Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2
CANAL STREET: REVIVAL IN PROGRESS
BOUNDARIES:
Canal St., Basin St., Convention Center Blvd.
DISTANCE:
1.93 miles
PARKING:
Lots, garages, metered parking
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
St. Charles Ave. Streetcar
Ask older natives of New Orleans about their memories of Canal Street, and you'll likely
see their eyes light up as they recall dressing up in their finest attire and heading downtown
to what was once the city's equivalent of Fifth Avenue. Back in the day, Canal
Street—named for a canal that was never built—was the city's primary shopping destina-
tion, home to such classic department stores as Gus Mayer, Godchaux's, Kreeger's,
Holmes, Krauss, and Maison Blanche.
As enclosed shopping malls began sprouting up in the suburbs and many of these stores
began opening multiple locations, Canal—which separates the French Quarter from the
Central Business District—took a major hit. Crowds began to thin, opting for the conveni-
ence of the malls, near which New Orleanians were moving in droves. By the late 1990s,
only a couple of specialty stores, Adler's and Rubenstein Bros., remained.
To be sure, Canal Street was not the same—not that it had turned into a ghost town, but the
quality of the shopping had been reduced to fast-food restaurants and discount stores ped-
dling electronics, souvenirs, and T-shirts. Today, many of those outlets still exist, but a ma-
jor revitalization effort has made Canal Street a destination once again, with upscale stores,
luxury hotels and apartments, theaters, and restaurants now in the mix.
•
Begin at 333 Canal Street, home of The Shops at Canal Place and the Westin
Hotel New Orleans. Stores at Canal Place include Saks Fifth Avenue, Brooks
Brothers, and Tiffany and Co. The complex also features a luxury nine-screen
movie theater, where you can dine on gourmet goodies from chef Adolfo Gar-
cia's Gusto in the comfort of plush stadium-style seating.
•
Walk one block. Between North Peters and Decatur Streets is the Audubon
Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, one of the many museums of the Audubon
Institute. Located in the historic US Custom House, it is the largest free-stand-
ing museum dedicated to insects in North America. Highlights include a but-
terfly exhibit in an Asian-inspired garden, a hilarious animated-bug movie
featuring the voices of Joan Rivers and Brad Garrett, and up-close encounters
with cockroaches, ants, and other creatures you love to hate. At the Bug Ap-
