A Baptist’s Guide to

s pastor of the church nearest New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, I welcomed new students each fall with a free tour of the city. I really came to love the city where I lived for a decade. And in the years since, when friends asked the sites they should see and the foods they must sample, I gave them this list.

– Eric Reed

Garden district

Ride the streetcar line. It’s 45-minutes from Canal Street up St. Charles Avenue, the line follows the curve of the River.

Walking tour. Great old homes line the blocks on both sides of St. Charles including the famous Wedding Cake House. Commander’s Palace is a wonderful old restaurant in a mansion.

Magazine Street. An interesting ramble past new shops that opened after Hurricane Katrina, joining antique dealers and local art.

Audubon Zoo boasts NOLA’s highest point on Monkey Hill and elephants fountain photo op.