French Quarter

Sep 24

Extending along the Mississippi River to North Rampart Street from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, the French Quarter, also known as as La Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans. After the city was colonized by the French in 1718, it developed around this neighborhood, and was ceded to Spanish control in 1763 and later sold to the United States through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. While the urban design of the neighborhood, which is organized into a square grid, was largely executed under French control, the Quarter’s architecture—largely two-story structures and Creole cottages lined with wrought and cast iron lattices—comes from the Spanish colonial era and was built almost entirely by enslaved Africans. Bustling nightlife venues and historic landmarks such as Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and Café du Monde make it a particularly popular spot for tourists.