Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans

Esplanade Avenue is a street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

History

19th century residential architecture along Esplanade Avenue

Esplanade runs from the Mississippi River front to the intersection with Carrollton Avenue just past Bayou St. John, and the entrance to City Park. In the 19th century it was important as a portage route of trade between the Bayou which linked to Lake Pontchartrain and the River. Many 19th century mansions still line the street; it functioned as a "millionaire's row" for the Louisiana Creole section of the city similar to that of St. Charles Avenue for the Anglophone section in Uptown New Orleans.

Esplanade Avenue is the dividing line between the 6th Ward and 7th Ward of New Orleans.

From the River to Claiborne Avenue, Esplanade has one lane of traffic in both directions, with a raised neutral ground (median) in the center. From Claiborne to Carrollton it has two lanes in each direction, with a smaller neutral ground.

The segment from the River to Rampart Street separates the French Quarter from the Faubourg Marigny. Near the river on the French Quarter side is the old New Orleans Mint building.

Passing by the Faubourg Treme neighborhood, Esplanade goes through the area known alternatively as "Faubourg St. John" or "Esplanade Ridge", near the New Orleans Fairgrounds. The house where Edgar Degas stayed during his time in New Orleans is in this section.

Just past Carrollton Avenue is the entrance to the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Further reading

• Mary Louise Christovich, Sally Kittredge Evans, and Roulhac Toledano (1995). New Orleans Architecture: The Esplanade Ridge. New Orleans Architecture. 5. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 9781565540729. 

See also

• Famous streets of New Orleans