The French Quarter of New Orleans was not considered a desirable place to live for decades, into probably at least the early 1990s. Now it's the priciest real estate in the city. It's also one of the oldest neighborhoods.

It's ideal for not having a car. There's no parking anyway, and the streets are very narrow, clearly not laid out for automobiles. Cars that do venture into the French Quarter have to travel much slower than bicyclists.

Fitting your model, the two streetcar lines of the city both terminate on Canal Street, which is one border of the Quarter.