General Information:

The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carre, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carre as it was known then. While the area is still referred to as the Vieux Carre by some, it is more commonly known as the French Quarter today, or simply "The Quarter".The district as a whole is a National Historic Landmark, and contains numerous individual historic buildings. It was affected relatively lightly by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as compared to other areas of the city and the region as a whole. The Quarter is subdistrict of the French Quarter/CBD Area.

Brief History:

Many of the buildings date from before New Orleans became part of the entire country, although there are some late 19th century and early 20th century buildings in the area as well. Since the 1920s the historic buildings have been protected by law and cannot be demolished, and any renovations or new construction in the neighborhood must be done according to regulations to match the period historic architectural style. Most of the French Quarter's architecture was built during the time of Spanish rule over New Orleans and this is reflected in its architecture. The Great New Orleans Fire which took place in 1788 and another great fire in 1794 destroyed most of the Quarter's old French colonial architecture, leaving the colony's new Spanish overlords to rebuild it according to more modern tastes and strict new fire codes, which mandated that all structures be physically adjacent and close to the curb to create a firewall.

The Streets of the Quarter:

Jackson Square:

The square originally overlooked the Missippi River across Decatur Street, but the view was blocked in the 19th century by the building of larger levees. The riverfront was long given to shipping, but the administration of the Mayor at the time put in a scenic boardwalk along the river across from the Square; it is known as the "Moon Walk"(Moon being his first name) in his honor. At the end of the 1980s additional old wharfs and warehouses were demolished to create Woldenberg , extending the riverfront promenade up to Canal Street.

Bourban Street:

The most famous of the French Quarter streets, Bourbon Street, or Rue Bourbon, is famous for its drinking establishments. Most of the bars frequented by tourists are new but the Quarter also has a number of notable bars with interesting histories.The Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street has kept its name even though for almost a century absinthe was illegal in the United States.