Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
BACK OF THE QUARTER: SPOOKY
STROLL
BOUNDARIES:
Esplanade Ave., Chartres St., Dumaine St., Dauphine St.
DISTANCE:
1.73 miles
PARKING:
Limited street parking
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
RTA Bus #5 (Marigny-Bywater), Riverfront Streetcar
The French Quarter isn't all about Bourbon Street. In fact, the lower part of the Quarter,
between Esplanade Avenue and St. Ann Street, is a mostly residential neighborhood where
homes range from restored Creole cottages to French Colonial town houses sporting ex-
quisite wrought-iron balconies. It's relatively quiet, but no less fascinating or historic than
its more popular counterpart upriver.
Many of the homes in the Lower French Quarter have been converted to museums, giving
visitors an up-close view of 18th- and 19th-century lifestyles; among the more notable ex-
amples are the Beauregard-Keyes House and the Gallier House. Some of the city's al-
legedly haunted houses—like the legendary LaLaurie House—can be found here as well.
Even the hotels and inns, such as the Soniat House and the Cornstalk Hotel, have historic
significance.
Of course, no New Orleans neighborhood is complete without a culinary component, and
two of the best are Irene's Cuisine and Café Amelie, not to mention Verti Marte for
po'boys. For libations, Harry's Corner and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop are among the clas-
sics.
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Begin at the Old US Mint (Esplanade Avenue at North Peters Street), one of
several museums that make up the Louisiana State Museum system. Built in
1835, the Greek Revival building served as a mint for both the Union and the
Confederacy. Today, it's home to exhibits on New Orleans jazz, Newcomb pot-
tery, and the Mississippi River, as well as a jazz-performance series called
Music at the Mint.
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Walk two blocks to Chartres Street and turn left. At 1133 Chartres is the So-
niat House, built in the 1820s by Joseph Soniat Dufossat, a French sugar-
plantation owner. Now a boutique hotel, the property consists of three town
houses with 31 guest rooms furnished and decorated with French and English
