Lee Circle

Hello!

Going to NOLA for the first time in two weeks, and we are so excited! Just have a few questions- we are staying at Lee Circle at the Hotel Le Cirque and I am just curious about that area. I noticed the bus and street car pick up there, and I am assuming that would be directly in the circle near the hotel? Also, I noticed that there are several museums, like the D-Day Museum, ';within walking distance'; and was just curious if that is a pretty safe area to walk in. Also, are the Garden District homes within a comfortable walking distance or are we better off taking public transportation or a cab? Having never been to New Orleans, we are not sure what to expect but are very excited to see the city! Thank you in advance for any help or tips!

Lee Circle

Going to NOLA for the first time in two weeks, and we are so excited! Just have a few questions- we are staying at Lee Circle at the Hotel Le Cirque and I am just curious about that area. I noticed the bus and street car pick up there, and I am assuming that would be directly in the circle near the hotel? Also, I noticed that there are several museums, like the D-Day Museum, ';within walking distance'; and was just curious if that is a pretty safe area to walk in. Also, are the Garden District homes within a comfortable walking distance or are we better off taking public transportation or a cab? Having never been to New Orleans, we are not sure what to expect but are very excited to see the city! Thank you in advance for any help or tips!

The St. Charles Ave. streetcar does not go further uptown than Lee Circle. You could take the bus from Lee Circle to go to the Garden District. During the day, you could safely walk to the GD if you can walk 15 blocks. The bus stops are about every 2 blocks near the hotel. The D-Day musuem is just a block from Le Cirque. The Ogden Musuem is close too.

Late at night, I would take cabs in that area.

Lee Circle

Lee Circle is pretty quiet at night. I%26#39;d also take cabs. Nothing in the immediate area, either, so don%26#39;t walk around ';exploring'; at night.

Let us know what you think of the hotel. It has a cool light show on the outside of the bldg but past tripadvisor reviews (most pre-Katrina) weren%26#39;t very good.

For some local trivia, Le Cirque used to be the YMCA. The statue of Lee faces the building and the local joke was that they placed him that way to remind people that Yankees May Come Again!

The D Day Museum is one block behind Le Cirque along with the Civil War Museum (used to be the Confederate Museum) and the Ogden Musem of Art. The area is OK during the day and you can walk to the gallery area and even to the river front if you want to but after the offices close, I would take a taxi. The Garden District homes are a little to far to walk unless you want a workout. You can also take the street car from Lee Circle to Canal Street and the French Quarter.

With your location...get a three day pass good for the streetcar and busses. I think its about $15, used to be $12 if I recall right, and it will save you in the long run if you do multiple trips each day. Its good on the riverfront streetcar also. Many hotels sell the pass or get it from the streetcar driver but sometimes they run out of them.

Just an F.Y.I., you can usually walk from Lee Circle to Canal faster than it takes on the streetcar. I hope frequencies will improve a lot once the entire line is open again!

Thanks for all of your insights! I%26#39;ll let you know how the hotel works out...