10Best's New Orleans Shopping
-- Judy Johnson, 10Best Travel Editor
Perhaps New Orleans' most under-publicized quality is that it's a great place to shop, especially for collectors. Start with Magazine Street in the Garden District, where the charming 19th-century buildings offer a mix of cafés and noteworthy shops. In the Quarter, there's Royal Street, where high-end galleries and antique shops share blocks with merchants who peddle second-hand duds, pralines and just about anything else you can imagine. For shoppers and sightseers alike, one of the city's more unique destinations has to be the French Market, which was founded in 1791, making it the oldest continuously-running public market in the United States. Here, along the New Orleans riverfront, you'll find plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining and even entertainment. If mainstream wares are more your speed, there's the Riverwalk Marketplace on Poydras and the Shops at Canal Place, both of which feature a bevy of brand name retailers.