5 Best for Shopping New Orleans

Why it made the list: Six miles of independent boutiques, antique shops, galleries, coffee bars and restaurants running through the Garden District and Uptown. It's the city's best all-around shopping street, and easily its most walkable stretch of retail.

Why it made the list: One block over from Bourbon and a world apart: Royal Street is the Quarter's elegant spine of fine-antique dealers, art galleries and jewelers, often with street musicians playing on the corners. It's as much a walk as a shop.

Why it made the list: The oldest public market in the country, running along the lower Quarter with a covered flea-and-farmers market of local crafts, souvenirs, spices, hot sauce and produce. It's touristy but genuinely historic, and good for edible gifts.

Why it made the list: A nightly open-air market tucked just off Frenchmen Street, where local artists and makers sell prints, jewelry, art and handmade goods under string lights. It's the best place to buy something genuinely made in New Orleans while the music plays next door.

Why it made the list: The heart of the city's contemporary art scene, a row of serious galleries along Julia Street in the Warehouse District. It's where collectors browse and first-timers get a free, low-pressure look at Southern contemporary art.