Magazine Street is a six-mile commercial corridor running through the Garden District and Uptown that functions as New Orleans' independent shopping spine — a street where locally owned boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and vintage shops outnumber chains by a ratio that most American cities have given up trying to achieve. Walking its full length is a half-day project that passes through five distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own character.
The Lower Garden District section (around Jackson Avenue) has edgier art galleries and the kind of vintage clothing stores that attract costumers and set designers. The Garden District section (Washington to Napoleon) is more refined — antiques, home décor, and upscale restaurants. The Uptown section beyond Napoleon becomes increasingly residential and relaxed, with neighbourhood restaurants, coffee shops, and the Creole Creamery (locally beloved ice cream shop) drawing a crowd that is entirely local.
The street's name has nothing to do with publishing — it derives from the French 'magasin' (warehouse), reflecting the street's original function as a commercial route from the river warehouses to the inland plantations. The Magazine Street bus runs the full length and costs $1.25, making it possible to ride to one end and walk back, stopping at whatever catches your eye. The restaurants along the route represent the full spectrum of New Orleans cooking — po'boys, Vietnamese, Creole, barbecue, farm-to-table — and eating your way down Magazine Street is one of the best food experiences in a city that has no shortage of them.
Verified Facts
Magazine Street runs approximately six miles through the Garden District and Uptown
The name derives from the French 'magasin' meaning warehouse
The street is predominantly locally-owned businesses rather than chains
The Magazine Street bus runs the full length of the street
Get walking directions
Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130
