The Holy Cross New Orleans neighborhood got the name because it was, for decades, the home of Holy Cross school. Although the school has since relocated to Gentilly, the name remains. Technically, the community is part of the larger Lower Ninth Ward, but if you ask a resident where they live, the answer will always be “Holy Cross”.

Probably the most famous sites in Holy Cross are the Doullut Steamboat Houses, which can be viewed from the river as well as from the street. Take a drive down Egania Street, and you’ll have a fabulous, up close and personal view of these historic homes.

Filled with a colorful assortment of cottages, shotguns, and even some new contemporary builds, the Holy Cross neighborhood is as far downriver as you can go and still be in Orleans Parish. That means that commute times are a smidge longer than more centrally located neighborhoods, but as long as you don’t catch the drawbridge, you still won’t be far from anything you need to get to.

If you’re looking for a place that’s full of hustle, bustle, shopping, and dining…well, this isn’t it. But if you like a yard, off-street parking, quiet streets, and a sense of suburbia within the city limits, you’ve found your place.

Holy Cross has been making a slow but steady comeback since 2005, with renovations happening all over the place. That’s not to say that’s everything has been returned to normal (whatever that might be), because there are still blocks dotted with abandoned homes, but they are becoming less and less the norm. Pricing has a lot to do with this, because houses here are more affordable than in neighboring Bywater.