New Orleans is such a fucked place. It is more 3rd world than most of Mexico.
Joe McKnight and Will Smith, both killed there after traffic altercations.
Stay the fuck away from anything between Esplanade and Elyssian Fields or the Ninth Ward and it's fine. The Garden District is fan-fucking-tastic. Mid-city is ok and anything up around Tulane/Carroltown is spectacular. Up north Lake Shore is a great neighborhood.
Unless you're a rookie and rolling on Bourbon Street, New Orleans is a premier spot.