The Historic French Quarter: The Oldest Neighborhood in New Orleans

Nestled in a bend of the Mississippi River, the first New Orleans settlers chose to establish their community in what is now the French Quarter, thanks to its relatively high elevation compared to the surrounding area. Their instincts proved correct, as hundreds of years later, the French Quarter was largely unaffected when Hurricane Katrina devastated the neighboring lower elevation areas.

New Orleans’ French heritage shines through in the military-style grid design, the central green space known as Jackson Square, and in the street names that still reflect the city’s French settlers, including Bienville and Iberville.

But there’s also plenty of evidence of our Spanish heritage:after a fire destroyed many of the French buildings in the late 1700’s, the Spanish rebuilt many parts of the city in a new architectural style, evident in the Cabildo (Town Hall) and the Presbytere (priests’ residence).

As a port city, many immigrants found their way to New Orleans, including refugees from the Haitian and French revolutions, as well as Irish, German, African, and American immigrants looking for a better life. This led to the unique mix of culture, cuisine, language, and religion that to this day sets New Orleans apart from any other city. New Orleans’ many cultural influences will come to light as you hear our story told by a local expert.