Public Transportation Love-Hate: The Streetcars Are Back

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The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar is back in New Orleans, and while it still doesn't ply its whole route, the city and tourists are glad its back. The current 6.5-mile stretch rolls west through the city making excursions from the French Quarter easier than hailing a taxi.
The St. Charles line runs as far west as Napoleon Avenue, in the heart of the Garden District. (Construction to extend service beyond Napoleon is ongoing.) The other end point is Canal Street, down by the river and the ferry dock, in the Central Business District. From there, you can catch the more touristy Riverfront Line, which, you guessed it, chugs east through the Quarter along the Mississippi.
What to do besides simply enjoying a ride on the classic rolling stock? The best Magazine Street shops are in the Garden District, a few blocks south of St. Charles Avenue. And you can find some great restaurants in the Warehouse District--like La Boca and Emeril's--between the streetcar line and the river.
Related Stories:
· Long Desired, a Streetcar Returns to New Orleans [NPR]
· Streetcars Are Rolling Again in New Orleans [Huntsville Times]
· New Orleans Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: patriarca12]

