Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
12
ST. CHARLES AVENUE: JEWEL OF NEW
ORLEANS
BOUNDARIES:
St. Charles Ave., Louisiana Ave., Eleonore St.
DISTANCE:
2.77 miles
PARKING:
Free on St. Charles and in the surrounding neighborhood, but bear in mind that
parking on some residential streets is limited to 2 hours.
PUBLIC TRANSIT:
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
If there's one street in New Orleans that's made for walking, it's magnificent St. Charles
Avenue, the so-called Jewel of America's Grand Avenues and one of the top 10 thorough-
fares in the United States as ranked by the American Planning Association in 2007.
Stretching 6.4 miles from the Central Business District to Riverbend, St. Charles Avenue is
known for its exquisite mansions, many of which date back to the mid-19th century, when
it became home to New Orleans's wealthiest and most powerful citizens.
Most of the mansions still stand today, though some have been converted to luxury apart-
ment buildings, bed-and-breakfasts, or in one case a public library. Numerous churches,
synagogues, schools, and businesses, along with Tulane and Loyola Universities and Audu-
bon Park, also make their homes on the grand, oak-lined avenue.
The best way to see St. Charles Avenue is on foot or by streetcar, so the following walking
tour allows for both. Take your time as you marvel at the avenue's beauty, then hop on the
streetcar, grab a window seat, and enjoy the view once again.
•
Begin at 5809 St. Charles, in front of the Colonial Revival mansion known as
the Wedding Cake House because of its many layers and adornments. Prob-
ably the most photographed house on the avenue, it dates back to the late 19th
century, when it served as the home of Nicholas Burke, a wholesale grocer.
The house has undergone numerous renovations and was rebuilt in 1907 after
an electrical fire.
•
Walk one block, cross Nashville Avenue, and check out the George Palmer
House at 5705 St. Charles. Though not nearly as large as most of the mansions
on the avenue, the plantation-style house is famous for being built to resemble
Tara, the O'Hara family home in
Gone with the Wind.
Another historic house
