In the French Quarter, Royal Street has elegant antique galleries such as Keil’s Antiques (No.325, LA 70116, +15045224552, www.keilsantiques.com), which dates from 1899. On Chartres Street shops are more diverse – the Civil War Store (No.212, LA 70116, +15045223328, www.civilwarstoreorleans.com) has swords, flags and books, while the stylish Lucullus (No.610, LA 70116, +15105289620) is a dreamy collection of everything culinary, from 18th-century tables to used French bistro glasses. The French Market (bounded by Decatur, North Peters, Barracks and Ursuline streets, LA 70116, +15045222621, www.frenchmarket.org) is in a series of buildings along Decatur Street near Jackson Square and it has an open-air a flea market that’s worth a visit. Its independent vendors sell handmade jeweler, bags, artwork, ceramics, CDs and tapes and household adornments.

For cool clothes, look to Magazine Street, where nearly every shop is independently owned, making for unusual and free-spirited designs. Funky Monkey (No.3127, LA 70115, +15048919230) has new and vintage clothes, while Ah-Ha (No.3129, LA 70115, +15042692442) offers more mainstream styles.

Anchored by Julia Street, the Warehouse District is the city’s artistic epicenter with dozens of arts and crafts galleries. There are excellent glass-blowing studios where visitors can watch beautiful objects being made – LeMieux Gallery (332 Julia Street, LA 70130, +15045225988, www.lemieuxgallery.com), Steve Martin Studio (624 Julia Street, LA 70130, +15045661390, www.stevemartinstudio.com) and the New Orleans School of Glassworks & Printmaking (727 Magazine Street, LA 70130, +15045297277, www.neworleansglassworks.com) are among the best.

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