What is the Gay Neighborhood in New Orleans?

New Orleans' LGBTQ+ community is concentrated across two connected neighborhoods on the east side of the city: the lower French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny. Together they form one of the oldest and most vibrant gayborhoods in the United States, with a culture of openness that predates the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The Lower French Quarter

The stretch of Bourbon Street south of St. Ann Street — often called the "Lavender Line" — is the epicenter of gay nightlife in New Orleans. This is where you'll find iconic bars like Cafe Lafitte In Exile (one of the oldest continuously operating gay bars in the U.S. — a gay bar since 1933, at this location since 1953), Oz New Orleans, Bourbon Pub Parade, and Good Friends Bar & Queens Head Pub.

Faubourg Marigny

Just east of the French Quarter across Esplanade Avenue, the Faubourg Marigny became a gayborhood in the mid-1980s as LGBTQ+ residents were drawn to its affordable housing and thriving music and arts scene. Key spots include The Friendly Bar on Dauphine Street, Phoenix Bar on Elysian Fields Avenue, and The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret on St. Claude Avenue.

Bywater

Adjacent to the Marigny, the Bywater neighborhood has emerged as a secondary LGBTQ+ hub with a more laid-back, artsy vibe. The Country Club on Louisa Street — with its restaurant, bar, pool, and famous drag brunch — is the anchor of the neighborhood's queer scene.