Writer’s Travel Guide to New Orleans: Literary Travel

Finally, after visiting New Orleans for a second time, I’ll be sharing a Writer’s Travel Guide for this city, which is full of great reading or writing spots and literary travel.

It was in New Orleans, back in early 2019, that the idea of Voyage Scribe fully developed. I was in the process of starting a travel blog and was struggling with choosing a niche. I stayed a few days longer than necessary with the goal of a solo writing retreat, something I had been doing for my past few trips.

That’s when it clicked. It was in NOLA where I realized that no matter what kind of trip I was, there was one thing I found every time I traveled: writing inspiration. Since then, I’ve published many guides for literary travel and writing spots in cities worldwide, and yet I realized I haven’t done so for New Orleans.

So here it is: the inspiring city where the idea for this blog was truly born, and the literary travel and great writing spots of New Orleans.

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Literary Travel

Carousel Bar

I seem to be following in Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps a lot in the past year. From Chicago to Venice to Milan to Istanbul, ghosts of Ernest pop up seemingly everywhere I’ve been lately, and New Orleans is no exception. Hemingway, along with Tennessee Williams and Faulkner, all stayed in Hotel Monteleone, which is where the Carousel Bar is located. In fact, this hotel even has Literary Landmark status.

But even if you’re not too interested in literary travel, this bar is worth visiting. In fact, it may just be the coolest bar I’ve ever been to. As the name suggests, the bar is located on a fully-functioning carousel, meaning that it moves as you’re sitting at the bar!

It is tricky to get a seat at the carousel, as there aren’t many spots. I’d recommend visiting in off-season. I got a spot when I visited in February, but no chance when I visited in May (it didn’t help that I was in a big group of people I met at my hostel either—you’ll have a better chance of a spot if you’re alone).

   

Faulkner House Books

This is a small bookstore, but very unique in that it’s located in the house where William Faulkner used to live. This Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author wrote his first book, Soldiers Pay, right in this very house.

And despite their small size, you’ll find an amazing selection of books. It was in this store that I found a copy of Wislawa Szymborka’s translated poems, something I’ve been looking for a while and haven’t found elsewhere. I felt a bit bad because they only let a few people in at a time, but I was there for nearly an hour browsing all the tall bookshelves.

Crescent City Books

Another independent bookstore option, this is a great one if you’re looking for used books. They also sell some old maps and prints.

Garden District

This stunning part of New Orleans has been home to many writers. Most famously, Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles, once lived here. Although her former home is hard to find. I found multiple addresses claiming to be her residence, although my tour guide on a Garden District tour (highly recommended) claimed that the 1239 First Street house was hers.

Other famous writers who lived or visited the Garden District include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kate Chopin and Walt Whitman.

Writing Spots

Singing Oak at City Park

This is my new favorite writing spot in New Orleans. I found this tree on Google Maps and went to check it out (because I’m obsessed with oak trees—something that began the first time I visited NOLA). I knew nothing about it, and it turned out better than I expected.

The reason why this tree is called the Singing Oak is because it has giant wind chimes attached to the branches, creating the most calming sounds when wind passes through it. It’s a great place to sit under the shade of the tree and write in your journal as the sound of the chimes rings around you.

Check out my TikTok of this amazing singing tree.

PJ’s Coffee

Another obsession of mine that began in New Orleans was right here in PJ’s: lavender tea lattes. I have long loved both tea and lavender, but this was the very first place where I found this fusion. Since then, I’ve looked for lavender lattes in every city I’ve visited.

PJ’s is also has amazing coffee, which is what most people visit it for, I imagine. It’s a chain local to New Orleans, but my favorite location was the one on Decatur Street. It’s right in the French Quarter so I’ve stopped here many times to indulge my unsatisfiable lavender addiction in between sightseeing. I liked to come here to catch up on writing in my journal.

Café du Monde

This iconic café shouldn’t be missed during your trip to New Orleans. Last I visited (May 2022), they only had outdoor seating, but I quite liked that. Usually you’ll find street performers in that area, so you can sit outside letting the music wash over you as you eat beignets, drink a coffee and write.

Café Beignet

An alternative for a writing session and beignets is this café, located just down the street from Café du Monde. I got a seat by the large open window and had the sounds of the city in one ear and the sounds of the self-playing piano inside the café in the other ear.

I didn’t visit this café my first time in NOLA, but it easily became one of my favorite writing spots in New Orleans.

Backspace Bar

If you prefer writing with a cocktail rather than a tea or coffee, this bar immediately caught my eye with the old books and typewriters in the windows.

It didn’t seem too busy when I went in (although it was pretty early), so it seems to be a great option for writers. You can also order some food here if you get hungry.

Jazz Bar

A jazz bar is a great place to go alone, sit in the back and write as you listen to the sounds of live jazz.

My absolute favorite was Fritzel’s European Jazz Bar. It gets crowded in the evening, so it might be best to go there during the day if you’re planning on writing and don’t want to get squished by crowds.

Where to Stay

If you’re a starving artist, you may be intimidated by the expensive hotels in NOLA. But New Orleans actually has a lot of hostel options, which I find to be quite rare in the US. I stayed in several, and I think my favorite was India House. It was a bit far from the French Quarter but right next to a streetcar stop, and it had a friendly atmosphere and a pool! They have private rooms too if you’re uncomfortable with sleeping in a dorm room.

Psst… Make sure you also check out my guide for visiting NOLA on a budget.

If you’re more used to luxury accommodation and have the cash to spend, stay in Hotel Monteleone. What better way to enjoy a solo writing retreat in New Orleans than to stay in a room that a famous writer stayed at?

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So, as you can probably see, I absolutely love New Orleans and all the literary travel and writing spots it holds.

Hopefully this post has inspired you to choose New Orleans as a solo writing retreat destination, or at least to consider checking out its literary past if you ever visit.

Looking to add more to your trip to NOLA? Take a day trip from New Orleans!