The French Quarter, also called the Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans. The city of New Orleans, known in French as Nouvelle-Orléans, was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The city grew around the Vieux Carré, which was a central square. Today, the area is more commonly called the French Quarter or simply "The Quarter," due to changes in the city after the U.S. bought Louisiana in 1803. Many of the historic buildings that still exist today were built in the late 1700s during the city's time under Spanish rule or in the early 1800s after the United States took control and Louisiana became a state.

The French Quarter has been officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It includes many buildings that are considered important for their historical value. It is a popular place for tourists and is also a place where many local people live.

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the French Quarter suffered less damage from floodwater compared to other parts of the city and surrounding areas. This was because the French Quarter was farther from the places where the levees broke during the storm. Additionally, the levees near the Mississippi River were stronger and taller than the levees along the canals and lakefront.

History

The French claimed Louisiana in the 1690s. Jean Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville became Director General and helped develop a colony in the area. He founded New Orleans in 1718. In 1721, the royal engineer Adrien de Pauger designed the city's street layout. He named the streets after French royal families and Catholic saints. One street, Bourbon Street, honored France's ruling family, the House of Bourbon. In 1763, after the Seven Years' War, New Orleans was given to Spain. Fires in 1788 and 1794 destroyed 80% of the city's buildings. Most of the French Quarter was built after these fires, starting in the late 1790s.

The Spanish introduced new rules to prevent fires. They banned wooden siding and required buildings to use fire-resistant brick covered in stucco, painted in soft pastel colors. Old French peaked roofs were replaced with flat tiled ones. However, many French residents still built homes in styles similar to those in the Caribbean, including timber balconies and galleries. In southeast Louisiana, "balconies" are self-supporting and attached to buildings, while "galleries" are supported by poles or columns.

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Anglophone Americans moved into the area. They built homes upriver, across modern-day Canal Street. This street became a meeting place for Francophone Creole and Anglophone American cultures. Local landowners hired Barthelemy Lafon to divide their property and create an American suburb. The middle of the wide street became a place where people from both cultures could meet and do business in French and English. This area became known as the "neutral ground," a name still used for medians in New Orleans.

In the 19th century, New Orleans' economy relied on selling cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton grown by enslaved workers. By 1840, wealthy newcomers turned New Orleans into the third-largest city in the United States. The city's port was the second-largest in the country, after New York City.

The development of New Orleans' famous ornate cast iron "galleries" began with the two-story examples on the Pontalba Buildings near Jackson Square, completed in 1851. These buildings were the most prestigious address at the time and inspired others to follow their style. Multi-level cast iron galleries soon replaced older timber ones on both new and older buildings.

Before the Civil War, French Creoles became a minority in the French Quarter. By the late 1800s, the Quarter was less fashionable. Many southern Italian and Irish immigrants settled there. Between 1884 and 1924, about 290,000 Italian immigrants, many from Sicily, arrived in New Orleans and lived in the French Quarter, which became known as "Little Palermo." In 1905, the Italian consul estimated that one-third to one-half of the Quarter's population were Italian-born or second-generation Italian-Americans. Irish immigrants settled heavily in the Esplanade area, called the "Irish Channel."

In 1917, the closure of Storyville pushed illegal activities back into the French Quarter. This, along with the loss of the French Opera House in 1919, marked the end of French Creole culture in the area. Many French Creoles moved to the university area.

In the early 1900s, the French Quarter's low rents and run-down appearance attracted a group of free-spirited artists. This trend grew in the 1920s. Many of these new residents helped start preservation efforts in the Quarter. In 1925, the Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) was created, led by Elizabeth Werlein. Initially, it only gave advice, but a 1936 referendum gave it some regulatory power. By the 1940s, the VCC had more authority to protect the district.

During World War II, thousands of soldiers and workers came to New Orleans and nearby military bases and shipyards. Many visited the Vieux Carré. Nightlife and entertainment had already moved to Bourbon Street after Storyville closed, but the war increased the presence of exotic and lively entertainment there. Efforts to stop illegal activities on Bourbon Street grew stronger under Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison and reached a peak in 1962 with raids by District Attorney Jim Garrison. However, Bourbon Street clubs quickly reopened.

In the 1960s, plans to build an elevated Riverfront Expressway between the Mississippi River and the French Quarter worried preservationists. On December 21, 1965, the "Vieux Carré Historic District" was named a National Historic Landmark. Preservationists fought for ten years against the expressway plan using the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. In 1969, the plan was canceled.

This victory helped protect the French Quarter, but other challenges remained. In the 1960s, new hotels often replaced parts of the Quarter. The VCC allowed these buildings as long as they followed traditional styles. Some people worried the Quarter's charm would be lost and pushed for a 1969 law banning new hotels in the district. However, the law did not stop the growth of timeshare condos, bed and breakfasts, or high-rise hotels outside the district. In the 1980s, rising rents drove out many long-term residents as property values increased due to plans for the 1984 World's Fair.

More of the neighborhood was developed to support tourism, which is important to the city's economy. Today, the French Quarter includes homes, hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants, and tourist shops.

Like other older parts of the city built on higher ground before New Orleans' levee systems, the French Quarter stayed mostly dry after Hurricane Katrina. Its elevation is five feet above sea level. Some streets had minor flooding, and several buildings suffered wind damage. Major landmarks had only minor damage. The Quarter also avoided much of the looting and violence that happened after the storm.

Mayor Ray Nagin officially reopened the French Quarter on September 26, 2005, for business owners

Geography

The French Quarter is located at 29°57′31″N 90°03′54″W (29.95861°N 90.06500°W) and has an elevation of 1 foot (0.3 meters). According to the United States Census Bureau, the district covers a total area of 0.66 square miles (1.7 square kilometers). Of this, 0.49 square miles (1.3 square kilometers) is land, and 0.17 square miles (0.4 square kilometers) (25.76%) is water.

The most common definition of the French Quarter includes all land along the Mississippi River from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue (13 blocks) and inland to North Rampart Street (seven to nine blocks). This area covers 78 square blocks. Some definitions, such as city zoning laws, do not include properties facing Canal Street, which were rebuilt before preservation efforts began, or the area between Decatur Street and the river, which was used for industrial and warehouse purposes for many years.

Changes to buildings in the remaining blocks must be reviewed by the Vieux Carré Commission, which decides if the changes match the historic character of the district. The boundaries, as defined by the City Planning Commission, are: Esplanade Avenue to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, Canal Street, Decatur Street, and Iberville Street to the south, and Basin Street, St. Louis Street, and North Rampart Street to the west.

The National Historic Landmark district is described as 85 square blocks. The Quarter is a part of the French Quarter/CBD Area.

• Faubourg Marigny (east)
• Central Business District (west)
• Iberville (north)
• Tremé (north)

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, there were 4,176 people, 2,908 households, and 509 families living in the neighborhood. The population density was 8,523 people per square mile (3,212 people per square kilometer). According to the 2010 census, there were 3,813 people, 2,635 households, and 549 families living in the neighborhood.

Landmarks and attractions

Jackson Square, once called Place d'Armes in French and Plaza de Armas in Spanish, is a public park located at the front of the French Quarter. It was designed by Louis H. Pilié, though he is officially credited only for the iron fence. The square is the size of a city block and is located at GPS coordinates 29°57′27″N 90°03′47″W. In the mid-1800s, it was named after President Andrew Jackson, who was also a general known for his role in the Battle of New Orleans.

In 1856, city leaders bought a statue of Andrew Jackson from sculptor Clark Mills. The statue was placed in the center of the square, which had been changed from a military parade ground and execution site into a park. Some criminals were put to death in the square, and after a slave uprising in 1811, some of the rebels had their heads displayed there.

Originally, the square overlooked the Mississippi River across Decatur Street, but this view was blocked in the 1800s when larger levees were built. The riverfront area was used for shipping and port activities. In the 1970s, a scenic boardwalk was built near the square, named the "Moon Walk" after Mayor Moon Landrieu. In the late 1980s, old wharves and warehouses were removed to create Woldenberg Park, extending the riverfront promenade to Canal Street.

On the side of the square facing the river are three 18th-century buildings that were important during the colonial era. The middle building is St. Louis Cathedral, which was declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI. To the left of the cathedral is the Cabildo, the old city hall that now serves as a museum. The final papers for the Louisiana Purchase were signed there. To the right of the cathedral is the Presbytère, which was originally planned to house Catholic priests but later became a courthouse after the Louisiana Purchase. In the 20th century, it became a museum.

On both sides of the square are the Pontalba Buildings, red-brick structures built between 1849 and 1851. The ground floors have shops and restaurants, while the upper floors are apartments. The buildings were designed by Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba, who inherited land and wealth after her father’s death in 1798. The buildings were not converted to rental apartments until the 1930s during the Great Depression.

Across from Jackson Square is the Jax Brewery building, once the home of a local beer company. After the company closed, the building was used by retail businesses, including restaurants and shops. In recent years, some of the space has been turned into riverfront condominiums. Behind the brewery is the Toulouse Street Wharf, a regular stop for the excursion steamboat Natchez.

From the 1920s to the 1980s, Jackson Square was known for attracting painters, art students, and caricaturists. In the 1990s, other street performers, such as tarot card readers and mimes, joined them. Live music has been a regular part of the French Quarter, including Jackson Square, for more than 100 years. Street musicians often play for tips.

Diagonally across the square from the Cabildo is Café du Monde, a 24-hour café open except on Christmas Day. It is famous for its café au lait (coffee mixed with chicory) and beignets (fried dough pastries). It has served beignets continuously since the Civil War era (1862). A tradition at the café is to blow the powdered sugar off a beignet and make a wish.

Bourbon Street, or Rue Bourbon, is one of the most famous streets in the French Quarter and is known for its many bars and drinking establishments. While many of the bars popular with tourists are newer, some historic bars remain, such as the Old Absinthe House, which kept its name even though absinthe was banned in the U.S. from 1915 to 2007.

Pat O'Brien's Bar is famous for inventing the red Hurricane cocktail and for being the first dueling piano bar. It is located at 718 St. Peter Street. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, built before 1772, is one of the oldest surviving structures in New Orleans and is also the oldest bar in America still operating as a bar. It is said to have been owned by the Lafitte brothers, possibly as a cover for their smuggling operations.

The Napoleon House is located in the former home of mayor Nicholas Girod and was named for a plan to rescue Napoleon from his exile. Johnny White's Bar is a favorite of motorcycle bikers, and in 2005, an offshoot of the bar and another business stayed open during Hurricane Katrina. Spirits on Bourbon was featured on the TV show Bar Rescue and is known for its light-up skull cups and Resurrection drink.

The Bourbon Pub and Oz are the two largest gay clubs in New Orleans, and Café Lafitte in Exile is the oldest continuously running gay bar in the United States. These venues sponsor the Southern Decadence Festival during Labor Day weekend, often called New Orleans' Gay Mardi Gras. St. Ann Street is sometimes called "the Lavender Line" or "the Velvet Line" because it marks the edge of the French Quarter's gay district.

New Orleans is one of the few places in the U.S. where drinking from open containers on the street is allowed. The French Quarter is also known for its jazz music, with many street performers and jazz shops. Many streets are filled with jazz clubs that offer live performances.

The French Quarter has several museums, including the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, New Orleans Jazz Museum, The Historic New Orleans Collection, and the Museum of Death. The neighborhood also has many restaurants, from formal to casual, including Antoine's and Tujague's, which have been in business since the 19th century. Other well-known restaurants include Arnaud's, Galatoire's, Broussard's, and Brennan's.

Other popular French Quarter restaurants are run by chefs Paul Prudhomme ("K-Paul's"), Emeril Lagasse ("NOLA"), and John Besh. Port of Call on Esplanade Avenue has been in business for over 30 years and is known for its "Monsoon" drink, a variation of the "Hurricane" served at Pat O'Brien's.

Education

The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) is responsible for managing the public school system in the area. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans oversees Catholic schools in the region. Cathedral Academy, which was originally named St. Louis Cathedral School, was located in the French Quarter. The school opened in 1914 and had a building that was separate from its parish. In 2012, the archdiocese decided to close the school. At that time, Cathedral Academy had 156 students, and the archdiocese’s standard for ideal enrollment in a K–7 school was 200 students. St. Stephen School in Uptown New Orleans provided spaces for students from St. Louis Cathedral School. Parents of Cathedral Academy students expressed disagreement with the decision to close the school.