New Orleans calls its street medians neutral ground, a name that traces back to Canal Street in the early 1800s, when the grassy strip dividing the French Creole city from the new American district became the place where the two sides could conduct business without either claiming the territory as their own. The term spread to every median in the city, and three of them in particular turn into genuine communities every Carnival season.
St. Charles Avenue Neutral Ground
The stretch of St. Charles Avenue between Second Street and Napoleon Avenue offers the widest neutral ground on the entire Uptown parade route, spacious enough that families and large groups can set up without crowding each other out. Krewes like Bacchus, Orpheus, Endymion, Zulu, and Rex all roll down this stretch, and the live oak canopy overhead turns the avenue into one of the most visually striking parade corridors in the city, especially after dark when the float lights catch the moss hanging from the branches.
The same generosity of space that makes this stretch popular with families has made it a flashpoint for the city’s recent crackdown on early space-claiming. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration began enforcing strict timing rules on neutral ground setup after residents complained about ladders and tarps appearing days in advance, and Parks and Parkways crews now sweep the avenue ahead of major rolls. Regulars who have held the same spot for generations have had to adjust to the new rules, even as the avenue keeps drawing the same crowds it always has.
The St. Charles Avenue neutral ground runs along the parade route between Lee Circle and Napoleon Avenue, with the widest open stretches concentrated between Second Street and Napoleon.
Napoleon Avenue Median
Napoleon Avenue serves as the starting point for most major Uptown parades, with krewes typically beginning near Tchoupitoulas Street before turning onto St. Charles for the bulk of the route. The neutral ground here runs wide and relatively uncrowded compared to the downtown stretches of the route, which makes it a favorite among locals who want a good vantage point without the density that builds up closer to Canal Street.
Because Napoleon functions as the staging point rather than the climax of the route, the energy here builds differently than further down St. Charles. Families who set up early get a long, relatively relaxed wait before the floats start moving, and the crowd thins out again once the parade turns the corner and continues on without them.
The Napoleon Avenue neutral ground runs along the parade route between Tchoupitoulas Street and St. Charles Avenue, where most major krewes begin their procession.
Carrollton Avenue Parkway
Carrollton Avenue anchors the Mid-City side of Carnival season, serving as the primary route for Endymion, the parade whose revelers have earned a particular reputation for aggressive early space-claiming. Plots have been marked in spray paint on the neutral ground here days before the parade rolls, prompting the city to schedule regular grass cutting on Carrollton and nearby Orleans Avenue specifically to discourage premature staking.
The parkway itself runs wide enough to support the kind of full setup that has become standard practice across the city: tarps, ladders, grills, and folding chairs arranged early enough to claim a clear sightline before the crowd fills in around it. Carrollton’s Mid-City character gives it a different feel than the Uptown stretches of St. Charles, less concentrated wealth on display, more genuinely neighborhood-driven energy.
The Carrollton Avenue neutral ground runs along the parade route through Mid-City, with the Endymion route serving as its signature annual event.
