Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CRESCENT PARK
It was eight years in the making, but when Crescent Park opened in February 2014
along the Mississippi River, it was hailed as a major step in the city's revitalization.
City officials said it also fulfilled their mission of returning the riverfront to the
people.
Stretching from Bywater to the Marigny, the 20-acre linear park is located at what
was once a thriving wharf area, and its design and layout are in keeping with its in-
dustrial past.
The park features 20 acres of indigenous landscaping, bike paths, playgrounds, a dog
run, and the first of two multiuse pavilions transformed from former industrial
wharves, including the Piety Wharf, which overlooks the Mississippi River and the
New Orleans skyline and includes a garden and picnic area.
One of the park's signature features is the Piety Street Arch, a pedestrian footbridge
that crosses active railroad tracks and the Mississippi River floodwall. Scheduled to
open in late 2014 are the Mandeville Shed, an old industrial wharf being converted
into an open-air event space; the Mandeville Ellipse, a raised grass lawn; and the
Mandeville Crossing, which will feature stairs and elevators that connect to an elev-
ated walkway leading to the riverfront.
Park hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m., with hours extended to 7 p.m. during daylight-saving
time. A public parking lot is located along Chartres Street at the foot of Piety Street.
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Walk two blocks to the corner of Dauphine and Louisa Streets. On your
stroll, take note of the sheer variety of houses, among them 19th- and 20th-
century shotgun doubles, Creole cottages, and Craftsman bungalows, many
of which have been transformed from dilapidated shacks to architectural
masterpieces.
At the corner of Dauphine and Louisa, to your left, is Booty's Street Food,
one of the myriad restaurants that opened in Bywater after Hurricane Kat-
rina. If you're a “street-food geek,” as Booty's calls its fans, you're sure to
enjoy its global menu offerings, from
banh mi
(Vietnamese po'boys) and
falafel sandwiches to empanadas and
yuca mofongo,
a Puerto Rican fritter
stuffed with roast pork.
