Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Cross Esplanade at North White Street in front of McDonogh City Park
Academy, another of the city's many charter schools. On the opposite side of
Esplanade, you'll pass CC's Coffee House, a great place to grab a latte or
cappuccino. Continue on North White one block to the corner of Bell Street.
The DuFour-Plassan House, at 1206 N. White, was built in 1870 and boasts
one of the few wrought-iron cornstalk fences in New Orleans.
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Turn right on Bell and walk one block to North Dupre Street. Turn right on
North Dupre, walk two blocks to Esplanade, and turn left. Walk three blocks
to Grand Route St. John. As you walk down Esplanade, you'll notice an ar-
ray of architectural styles from classic bungalows to Greek Revivals, many
adorned with black-and-gold Jazz Fest flags. Because the neighborhood is
built on naturally high ground, it escaped the flooding that ravaged so many
other New Orleans neighborhoods in Hurricane Katrina.
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Turn left onto Grand Route St. John in front of Fortier Park, an intimate
green space that boasts sculptures, palms, and other lush greenery. The park
is named for Alcee Fortier, a philanthropist and professor of romance lan-
guages at Tulane University.
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Walk four blocks to Moss Street on Grand Route St. John, one of the neigh-
borhood's most beautifully maintained streets. Turn right at Moss in front of
the meandering Bayou St. John. This is believed to be the approximate spot
where, back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, travelers disembarked
from boats as they made their way into the city via Grand Route St. John. At
the corner of Moss and Grand Route St. John is the Old Spanish Custom
House, which was built in 1784 and is the oldest building in the neighbor-
hood.
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Continue walking down Moss past Bayou St. John Bed and Breakfast, a
150-year-old house-turned-inn at 1318 Moss. Another historic structure is
the Holy Rosary rectory (1342 Moss), a Greek Revival mansion built in 1834.
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As you continue walking, take note of the pedestrian-only bridge that crosses
the bayou in front of Cabrini High School. Known as the Magnolia Bridge,
it's a popular spot for parties and fishing. Next to Cabrini High, at 1440
Moss, is the Pitot House, an 18th-century Creole Colonial plantation that
serves as the home of the Louisiana Landmarks Society. The organization
works to promote historic preservation through education and advocacy and
invites the public to tour the house and learn about life along the bayou since
