Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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One block past the Saenger, on your right as you approach the intersection of
Canal and Basin Streets, note the statue of Venezuelan military and political
giant Simón Bolívar, who led the fight for Latin American independence
from Spain in the 1800s. The 12-foot-high cast-granite statue is one of three
monuments to Central and South American heroes that make up the Garden
of the Americas, which honors the ties between New Orleans and Latin
America. The other statues are of Mexican statesman Benito Juárez (Basin
and Conti), who lived in Faubourg Marigny (see
Walk 21
) during the 1840s,
and Francisco Morazán (Basin and St. Louis), who served as president of the
Federal Republic of Central America—which comprised present-day Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua—from 1830 to
1839.
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Just past the monument, at 1201 Canal, is yet another former retail outlet:
the site of Krauss Company, once the largest department store in the South.
Now a luxury condominium development, Krauss closed in 1997, leaving be-
hind a legacy of faithful shoppers who relished the store's old-fashioned ways
of doing business. In addition to being the first store in the city to install air-
conditioning and escalators (known as mechanical stairways), Krauss boas-
ted such departments as notions, fabrics, and foundations, along with a lunch
counter that served New Orleans cuisine.
•
Cross Canal at Basin Street. The center of Canal—which like all medians in
New Orleans is called the neutral ground—is where streetcars pass, so be
extra-cautious as you walk to the other side of the street. At Canal and Basin
is the Joy Theater, another of the city's longtime entertainment venues.
Opened in 1947 as a movie house, it was one of four movie theaters (along
with the Orpheum, State Palace, and Saenger) that populated downtown.
Faced with growing competition from multitheater complexes with stadium
seating, the Joy shut down in 2003. It remained closed until 2011, when it re-
opened as a state-of-the-art venue for live music, theatrical performances,
and other special events.
•
From the Joy, continue walking down Canal Street toward the river. Walk
three blocks to University Place. The 121-year-old Roosevelt Hotel, just off
Canal Street, is well worth a side visit, especially during December, when its
grand block-long lobby is converted to a winter wonderland complete with
thousands of twinkling lights, a New Orleans-themed gingerbread village,
and a white-birch canopy. In addition, the hotel is home to the famed Sazerac
Bar and the wildly popular Domenica, a contemporary Italian restaurant
