Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hood Association, which holds annual fundraisers to help its cause. One of
the biggest is the Porch Crawl, whereby homes and their porches are paired
with area restaurants, and patrons stroll to each one, enjoying great food,
drinks, and music.
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Walk one block to Cabrini High School, a Catholic girls' school named for
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first woman to establish a missionary order
of women and the first American citizen to be canonized as a saint of the
Catholic Church. The school opened in 1959 in what was then the Sacred
Heart Orphan Asylum. Mother Cabrini raised the money for both the
orphanage and the school, once saying, “The greatest heritage to a girl is a
good education.”
Next to Cabrini is the back of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church,
founded in 1907. The church, which faces Bayou St. John, had its majestic
copper dome replated after Hurricane Katrina, and the dome is illuminated
at night.
Morris Jeff Community School, at 3368 Esplanade, is one of dozens of
charter schools that opened in New Orleans after Katrina. Morris Jeff is an
International Baccalaureate school, offering a curriculum that focuses on
creating a globally minded child. The school offers traditional academics
with a focus on Spanish language, the arts, and community service. The Es-
planade building is Morris Jeff's temporary home while construction takes
place on the school's permanent facility on nearby South Lopez Street.
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The next stretch of blocks features two family-owned grocery stores, Terran-
ova's Superette and Canseco's, along with restaurants such as Santa Fe, a
Southwestern restaurant offering live jazz on Thursday and Sunday nights;
Lola's, known for its paella and other Spanish fare; Café Degas, a French
eatery with one of the best patio dining rooms in town; and Nonna Mia, a
pizzeria that also serves classic Sicilian pasta dishes. Craving a po'boy? Head
down Ponce de Leon Street to Liuzza's by the Track. On Ponce de Leon,
you'll also find Fair Grinds, a coffeehouse; Lux, a day spa; and Swirl, a wine
bar and market.
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From Café Degas, walk four blocks to 2821 Esplanade, a neo-Tudor style res-
idence built in the 1920s. Next door, at 2809 Esplanade, is a Queen
Anne-style home built in 1902. Known as the Cresson House, it is a favorite
photo-taking spot.
