JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 businesstraveller.comA time-
sensitive
tour of the
southern
US city’s
colourful
French
QuarterWORDSTOM OTLEY
(^1) St Louis Cathedral
New Orleans is back on its feet in a
big way. Hurricane Katrina struck in
2005, but the following decade saw
investment and repairs, and a renewed
focus on tourism. The city remains
one of the most culturally intriguing
and visually arresting places in the
US. The streets of the French Quarter
have retained a unique blend of
inf luences stemming from its French,
Spanish and African roots.
The St Louis Cathedral – or the
Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King
of France, to give it its full name – is the
standout building. The oldest cathedral
in the US and the third building on the
site, following earlier churches dating
back to 1718, it was rebuilt in 1850. It
is beautiful both inside and out, with
the galleried interior featuring Rococo
decoration. The cathedral is f lanked by
the Cabildo and the Presbytère, which
now form part of the Louisiana State
Museum. stlouiscathedral.org,
louisianastatemuseum.org
(^3) French market
The French market originated as a
Native American trading post, and is
the reason for New Orleans existing on
this site – it’s a good portage between
the river and Lake Pontchartrain
behind. It was the home of the
oldest meat market in the US, and
then a fresh food market, before
being turned into a place for tourist
boutiques, restaurants and cafés.
If you like jazz, walk along to
Frenchman Street and visit the
Louisiana Music Factory record shop
(number 421) and clubs such as
Bamboula’s (516), Maison (508),
DBA’s (618) and the Spotted Cat
Music Club (623). frenchmarket.
org, louisianamusicfactory.com
(^4) The Mississippi
You may have encountered the
Mississippi elsewhere in the US –
after all, it is more than 3,200km long
and passes through ten states – but
4 HOURS IN...
New Orleans
(^2) Jackson Square
St Louis Cathedral stands on Jackson
Square, the highest ground above
the river (even during Katrina it
didn’t f lood, although it suffered
damage from the winds and power cuts).
Under first the Spanish and then the
French armies, it was called the Place
d’Armes/Plaza de Armas, as well as being
a parade ground where criminals – and
slaves – were executed. Additional
controversy comes because of its name
and the equestrian statue of Confederate
General Jackson, a slave owner.
Elegant iron railings surround the
square, and the Pontalba Buildings
on either side house lovely boutiques
and tourist shops dating back to the
1850s. They were built by Micaela
Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba,
who had a life story so unbelievable
you’ll need a guide to recount it.
You can wander around with a travel
book or app, but a guide is great
for answering questions – we used
nosecretstours.com
46 4