Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the corner of Verret and Alix is Holy Name of Mary Church, which was
built in 1929 in the Tudor Gothic style. The church has more than 75 stained-
glass windows and marble and artwork from a previous church building.
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Continue on Verret past the Tout de Suite Cafe, an adorable eatery that's
open for breakfast and lunch. About a half-block down is Algiers Music
Point, which sells an array of musical instruments, including vintage guitars.
Just past the music shop, at Verret Street and Pelican Avenue, is Confetti
Park, a haven for the pint-size set. This pocket park has playground equip-
ment and picnic tables under cypress trees, plus a fence with confetti-like
cutouts. In 2000, residents joined together to form Confetti Kids, a nonprofit
group that holds family-friendly events such as an Easter-egg hunt, a Spook-
tacular Halloween Party, and a Friendship Day Parade. The group's signa-
ture event is the Candy Land Ball and Fundraiser.
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Continue on Verret. Just to the left, at Pelican and Verret, is what was once
one of the longest-operating service stations in the South. For many years, it
was home to Gulf Pizza, a tiny but beloved pizza joint; the owners closed
shop in 2014, and as of this writing it was unclear if another restaurant
would take over the site. On the opposite corner, facing Pelican Avenue, is
Kupcakes Etc., where daily cupcake favorites include red velvet, ice-cream
sundae, pecan praline, and coconut pleasure.
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Continue on Verret to Delaronde Street and turn left. The house at 407
Delaronde is the one-time residence of jazz musician Norman Brownlee, a pi-
anist and bandleader who died in 1967 and who lived at this address from
1912 to 1922. He was the leader of Brownlee's Orchestra, which also featured
Emmett Hardy and Arthur “Monk” Hazel, among other musicians.
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Walk one block to Lavergne Street and turn left; then walk one block to Pel-
ican and turn right. A little more than a block ahead on your left, at 335 Pel-
ican after you cross Bermuda Street, is House of the Rising Sun Bed and
Breakfast, which the owners named after the fictitious house of ill repute
that The Animals made famous in their 1964 hit song. The house was built in
1896 after the original 1870 cottage burned down in the Great Fire of 1895.
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Cross Seguin Street. In the next block, on your right at 228 Pelican, is the
one-time home of Mayor Martin Behrman, who served as New Orleans's
leader for four consecutive terms from 1904 to 1920. He served again from
1925 to 1926, when he died in office at age 61. Today, there are streets,
schools, and parks named after Behrman.
