Le Vieux Carré

“Vieux Carré” (French for “Old Square”) is the local name for the French Quarter. It’s famous for the boozy joints on Bourbon Street, but it is SO much more. Although we were living outside the Quarter, we found ourselves there 2-3 times a week during our time in New Orleans.

Jackson Square is the heart of the Quarter and sits on the edge that curves along the Mississippi River (the source of the nickname “Crescent City”). Its distinctive look is mostly thanks to Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba - a remarkable 19th century woman whose life of tragedy and triumph (she survives being shot by her evil father-in-law!) seems like it was tailor-made for a movie.

Mule-drawn carriages along the river side of the square

St. Louis Cathedral, flanked by the Cabildo and the Presbytère

Upper Pontalba Building

Its twin, the Lower Pontalba Building, sits across the square

Statue of Andrew Jackson

A copy of the one in D.C., erected here in 1856 and with perhaps the nation’s first graffiti inscribed in 1862: “The Federal Union, It Must and Shall Be Preserved.”

The buildings in the Quarter reflect the city’s unique 300-year heritage - what one tour guide called a gumbo of different cultures. There are examples of Creole, French, Spanish, French-Canadian, and American architecture throughout. Many buildings have sunny balconies with pretty wrought- or cast-iron railings overlooking the street and quiet, shady gardens in the back.

LaBranche Houses

At the corner of Royal and St Peter Streets

One benefit of a longer stay in New Orleans is that we could visit the more popular, “touristy” parts of the Quarter during less crowded times. No waiting in line for beignets, y’all!

French Market stalls

French Market wares

Café du Monde

For beignets and chicory coffee, of course