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Directions in New Orleans are complicated by the shape of the city forced on it by the Mississippi River. Instead of a classic Roman grid, most New Orleans streets curve to follow the shape of the river. Since the river can curve back upon itself, this causes some peculiar geographic anomalies. For example, to get to the Westbank area of New Orleans, you must drive east.

Therefore, instead of using north and south as directional terms, New Orleanians refer to:

• "lakeside" (toward Lake Pontchartrain, which from most areas of the city is usually north)
• "riverside" (toward the Mississippi River, which is sometimes south)
• "downtown" (usually east, toward the French Quarter and the Central Business District)
• and "uptown" (generally west, toward the Garden District and Tulane University).

Once you are in New Orleans, don't miss riding the St. Charles Avenue streetcar.

• If so, take the South Carrollton exit.
• Drive south (riverside) down Carrollton to Claiborne Avenue. Claiborne will be a major intersection with traffic lights. A Rite-Aid drugstore will be on your right and a Burger King on your left.
• Drive past Claiborne one block, make a "New Orleans U-Turn", and drive back to Claiborne turning right (east, or uptown) onto Claiborne Avenue.
• Drive east (uptown) down Claiborne to the first stoplight, which is Broadway street, and turn right (riverside) onto Broadway.
• Drive down Broadway several blocks to the first stoplight, Willow Street, and turn left (east, or uptown) onto Willow.
• Drive two blocks and enter the Tulane campus by turning right (riverside) onto Newcomb Place.
• After three blocks, Newcomb Place dead ends and turns back. Drive around the end of the street and Jones Hall will be the first building on your right. It is a three-story red brick building.

Will you come to Special Collections from St. Charles Avenue?

• If so, turn north (lakeside) onto Broadway.
• Drive north (lakeside) on Broadway to the second stoplight, which is Willow.
• Turn east (uptown) onto Willow and drive two blocks to Newcomb Place.
• Turn right (riverside) onto Newcomb Place and enter Tulane's campus. Continue three blocks where the street ends at Freret and turns back in a U-turn. As you turn left to come back around, Jones will be the first building on your right. It is a three-story red brick building.

New Orleans' famous St. Charles Avenue streetcar stops right in front of Tulane University. The streetcar ride (only one $1.25 each way, exact change please) will let you see some of the Garden District, Uptown, Audubon Park, the university area with Tulane and Loyola Universities, the River Bend shopping area, and of course, St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans' grandest address.

To find Howard-Tilton Memorial Library from the streetcar stop, exit the streetcar at the stop in front of Tulane University (you will also see the entrance to Audubon Park at the same stop across the street). Walk all the way through the upper campus to Freret Street, which is the first street you come to. Cross Freret, turn left on Freret, and the library will be one block up the street on your right.

You may also take the Freret Street bus, which stops directly in front of Howard-Tilton Library. Jones Hall will be the three story red brick building just to your right.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library