Things to Do in Mid-City New Orleans | Witches Brew Coffee Co.
Witches Brew Coffee Co. • Neighborhood Guide
Things to Do in Mid-City New Orleans
Mid-City is where New Orleans actually lives. Less tourist traffic, more oak trees, more locals who've been here for generations. It's the neighborhood City Park is in, the neighborhood the Canal Street streetcar runs through, and the neighborhood Witches Brew calls home. Here's how to spend a day in it.
Start your morning at Witches Brew. We're at 2940 Canal St — on the streetcar line, with street parking and a covered patio. Draft matcha, specialty coffee, and pastries baked in-house daily. Everything else on this list is within a short ride or walk.
Parks & Outdoors
New Orleans City Park
One of the oldest urban parks in the country — 1,300 acres of live oaks, lagoons, picnic lawns, and boat rentals. Cafe du Monde has an outpost inside the park near the Esplanade entrance. Lose an afternoon here without trying.
1 Palm Dr • Free entryBayou St. John
A scenic bayou running through the edge of Mid-City, lined with historic homes and local shops. Kayak it, paddleboard it, or just walk the banks. On a slow afternoon it's one of the most beautiful stretches in the city.
Accessible from Esplanade AveLafitte Greenway
A former railroad corridor turned three-mile bike and pedestrian trail connecting Mid-City to the Marigny. Flat, tree-lined, and one of the best ways to move through the city without a car.
Runs from Tremé to Mid-CityNew Orleans Botanical Garden
Over 2,000 plants inside City Park, including the Enrique Alférez Sculpture Garden honoring the Mexican-American artist's life and work. A quieter corner of the park most visitors skip.
Inside City Park • City Park AveMuseums & Culture
New Orleans Museum of Art
The oldest fine arts institution in the city — 40,000 works spanning American, French, Japanese, and African art. Always rotating exhibitions, always worth the visit. Inside City Park, walkable from the Esplanade entrance.
1 Collins Diboll Cir • Tue–SunBesthoff Sculpture Garden
The Sydney & Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden sits adjacent to NOMA — free, open daily, and genuinely stunning. Meander among large-scale installations under century-old live oaks and beside reflecting pools. One of the best free things in New Orleans.
Free • Open 7 days • 10am–6pmSt. Louis Cemetery No. 3
Above-ground tombs on Esplanade Ave — quieter and less trafficked than No. 1, which means you can actually walk through it without a crowd. The kind of thing that only exists in New Orleans.
3421 Esplanade AvePitot House
The only Creole Colonial-style house on Bayou St. John open to the public. Once home to the first mayor of New Orleans, now a museum telling the story of life along the bayou since the earliest days of the city. Worth an hour.
1440 Moss StOnly in New Orleans
Rock 'N' Bowl
Bowling, live music, Creole food, and a full bar — all under one roof. Been a Mid-City institution for over 30 years. Live music calendar is always packed. $25 per lane per hour, and the music is usually free with your lane.
3016 S. Carrollton AveParkway Bakery & Tavern
Po'boys since 1929 — the very year po'boys were invented. Recognized by USA Today as serving the best in Louisiana. Get the roast beef, or the shrimp. Don't overthink it.
538 Hagan AveAngelo Brocato's
Italian gelato and pastries in Mid-City since 1905. Its 2006 reopening after Katrina flooding was a genuine neighborhood event. Get the lemon ice. On the Canal streetcar line — easy to hit on the way back.
214 N. Carrollton AveFairgrounds Race Course
Historic horse racing track and home of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every spring. Year-round racing when it's not Jazz Fest season. One of those things that's been happening in Mid-City for so long it feels like part of the landscape.
1751 Gentilly BlvdHidden Gems
Banks Street Bar
A Mid-City dive since 1959 — recently renovated with new owners who kept everything that made it worth keeping. Live music most nights, free red beans on Mondays, free oyster bar Thursday nights. The bar locals actually go to, not the one they send tourists to.
4401 Banks St • Open daily from noonLiuzza's by the Track
A hole-in-the-wall Creole spot near the Fairgrounds with a legendary BBQ shrimp po-boy served in a frosted mug. The kind of place you'd walk past without knowing what it is. Locals have been coming here for decades. Cash preferred.
1518 N. Lopez StRight Next Door
Chickie Wah Wah is an intimate live music venue a few doors down from us on Canal St — named after a 1956 Ace Records single by Bobby Marchan, one of New Orleans' first drag performers and a founding figure in the city's music history. Local musicians play here most nights, all-cover goes directly to the performers. Jon Cleary, Meschiya Lake, Tom McDermott — this is where the real talent plays in Mid-City.
Start your morning at Witches Brew. End your night at Chickie's.
We’re open Monday–Friday 8am–3pm and Saturday–Sunday 8am–5pm at 2940 Canal St. Street parking on Canal, covered patio, Canal Street streetcar stops right out front.