To many people, the French Quarter epitomises New Orleans, aka NOLA. Street parties, dazzling parades, cigar-chomping jazz virtuosos playing in dimly lit clubs, and time-patinaed buildings, their characterful wrought iron balconies dripping in ferns and flags, are the kernel of the city’s soul. Simply wandering the streets is an experience in and of itself. There’s always something going on, something to see or an event to attend.
The French Quarter is deceptively small. Sprinkled along a bend of the Mississippi River as it snakes towards the Gulf of Mexico. Bound by Canal Street to the south, North Rampart Street to the west, Esplanade Avenue to the north, and the Mississippi River to the east makes it just 14 blocks by six, laid out in their original grid pattern, unchanged since the early 18th century.
The name French Quarter is misleading in that many of the buildings date from the late 18th century, after the two New Orleans fires of 1788 and 1794 destroyed over 80 per cent of the city. By that point, French colonisers had been replaced by the Spanish, who rebuilt much of the NOLA that survives today. Bourbon Street marks the rambunctious centre, while the northern blocks are genial residential areas containing many of the best-preserved buildings.
Colour radiates from all parts of the neighbourhood
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Do
Pace the old grid
The French Quarter is at its most graceful in Jackson Square, dominated by the tri-spired façade of St Louis Cathedral. Next door, the Presbytère exhibits an array of whimsical and flamboyant Mardi Gras costumes. One room also takes a look at the destructive imprint of hurricanes on the city. On the other side of the cathedral sits the Cabildo, formerly the Spanish colonial government’s headquarters and now housing a local history museum. Come to get keen insight into the various cultures and races, whose worlds combined in NOLA to create such a singular city.
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From Jackson Square, follow the old city grid northeast to the daily French Market, where food, souvenirs such as Mardi Gras masks, and local art are on sale. Head away from the Mississippi from here, where the streets are at their most genteel. Don’t expect to see the French flag in the French Quarter. Instead, the NOLA tricolore comes in purple, green and gold: the official colours of Mardi Gras. On…
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