French Quarter (New Orleans)
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French Quarter (Vieux Carré) part of New Orleans |
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| Coordinates | 29 ° 57 '31 " N , 90 ° 3' 54" W |
| surface | 1.7 km² |
| Residents | 3813 (2010) |
| Population density | 2243 inhabitants / km² |
| Post Code | 70116-70130 |
| prefix | 504 |
| politics | |
| mayor | Mitch Landrieu |
The French Quarter , also known as the Vieux Carré , is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans . After New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville , the city developed around the central square Vieux Carré ( German "old place"). The neighborhood is now commonly called the French Quarter, or simply "The Quarter," based on the influx of American immigrants following the Louisiana Purchase . Most of the preserved historic buildings were erected either in the late 18th century , when the city was still part of the viceroyalty of New Spain , or during the first half of the 19th century , after the French colony of Louisiana became part of the United States and then a state .
The district as a whole, with its numerous unique buildings, was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks that are separately considered significant. It is the first stop for tourists in the city and a magnet for residents. Because of its distance from the areas where the dam broke during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as well as the solid and high dams to the nearby Mississippi River , the French Quarter experienced relatively minor flood damage compared to other areas of the city and the greater region .
geography
Geographical location
The French Quarter is three feet (0.9 m) high . According to the United States Census Bureau (USCB), the district has a total area of 0.66 square miles (1.7 km² ). Of this, 0.49 square miles (1.3 km²) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.4 km²) is covered by water.
District boundaries
The French Quarter, by the most popular definition, encompasses the entire country along the Mississippi River from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue (13 blocks) and inland to Rampart Street (seven to nine blocks). It comprises 78 blocks. According to some definitions, such as building planning law , this does not include the properties opposite Canal Street, many of which have been redeveloped because they are listed, nor the section between Decatur Street and the Mississippi River, where most of the properties have long been industrial and Storage building stand.
Any change to the buildings in the remaining blocks is subject to review by the Vieux Carré Commission , which will determine whether a proposal is appropriate for the historic character of the district. According to the Urban Planning Commission, the boundaries of the district are defined as follows: 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 size of the district of the National Historic Landmark is listed as 85 blocks. The Quarter is a subdistrict of the French Quarter / CBD Area.
Neighboring districts
- Faubourg Marigny (East)
- Mississippi River (south)
- Central Business District (West)
- Iberville (north)
- Tremé (north)
Population development
| year | 2000 | 2010 |
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| Residents | 4.176 | 3.813 |
history
| Vieux Carre Historic District | |||
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| National Register of Historic Places | |||
| National Historic Landmark District | |||
 French Quarter: View from Upper Chartres Street towards Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral |
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| location | New Orleans , Louisiana | ||
| Coordinates | 29 ° 57 ′ 31 ″ N , 90 ° 3 ′ 54 ″ W. | ||
| surface | 1.7 km 2 | ||
| Built | 1734 | ||
| architect | lots | ||
| NRHP number | 66000377 | ||
| The NRHP added | October 15, 1966 | ||
| As NHLD declared | December 21, 1965 | ||
Many of the buildings in the neighborhood date back to before 1803, when New Orleans was acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Additional buildings were added during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The historic buildings have been legally protected since the 1920s and may not be demolished. All renovations or new buildings in the district must be carried out on the basis of city regulations in order to preserve the historical-architectural style.
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Most of the French Quarter was built during the late 18th century. Therefore, the Spanish supremacy over the city is also reflected in the architecture. Before that, the New Orleans Great Fires of 1788 and 1794 destroyed most of the old French colonial architecture. Following this, the new Spanish colonial rulers had the destroyed parts rebuilt in the then contemporary style. With their new, strict fire protection ordinance, it was decreed that all buildings are physically adjacent and close to the curb in order to create a fire wall . The old French roofs were replaced by tile roofs. In addition, the wooden house paneling was replaced in favor of the fire-resistant stucco, which was painted in the then fashionable pastel colors. As a result, colorful walls and roofs as well as lavishly decorated, wrought-iron balconies and galleries from the late 18th and early 19th centuries characterize the streetscape. (In southeast Louisiana, a distinction is made between “balconies”, which are self-supporting and attached to the side of the building, and “galleries”, which are supported by posts or columns.)
When English-speaking Americans began moving to New Orleans after the Louisiana Purchase, most of them built on the available land upriver beyond what is now Canal Street. This thoroughfare became the meeting point of two cultures, the French-speaking Creoles living there and the newly arrived English-speaking Americans. (Local landowners arrested the Creole architect and surveyor Barthelemy Lafon so that he would divide up their land to establish an American suburb) The dividing strip of the wide boulevard became a place where the two cultures could meet to do business in French and English language. Therefore it became known as the "neutral ground". This name is used to this day for the dividing strips in the New Orleans area.
Even before the Civil War , the French-speaking Creoles were a minority in the French Quarter. In the late 19th century, the French Quarter became a less trendy part of the city. During this time, many immigrants from southern Italy and Ireland settled there. The Italian Consul in 1905 estimated that a third to half of the population in the French Quarter were Italian or second-generation Italian-American. Many of the Irish immigrants also settled on the Esplanade , which is now the Irish Channel .
In 1917, Storyville , a red light district in the French Quarter that had been legalized since 1897, was closed by federal authorities. As a result, prostitution spread again in the rest of the French Quarter, which:
"For most of the remaining French Creole families ... was the last straw, and they began to move uptown."
"For most of the remaining French-speaking Creole families ... the last straw was there and so they started moving up town."
This fact combined with the loss of the French Opera House to a fire two years later led to the end of the French-speaking Creole culture in the French Quarter. Many of the remaining French-speaking Creoles moved to the campus.
In the early 20th century, cheap rents and run-down buildings attracted artists and created a bohemian artist community - a trend that continued into the 1920s. Many of the new residents carried out initial renovations in the French Quarter. As a result, the Vieux Carré Commission (VCC) was established in 1925, initially only as an advisory body. A referendum in 1936 to change the state constitution of Louisiana then granted it more regulatory rights. With its new powers, the Vieux Carré Commission began to campaign for the preservation and protection of the district.
During the Second World War , thousands of soldiers and armaments workers came to New Orleans to serve in the military bases and to work in the shipyards located in the area. Many of them paid visits to the French Quarter. Although nightlife had already begun to shift to Bourbon Street in the two decades following Storyville's closure , the war resulted in a larger, enduring presence of exotic, daring, and often gritty entertainment on what was going on over the years the city's most famous strip. During the tenure of Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison , there were raids on Bourbon Street clubs for years. The crackdowns under District Attorney Jim Garrison peaked in 1962, but the clubs soon resumed business.
The plan to build a heaped highway on the riverbank between the Mississippi Dam and the French Quarter kept the French Quarter busy for many years in the 1960s. On December 21, 1965, the "Vieux Carre Historic District" was added as a National Historic Landmark. After decades of fighting the construction of the Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway , which was to be built under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) passed in 1966, the French Quarter's maintainers and their allies took the matter to federal court. There the court finally decided in 1969 to annul the motorway plans.
The victory was important for the preservation of the French Quarter, but was not the only challenge during this time. During the 1960s, new hotels were opened regularly and often replaced large parts of the French Quarter. The Vieux Carré Commission approved these structures as long as their design followed the prevailing exterior style. However, the opponents feared that the charm of the French Quarter would be jeopardized by too many new inns. Therefore, they successfully lobbyed . In 1969 a law was passed prohibiting new hotels within the district boundaries. However, this did not prevent the spread of vacation rentals and illegal guest room inns throughout the French Quarter or high-rise hotels directly outside its borders. In the 1980s, rising rents caused many long-term residents to move away from the French Quarter as property prices soared with the expected New Orleans World's Fair of 1984 .
The district has been further developed because of tourism, which is important for the local economy. There are also apartments, hotels, guest houses, bars, restaurants and tourist-oriented commercial properties in the French Quarter.
Effects of Hurricane Katrina
As with other parts of the city that were developed before the end of the 19th century, the French Quarter stands on higher land in front of the dyke systems. As a result, the French Quarter remained largely dry after Hurricane Katrina . It stands five feet (1.5 m) above sea level. There was little water on some streets as a result of the floods, but several buildings suffered significant wind damage. Most sights suffered little damage. In addition, the district was largely spared from the looting and violence that occurred after the storm. Almost all of the antique shops and art galleries in the French Quarter remained untouched.
On September 26, 2005, almost a month after the storm ended, Mayor Ray Nagin reopened the French Quarter to local shopkeepers so they could inspect their property and begin the cleanup. Most of the shops in the French Quarter reopened within a few weeks. The Williams Research Center Annex of the Historic New Orleans Collection was the first new building in the French Quarter after Hurricane Katrina.
Sights and attractions
Jackson Square
The Jackson Square , among the French as Place d'Armes and then the Spaniards as Plaza de Armas known originally by the architect and landscape architect Louis H. Pilie designed (which is officially known only as the creator of the iron fence) and today a public, enclosed park the size of a block at the front of the French Quarter ( 29 ° 57 ′ N , 90 ° 4 ′ W ). In the mid-19th century, the square was named after the seventh President Andrew Jackson , who won a victory in the Battle of New Orleans during the British-American War against the British .
In 1856, the city guides purchased an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson from noted sculptor Clark Mills . The statue was placed in the middle of Jackson Square, which had previously been converted from a military parade ground and execution site to a park. The convicted criminals were sometimes hung in Jackson Square. After the slave revolt in 1811 , when Louisiana was a territory rather than a state, some of the rioters in Orleans Parish were sentenced to death under a judicial system that had not yet been adopted by American law. Their severed heads were on public display in Jackson Square.
Jackson Square originally had a view of the Mississippi River across Decatur Street. However, the view was obscured in the 19th century when the large levees were built along the river. The riverside has long been used for shipping related activities in the heart of the port. During the tenure of Mayor Moon Landrieu , a boardwalk was created across Jackson Square, known as the "Moon Walk". In the late 1980s, the old shipyards and warehouses were demolished to build Woldenberg Park , which extends the waterfront to Canal Street.
On the opposite side of Jackson Square, as seen from the river, are three historic buildings from the 18th century that were the heart of the city in colonial times. The middle one is St. Louis Cathedral . The cathedral was built by Pope Paul VI. designated as a basilica minor . To the left of the cathedral is the Cabildo , the old town hall and now a museum where the last transfer documents for the Louisiana Purchase were signed. To the right of the cathedral is the presbytery . It was built as a suitable counterpart to the Cabildo. Originally planned as a home for the Roman Catholic priests and ministers, it was converted into a courthouse in the early 19th century following the Louisiana Purchase when civil government was elevated over the church. In the 20th century it became a museum.
On either side of Jackson Square are the Pontalba Buildings , a block long, four-story red-brick building built between 1849 and 1851. There are shops and restaurants on the first floors and apartments on the upper floors. The buildings were planned as row houses. They were only in the 1930s during the Great Depression converted to rental apartments.
The buildings were designed and built by Baroness Micaela Almonester Pontalba , daughter of Don Andres Almonaster y Rojas , a prominent Spanish philanthropist in New Orleans, Creole. Micaela Almonaster was born in Louisiana in 1795. Her father died three years later. She became the sole heir to his property and estates in New Orleans.
Directly across from Jackson Square is the Jackson Brewing building, the original production site of a local beer. After the company was no longer independent, the building was converted to accommodate retail stores, including restaurants and specialty stores. In recent years, some riverside retail space has been converted to condominium. Behind the Jackson Brewing building is Toulouse Street Quay, the regular pier for the Natchez tour steamer .
From the 1920s through the 1980s, Jackson Square was known as a draw for painters, young art students, and cartoonists . In the 1990s, tarot card readers , mimes , fortune tellers and street performers were added.
Live music has been a staple of the entire French Quarter, including Jackson Square, for over a century. Street musicians play there for tips. Official concerts are also occasionally held.
On the corner of Jackson Square opposite the Cabildo is the Café du Monde , which is open 24 hours a day, except on Christmas Day and during hurricanes . The historic open-air café is known for its white coffee - coffee with chicory - and fritters , which have been continuously produced and served there since the civil war (1862). It is a custom for anyone visiting it for the first time to blow the powdered sugar off a fritters and make a wish.
Bourbon Street
The most famous street in the French Quarter is Bourbon Street, also called Rue Bourbon , which is known for its restaurants. Most of the bars visited by tourists are new, but the French Quarter is also home to a number of unique bars with interesting stories. The Old Absinthe House has kept its name, despite the fact that absinthe was banned in the United States from 1915 to 2007 because it was believed to be toxic.
The Pat O'Brien's Bar is both for the invention of the red " Hurricane " - cocktails as well as the first Duellklavierbar known. It is located at 718 St. Peter Street. On the same street, 726 St. Peter Street, is the Preservation Hall , which has served as a New Orleans jazz venue since 1961 .
The Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a tavern, which is located on the corner of Bourbon and St. Philip Street. It was built before 1772 and is now one of the oldest surviving buildings in New Orleans. It is also the oldest bar in America that still operates as a bar. According to legend, the building was once a shop owned by privateer Jean Laffite , perhaps as a cover for his many smuggling activities in Barataria Bay . But there is no evidence of this.
The Napoleon House Bar and Restaurant is located in the former home of Mayor Nicholas Girod . It was named after an unrealized plot to rescue Napoleon Bonaparte from his exile on Saint Helena , during which he was to be brought to New Orleans.
The Spirits on Bourbon was shown in season 3 of Bar Rescue . It is known for its Resurrection Cocktail in the glowing skull cup.
The Bourbon Pub and Oz are both at the intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets and are New Orleans' largest gay clubs. The Cafe Lafitte in Exile at the intersection of Bourbon and Dumaine Street is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the United States. These and other gay organizations sponsor the annual Southern Decadence Festival during Labor Day weekend. The festival is often referred to as New Orleans' Gay Mardi Gras . The intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets is also known as the Lavender Line or the Velvet Line in reference to the gay-majority neighborhood.
New Orleans and its French Quarter are one of the few places in the United States where the possession and consumption of alcohol in open containers is permitted on the street.
Restaurants
The district is home to many restaurants, from classic to casual, where both visitors and locals eat. Some are well-known landmarks, such as Antoine’s and Tujague’s , that have been in business since the 19th century. Arnaud’s , Galatoire’s , Broussard’s and Brennan's are also appreciated.
Less historic but well-known restaurants include chefs Paul Prudhomme (“K-Paul's”), Emeril Lagasse (“NOLA”) and John Besh . The Port of Call on Esplanade Avenue has been in business for more than 30 years and is known for its monsoon drink and food. The monsoon drink was her answer to the "Hurricane" cocktail from Pat O'Brien's Bar.
The Gumbo Shop is another traditional eatery in the French Quarter where casual wear is accepted. In Central Grocery on Decatur Street can be an original Italian Muffuletta - Sandwich get.
Hotels
Accommodation in the French Quarter ranges from large international hotel chains, guest rooms, and part-time condominiums to small guest houses with just one or two rooms.
The Audubon Cottages are a series of seven luxurious Creole cottages , two of which were used by John James Audubon during the 19th century while working in New Orleans for a short period. The Hotel St. Pierre is a small hotel, which consists of historic houses with an inner courtyard.
The French Quarter is known for its traditional hotels, like the Bourbon Orleans, the Hotel Monteleone (family-owned), the Royal Sonesta, the Astor and the Omni Royal Orleans . These hotels offer prime locations, beautiful views and / or a historic atmosphere.
literature
- Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré. the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. University of Mississippi, 2010, ISBN 978-1-60473-358-7 .
- J. Mark Souther: New Orleans on Parade. Tourism and the Transformation of the Crescent City. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge 2013.
Web links
- New Orleans, The City of Iron Lace , penelope.uchicago.edu
Individual evidence
- ^ New Orleans French Quarter History, Architecture and Pictures ( Memento of March 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ US Board on Geographic Names , United States Geological Survey , October 25, 2010.
- ^ Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, French Quarter Neighborhood
- ↑ a b Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Louisiana. National Park Service , accessed August 3, 2019.
- ↑ a b Patricia Heintzelman: National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Vieux Carré Historic District , National Park Service, February 1975.
- ^ A b French Quarter Neighborhood , Greater New Orleans Community Data Center
- ^ National Park Service : National Register Information System , National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, Jan. 23, 2007.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Vieux Carre , callais.net
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 7.
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 11.
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 20f.
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 21.
- ^ New Orleans 1900 to 1920 by Mary Lou Widmer. Pelican Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-1-58980-401-2 , p. 23.
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 24.
- ^ Scott S. Ellis: Madame Vieux Carré: the French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. 2010, p. 43.
- ^ J. Mark Souther: New Orleans on Parade: Tourism and the Transformation of the Crescent City. 2013, pp. 41–50.
- ^ J. Mark Souther: New Orleans on Parade: Tourism and the Transformation of the Crescent City. 2013, pp. 66–71.
- ^ J. Mark Souther: New Orleans on Parade: Tourism and the Transformation of the Crescent City. 2013, pp. 54–63, 203.
- ↑ Rick Wilking: [Rick Wilking Officials rescue Katrina's survivors amid 'chaos'], Wayback Machine, August 31, 2005.
- ↑ The Essential Guide to New Orleans' Oldest Neighborhood . FrenchQuarter.com
- ↑ Susannah Rosenblatt, James Rainey: Katrina Takes a Toll on Truth, News Accuracy . In: Los Angeles Times. September 25, 2005.
- ^ The Historic New Orleans Collection - Williams Research Center Annex
- ^ Angus Lind: Home of the 'Hurricane' Pat O'Brien's turns 75 this week ( memento of March 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), nola.com, November 30, 2008.
- ^ Southern Decadence - Labor Day Weekend - New Orleans , southerndecadence.net
- ^ Scott Gold: 15 Things you probably didn't know about Bourbon Street , thrillist.com, July 16, 2015.
- ↑ Stephen Fredrick: Fortunate Son , Stephen Fredrick, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9839832-2-4 , p. 338.
- ↑ City of New Orleans short message