Joeybike should chime in. He seems to have a lot of experience riding/commuting around New Orleans. If his perspective is accurate (and I have no reason to believe that it's not), Caution would be the word of the day. I would think that riding a bike is one of the best ways to get to know a new city. You cover more ground and at a faster pace than walking, but you still get a feel of what's around you, unlike riding a car. That said, there are places and NWO is probably one of them that one should know the details before they head out.