The French Quarter New Orleans

4 Scintillating Facts Everyone Should Know About The French Quarter New Orleans


1. LaSalle claimed the territory of Louisiana for the French in the 1690’s. The King of France awarded a

proprietorship to the Company of the West, owned by John Law, to develop a colony in the new territory. Law appointed Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville Commandant and Director General of the new colony.

Bienville wanted a colony on the Mississippi River, which served as the main highway for trade with the new world. The Native American Choctaw Nation showed Bienville a way to avoid the treacherous waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River by entering Lake Pontchartrain from the Gulf of Mexico and traveling on Bayou St. John to the site where the city now stands.

New Orleans

2. In 1718, Bienville’s dream of a city became reality. The city streets were laid out in 1721 by Adrian de Pauger, the royal engineer, following the design of Le Blond de la Tour. Many of the streets are named for the royal houses of France and Catholic saints. Contrary to popular belief, Bourbon Street is not named after the alcoholic beverage, but rather after the Royal House of Bourbon, the family then occupying the throne in France.

 The French Quarter New Orleans, also known as Vieux Carré - or the “Quarter”, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River on some of the highest ground in New Orleans. Not only is this the city’s cultural hub, but it is a community where residents take time to reminisce with neighbors about times gone by and to welcome visitors in the streets.

French Quarter architecture is a mix of Spanish, French, Creole and American styles. Plastered walls and

single chimneys reflect laws enacted after fire virtually destroyed the city in 1788 and 1794. 

3. Cast iron balconies were added to many masonry buildings after 1850, when Baroness Pontalba included them on her fashionable row houses near Jackson Square. These lacy galleries, along with plentiful stoops and porches on younger buildings, make the Quarter a great place for people-watching-and every kind of person imaginable can be spotted on the sidewalks of the Quarter.

4. Besides its obvious architectural distinction the Vieux Carre offers visitors a plethora of different experiences. Around the bend of every corner you may find an eclectic shopping destination, delicious restaurant, or historical museum. Browse the treasure trove at the French Market, shade yourself in Jackson Square, and munch on a muffellata at Central Grocery.

Do not be fooled by the common interpretation of the French Quarter New Orleans because it is so much more than anything you could imagine.