The CBD / Warehouse District carries the city's ambition and its appetite. Old brick warehouses are now lofts, galleries, and restaurants where chefs riff on Gulf seafood with modern edges. The National WWII Museum demands real time—plan hours, not minutes.
Nearby, the Ogden Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center give Southern art its own loud voice. At night, the neighborhood shifts into polished cocktail bars, hotel lounges with soft chairs, and late dinners where reservations actually matter. The sidewalks feel wider, the energy more vertical, but the river is still a few blocks away reminding everyone who's boss.
Street parking is tight; consider a rideshare if you plan to drink. It's a district built for the in-between hours: post-meeting, pre-show, post-midnight.