As many of you prospective business school students begin the decision process for next fall, we’ve been asked to write on a few topics about day-to-day life here at Tulane. Today – I will tackle the subject of how to get to school.
Tulane is lucky to be located in one of the prettiest neighborhoods of one of America’s most beautiful cities. As you can imagine – that means we’re in an old neighborhood, designed for cars – not people. This means great bars, restaurants and apartments are just a few blocks from campus – but it can also be tough to navigate the area in a car. I live about a mile down St. Charles Ave. from campus, so I can get to school a few different ways.
I personally drive, and park about four blocks from campus. Most of the streets around Tulane are two-hour parking zones for non-residents. This means if you leave your car on the street for more than two hours, you’ll likely get a $40 ticket. I park on the closest non-restricted street to the Freeman School’s graduate building. I literally drive about 10 miles a week. It’s great. Most classmates live within a mile or two radius of Tulane – and most of the good restaurants and bars are also in that zone.
About a block away from our building is Tulane’s parking garage. I believe a year-long pass costs $600. This may work for some people, but I don’t mind walking the three extra blocks. The garage and most on-campus spots open up free to everyone on evenings and weekends. This makes it easy to park near our building when studying at night or on weekends.
Probably a third of my classmates get to school on foot or bike. I have ridden a few times and it takes me about 15 minutes. New Orleans is a very bike friendly town. You do, however, have to watch out for pot holes. There are a few slightly busy streets near Tulane, but an efficient grid layout (like a curving Manhattan layout) makes it easy to find a sparsely traveled back street perfect for biking.
Lastly, a few b-school students take the streetcar! The St. Charles Ave. line runs right in front of Tulane, and goes for miles in either direction. If you live near campus and don’t have a car, the streetcar is a great option to get downtown. It goes all the way to Canal St., across from the French Quarter. Rides are $1.25 (exact change only), but it can get slow if you’re headed a far distance. The Christmas decorations went up on the streetcars a few weeks ago, and with this week’s gorgeous weather you’re reminded how special New Orleans can be this time of year.
As always, if you have any questions – feel free to email any of us bloggers.
Louis David
ldavid@tulane.edu