourhoods — one of the newest parks in New Orleans and, in terms of views, one of the best. The park runs atop the old wharf infrastructure, elevated above the surrounding streets, and the perspective it gives — looking across the river to Algiers Point, upriver to the French Quarter skyline, and down at the working river traffic below — is unlike anything else in the city.

The Piety Street entrance is the dramatic one — a soaring steel bridge designed by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple that arcs over the railroad tracks and the flood wall, depositing you on the elevated promenade with the river suddenly visible in a way it rarely is in a city where levees and flood walls usually block the view. The bridge itself has become an architectural landmark and a popular photography spot, particularly at sunset when the steel structure frames the western sky.

The park's location in the Bywater — New Orleans' most artistically active neighbourhood, where musicians, artists, and the creative class that's been priced out of other cities have established a community — means a visit naturally pairs with exploring the surrounding streets. The Bywater has some of the best street art in the city, excellent restaurants and bars, and the kind of neighbourhood character that the French Quarter had before tourism became its primary industry. Crescent Park is free, open daily, and is best visited at sunset or early morning when the light on the river is at its most dramatic.