The Big Easy I: Beyond Bourbon Street
"Laissez les bons temps rouler" has always been the slogan associated with the "Big Easy". Lately, times have not been too good on the Gulf of Mexico - from the destructive powers of Katrina in 2005 to last year's oil spill in the Gulf, the area has had to endure catastrophes and challenges galore recently. But New Orleans is back, and this time we hope it is bound to stay. Many parts of the city have recovered, residents have returned and visitors are flocking back to enjoy the laid-back attitude of the Big Easy. Business is not quite back to normal, and some aspects of life in New Orleans have changed irreversibly, whereas other aspects have remained unchanged. For that reason, New Orleans is a perfect destination for alternative visitors to the Southern U.S., particularly those that dare to venture beyond the bars on Bourbon Street and the most touristic sections of the French Quarter. Euroquest Sidetracks therefore will cover the Big Easy in two separate articles, featuring an alternative exploration of the French Quarter and nearby neighborhoods, as well as a radically sobering and unique stay in the city's problem area of the Lower Ninth Ward.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many affected areas have undergone urban renewal and reconstruction. Residents have since returned, but in much lower numbers compared to those who left. The official numbers are sobering with central New Orleans accounting for only approximately 300 000 inhabitants and roughly half a million in the greater Metropolitan area. The effects are manifold, but most visibly manifest themselves in some areas in a surreal Las Vegas-style "faux finishing" movie set feel, devoid of residents and noticeable urban activity. Fortunately central New Orleans was not quite as affected by Katrina due to the relatively higher elevation of the French Quarter and downtown areas. As we start out our exploration from CANAL STREET, we notice plenty of modernized office buildings, hotels and shopping malls, including the HARRAH's Casino, the only one permitted to operate on land in Louisiana rather than on the Mississippi River, the CANAL PLACE retail complex as well as the Sheraton and Westin hotels. Leaving behind Canal Street and heading into the FRENCH QUARTER, the obvious attraction nearby are the tacky neon-lit bars along BOURBON STREET catering to heavily partying and drinking revelers keen on fun, excess and good times. Yet only a block or two away, a different French Quarter beckons to be discovered, one with an alternative trajectory inviting visitors to discover intimate backyards, art galleries, specialty shops and quiet cafes.
As we head closer to the Mississippi River front, we reach ROYAL STREET, running parallel to Bourbon Street and offering a totally different impression of the Vieux Carre. Once we pass the N.O.Police Department and the Louisiana Supreme Court Building, we come across what may be the architecturally most homogenous sections of the French Quarter, a misnomer of sorts, as most of the beautiful mansions with wrougth-iron balconies date to the period of Spanish Occupation in the 19th century. More aptly labelled "Latin Quarter", it is here that we encounter alternative art galleries, restaurants and cafes, many of them featuring unique inner couryards with lush vegetation and tranquil, hidden terraces. The ROYAL BLEND Cafe and the HANA DESIGN Shop rank among our favorites here. As we pass the backside of St. Louis Cathedral, featuring a Jesus statue throwing ominous looking shadows when illuminated at night, we reach the part of Royal Street with the nicest collection of Spanish-era houses and balconies, each individually arranged, decorated and illuminated.
By far our favorite coffee shop in the entire French Quarter is CROISSANT D'OR on URSULINE Street, far less crowded and touristic as CAFE DU MONDE near Jackson Square and yet with even tastier pastries and coffee beverages. While this far in the South East of the French Quarter, we also may wish to venture across ESPLANADE AVE into the nearby neighborhood of FOUBOURG MARIGNY, the true alternative heart of central New Orleans featuring low-key cafes, bistros and busy music clubs, such as the SPOTTED CAT. Walking along FRENCHMEN STREET in Marigny is a perfect introduction to the alternative energy and community-based recovery of the Big Easy. Many locals compare the feeling of solidarity here to that of post-9/11 New York City - and even 5 years since Katrina, the same sense of closeness, grassroots values and community spirit still prevails throughout many parts of NoLa, as called by most locals, a solidarity particularly felt here in the Marigny. It is with this sense of local culture, distinct Southern hospitality and community spirit that we return towards the more touristic areas of the French Quarter including the nearby French Market leading to Jackson Square with the front of St. Louis' Cathedral and the overpublisized BEIGNET pastries at Cafe Du Monde and then back to Canal street and the Mississippi River Front.
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