Tremé is one of America's oldest Black neighborhoods and the spiritual engine of the city's music. Congo Square in Armstrong Park still holds the echo of drums that predate jazz and refuse to fade. On Sundays, second lines can start here before spiraling through nearby blocks, horns and feathers honoring the living and the dead.
The Backstreet Cultural Museum preserves Mardi Gras Indian suits, Social Aid and Pleasure Club history, and the stubborn artistry of communities that built the sound the world calls New Orleans. Creole cottages sit beside shotgun doubles, corner stores sell hot sausage sandwiches, and conversation carries across porches. Visitors are guests here—be respectful, tip the bands, buy a drink, and step aside for parades.
Safety is best in daylight or when crowds are present; follow your instincts.