French Market and Crescent Park

The French Market is the French Quarter's open-air pantry and its oldest commercial address, established in 1791 on the site of earlier trading along the river. Today the French Market District stretches six blocks along Decatur and North Peters streets, from Cafe du Monde's corner near Jackson Square down to the Old U.S. Mint at Esplanade Avenue, beneath long colonnaded sheds that keep off the sun and rain. It is free to wander and open every day. The upriver end is food-focused: stalls and small eateries selling po-boys, boiled seafood, pralines, hot sauce and spice mixes, with seating under the arcades and street musicians on the sidewalk. Farther down, the flea market sheds are a jumble of vendors selling everything from local art, jewelry and masks to cheap souvenirs, and it takes a patient eye to separate the handmade from the mass-produced. The Crescent City Farmers Market, the city's leading growers' market, holds a weekly market here, bringing Louisiana produce, seafood and prepared foods to the Quarter. Beyond the market's downriver end, the district continues into Crescent Park, a 1.4-mile riverfront park of paths, lawns and repurposed wharf structures running along the Mississippi through the Marigny and into the Bywater, with skyline and ship-watching views that few visitors find. Fit: foodies grazing their way through the Quarter, families who need room to roam and a cheap lunch, first-timers, and couples looking for a riverside walk away from the crowds.

How to use the market well: come hungry and treat the food end as a tasting walk rather than a sit-down meal. A po-boy, a cup of gumbo, a bag of pralines and a cold drink under the arcades make an inexpensive, satisfying lunch, and the people-watching is excellent. In the flea market, look for vendors with their own studios or local makers; ask, and they will happily tell you what they make. Weekdays are calmer than weekends, and mornings are cooler. Check the farmers market day if you want to see local growers and shrimpers; it is a good way to meet the city's food culture at its source.

Continuing to Crescent Park: from the market's downriver end, walk through the edge of the Marigny to the park's entrances near the river. The park's paths run along the water past old wharf structures and landscaped areas, with seating and views back to the downtown skyline and the river traffic. An arched pedestrian bridge, nicknamed the rusty rainbow by locals, connects the Bywater to the park. It is best by daylight and at sunset, when joggers and dog walkers fill the paths; it is quieter and less advisable after dark. Bring water, as shade is limited.

Practicals: the French Market is free and open daily, with individual stalls keeping their own hours; the office address is 1100 North Peters Street. The Riverfront streetcar runs between the French Market and the Convention Center, which makes it easy to combine with the aquarium or a riverboat. Pair the market with Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde at the upriver end, the Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint at the downriver end, and Frenchmen Street in the evening, a five-minute walk away. A good half-day loop starts with beignets at the upriver end, works down through the food stalls and flea market, crosses into the Marigny for Crescent Park and the river views, and returns along the residential lower Quarter, one of the quietest and most beautiful walks in the city. Cash is useful for small vendors, though most now take cards.