The Fly

The Fly is one of my favorite places in New Orleans! An extension of Audobon Park, with penty of space for activities overlooking the Mississippi.
There are baseball/​kickball and soccer fields, which hold sporting events for a variety of leagues.
A walkway for walking and running. Benches to sit and watch the sunsets or the ferries float by.
Open space for flying kites and throwing the frisbee. Set out a blanket for naps or reading.
Set up a tent by a faucet with running water for crawfish boils and barbeques.
Be careful at night, it is not very well lit!

This is a wonderful park between the Audubon Zoo and the mighty Mississippi. There are softball fields, tennis courts, walking areas, and wonderful green areas to have picnics. There is so much to look at. People watch, bird watch, river watch. I have been to a couple of picnics here, and come alone to read a book. There are several covered areas for eating at, or hanging with friends. I have seen families, groups of friends, and had fun watching other people. This is a lovely green area to make an escape to and just dream.

A hidden area for most. It’s a fabulous place for teens to hang out and not be bothered by police while sitting around & having fun talk. I guess with the redevelopment of the area, you don’t have to move a big rolling blockade by the 1-​way entrance anymore. Hooray for liberties.

The fly is a great place to enjoy a nice day! It is a great place to just chill with friends, barbecue, and play games. Pretty views of the river and lots of trees to provide shade. Definitely recommend coming out here on a nice day to relax and enjoy the day!

I am so glad I found this place on Unilocal.We were in New Orleans to celebrate our wedding anniversary & I wanted to do something different mixed in with the typical things we usually do when we come to town, so I surprised my husband with a picnic at the Fly. We came with our blanket, chairs, snacks and of course plenty of cocktails and really enjoyed the laid back relaxing vibe. Laying there under the trees, feeling the breeze (October has perfect weather) and watching the Ships roll in on the Mississippi River was so nice and romantic. We really enjoyed this hidden gem near Audubon park. A nice little getaway from the busy city aspects of New Orleans.

Gotta love the Fly. It’s a real hidden gem nestled in the Riverbend area of uptown, located behind the Audubon Zoo and perched right up against the Mississippi River, the Fly is Audubon Park’s backyard.
Many random, college weekends and meet ups happened for me here, this park holds many memories for me. There’s a lot of positive energy here, i can say I’ve never had a less than good time during any visit to the Fly.
It’s perfect for picnicking, setting up a blanket with some cold brews and tossing the pigskin around with friends. Bring your dog (s) here and let em’ roam free!
There’s been some construction over the years, adding new baseball fields, tennis courts, soccer, all alongside the mighty Mississippi. Really chill to see the ships passing as you’re kicking back on a nice Fall afternoon with your beats pill playing and a chicken ‘fattie’ from Rollin Fatties food truck… oh, was that my day today? Yes, it was.

If you took field trips to Audubon Zoo (and if you’re local, I’m guessing you did) this was the place to trek with your classmates and teacher for that picnic lunch before heading back to school. I did that many times when I was younger. And it makes perfect sense. Lots of shady oak trees, plenty of picnic tables, a great view of the River. It’s the obvious choice.
Some things never change and that’s not a bad thing at all. Not long ago my daughter had a field trip to the zoo and here’s where we brought our lunches to enjoy watching the boats going down the River, shaded by the oak trees and giving our legs a rest from the workout the zoo always gives you.
The Fly is a nice place to enjoy a picnic with your kids, classmates or even a date. It’s pretty, pretty, pretty. Go check it out!

I remember the first time I went to the Fly like it was yesterday. It was senior skip day and my entire class came out here to hang out. It was pretty funny bc I remember wearing a leather jacket and got annoyed bc a bird pooped on me (which is supposedly is good luck but I think that’s what people say bc they feel bad that a bird pooped on ya!) hehe.
Anywho, I’m not going to tell you how long ago I was in high school bc suffice to say it was a long time ago. The Fly has come a long way since then! Now it has these fancy schmancy (and yes that is the technical term) tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields etc. Plus it has shelters, bathrooms and just an awesome place to have a picnic with friends and family.
The last few times I’ve come out here one of my gf’s has had crawfish boils out here which was awesome. Btw, you may want to bring your own tp and hand sanitizer bc when it’s crowded during the summertime those two things run out in the bathrooms!
It’s a great park, it’s next to Audubon Zoo and near Audubon Park as well! The advantage of this park is to be on the water which is always soothing!
Happy park enjoying!

The Fly is a park situated along the Mississippi River, just behind Audubon Zoo. It is almost hidden, yet complete open to the public, and offers a very nice expanse of green space, a delightful view of the river and the ships that travel on it, some baseball playing facilites (not that I have ever utilized this feature) and my personal favorite: it is a perfect place to throw down a picnic blanket and watch the clouds go by.
Pack a little picnic lunch, or grab a daiquiri, or pull out your camp chairs and a book, the fly is an excellent space to enjoy being outside when the sun is shining and breeze is blowing.

Not the prettiest view of the Mississippi but a nice place to spend a morning that’s a little quieter than Audubon.

This is a great area for picnics and barbecues. Located on the far side of Audubon Zoo, there’s plenty parking, open fields and games, and big trees for shade. There is also a great view of the river, completing the experience.
New Orleans has some great park areas for gatherings and The Fly just might be the best one.

The Fly is one of my very favorite places to go in New Orleans.
I happened upon this gem by accident when I was walking the big loop around Audobon Park, but it was the middle of July and GOOD GOD IT WAS HOT so we just ran (err…slumped) away to the nearest air conditioning unit.
Several months later, when the humidity had dimmed, my neighbor, a New Orleans native with an uncanny knowledge of all things awesome, recommended I come out here and boy was I glad he reminded me! I love bringing my dog here to hang out and watch the boats glide by. I have sort of a thing for clouds, and they make beautiful formations here. On the weekends, you can find people picnicking, drinking, boiling, bbq-​ing, and generally loving this great space.
Come here for a romantic sunset, lunch, dinner, 5 minutes, 5 hours, whatever. You will not regret it. Watching the sun set over the Mississippi is just the most beautiful thing.
Pro-​tip: If you run into me there, come over and ask for a beer. It is more than likely that I have brought an entire six-​pack, and if you don’t take one from me, I’ll drink them all myself. Which is fine, as I am within walking distance, but sharing is caring!

The fly is a great little spot here in New Orleans.
It’s perfect for relaxing when the weather starts to warm up in the Spring. A lot of people have crawfish boils and picnics here or they just go and hang out with friends. You have a nice view of the river and you feel as if you are in another world when you are relaxing here.

LOVE this place! Great place to bring your picnic lunch, set up a barbecue or a boil, and pass out in the sun from the yummy food. I love watching the boats/​ships float/​chug/​paddle its way up and down the river.
Things that would make this place better: Garbage cans with lids to keep birds and other animals out, and to keep the trash in (the wind blows a lot of it around).

4.5÷5 finally found the river.
if you can swing it this far into uptown, make a stop. you’ll be driving/​biking past/​behind the zoo and cross the tracks into this other park. it’s a lengthy stretch of grassy bank and benches along the river, and there are fields for all kinds of sports/​play on the other side.
lots of parking and folks hanging out on sunny weekends, and the breeze over the water feels lovely. families, dates, groups of college students — all kinds!
personally, it’s like my own little therapy spot that feels like an escape from the rest of the city. just sitting with a cool drink and watching the river pass is really soothing.

This is a great spot for anyone missing the green spaces back at home since they’ve moved to New Orleans (aka ME). There is a huge amount of space and you pretty much have freedom to use it anyway you want – set up a tent, tailgate, grill, boil crawfish, play games, throw a football/​frisbee, walk your dog, sit by the river and watch the boats go by. It is reminiscent of the soccer fields area of Zilker Park in Austin, except the nearby body of water isn’t one you go swimming in and you can grill and drink wherever you want.
There is enough room for everyone to have a decent buffer between tents even on holidays when it’s really crowded. There are public bathrooms and park benches along the river, but not (m)any picnic areas with tables or covers – at least we’ve never been near one that I remember. If there were more spaces like this I would probably give it another star.

I like The Fly but I can’t give it 4 or 5 star status because that would be saying it’s on par with Audobon and City Parks. It’s not but it doesn’t need to be. The Fly is a chill little park located directly behind Audobon Zoo on the river. There are several soccer fields and softball/​baseball diamonds that seem to be reserved most of the time. There is a huge field that is big enough to start you own game or just frolic in the grass. (I love the fact that I just used the word frolic) The Fly’s greatest attribute is it’s view of the river. A perfect place to sit back, drink your favorite adult bevarage and watch the sun go down or the boats pass by.
I also like how the The Fly is the start of the 25 mile bike path along the levee, I park here whenever I decide to don my Spandex and go for a stroll.
The one major flaw at The Fly is the bathroom… it’s grody to the max!

The Fly is one of my favorite public areas in the city.
There are large fields where you can play or watch sports, but the real reason to come to the Fly is the river. I can’t think of an area in the city that has this much unspoiled riverfront space, other than possibly Woldenburg Park. The difference at the Fly is that the river seems less spoiled since it is further from the city center. I realize that may not make much sense, but I have always found the river at the Fly to be far more relaxing than the river downtown. I have very fond memories of both places, but the Fly always wins out.
One of my favorite things to do here is sit on one of the many riverfront benches, or in one of the gazebos and watch the river. It does get crowded on the weekend so I recommend coming mid day during the week. If you must come on a weekend, I suggest coming to watch the river after a marathon bar and drinking night. Just make sure you avoid falling in and be prepared for stares from the joggers.

This is a really nice place to go to spread out a blanket, some newspapers, and several pounds of Big Fisherman crawfish. There’s a lot of space for frisbee, kites, football, soccer, you name it!
The last time we came here, about four high school girls showed up and decided to sunbathe topless. I don’t think it’s really that kind of place, but they parked themselves in front of my group — I was with some good-​looking 20-​something males, so maybe that’s why they thought it was a good idea? Aaaaaaanyway, an older gentleman walked up behind them and gawked for a good five minutes before they realized he was there and quickly covered themselves up. He came BACK ten minutes later when they uncovered themselves again. They got tired of the creep and left and we continued eating our crawfish. A cop came over and asked my friend to park her scooter in a parking spot instead of on the grass by our blanket. The cops here are sticklers.
Dogs MUST be leashed. I usually let mine run on 20′ leashes staked into the ground and the cops don’t seem to have a problem with it.
A group of my friends and I were having a picnic with our crawfish and beer and the cops drove up on the grass and stopped about four feet from our blanket (I had to reel my dogs in as they drove up so my pups didn’t get run over). I assume they were making sure we all looked old enough to be drinking. They were probably also checking for any *interesting* smells, as kids are known for coming here to get high, but they could have been more friendly about doing their rounds. They didn’t say anything to us and eventually drove off.
I’ve also seen the cops here hassling the little mini-​car drivers (by mini car I mean those tiny cars they drive in the parades) — apparently you aren’t allowed to ride those in the park unless they are road-​legal. Seems unfair because the fly is cut off from traffic by a train track and the one-​way traffic through the fly is super slow so it would be the perfect place for a go-​cart or other small vehicle.
I’ve come here to go horseback riding. My favorite part of the fly is leaving. You can sometimes see the giraffes to the left as you pass the big tree. The tree is glorious!

My buddies used to hang out here on Saturdays and Sundays. Many many of them. I somehow manage to only make it a couple of times. Usually because I was too hungover to move, wait I mean I was manically studying, yes that’s right, hitting those books!
Anyway, weather permitting, this is a lovely place to tow along some blankets, dogs, frisbees, lawn chairs, and coolers of adult beverages. There’s shade here and there and benches — possibly a pretty place for a photoshoot too?
It’s soothing to just sit back and watch the cargo and barges slug on by, the throngs of college kids progressive get drunker and drunker, louder and louder. Actually the bit about the rowdy college kids isn’t all that soothing, but it’s amusing at least.
Anyway, it’s nice and easily accessible for you Uptown folks, so if you need some respite from your «studies» — do check it out for yourself.