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A Pilgrimage to Algiers: the New Orleans Home of William S. Burroughs
A writer reflects on a London visit with Williams S. Burroughs and a later pilgrimage to the Beat writer’s home in Algiers Point, a place immortalized in Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.”
– by Richard Goodman
Pride Parade 2024
This ever-popular parade danced its way through the French Quarter, where throngs of fans cheered them on.
- photos by Melanie Cole
Captain Robert Mitchell and Steamboat Natchez: A Five-Decade Love Affair
When a scrappy teenager from the Desire Project landed a job as a janitor on a boat nearly half a century ago, no one could have imagined the epic voyage ahead.
– by Mark Orfila
Palm Court Jazz Café’s Closing Night: Your Last Chance to Dance
The final night of a beloved New Orleans venue for traditional jazz underscores the threads of community connection – and the ties of the heart.
– by Ellis Anderson
World Naked Bike Ride 2024
In a city that’s obsessed with costuming, baring all for a charity event to build bike safety awareness has its challenges: See how many of this year’s riders solved the dilemma.
- photos by Melanie Cole
Major Clay L. Shaw: The French Quarter’s Unsung D-Day Hero
In 1969, a young college student befriends a decorated WWII veteran without realizing the French Quarter resident is at the center of an international media maelstrom.
– by Bethany Ewald Bultman
Culture Community: the French Quarter Museum Association
Several Vieux Carré museums are working together to broaden perceptions about the Quarter and raise awareness about their diverse offerings – for both locals and visitors.
-by Dean M. Shapiro
The Faerie Playhouse on Esplanade
A historic Creole Cottage on Esplanade Avenue became both a gathering place and resting place for gay rights activists – and now a nationally recognized cultural LGBTQ site.
– by Frank Perez
The Secret Garden Tour 2024
Six private French Quarter homes and the Historic BK House museum threw open their garden gates this weekend for the ever-popular Secret Gardens Tour, produced annually by the Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré. The organization is dedicated to the preservation and beautification of the French Quarter. This annual fund-raiser helps the group produce the popular Caroling in Jackson Square each year.
- photos by Ellis Anderson
Searching for an Artist and a Grandfather: Daniel Webster Whitney
A woman who feels a mysterious connection to New Orleans discovers that in the Roaring Twenties, her grandfather was a celebrated artist, art teacher – and notable French Quarter personality.
– by Catherine Whitney
Henry Bernstein: French Quarter Philanthropist
As of April, UNO’s College of Business Administration has a new name – one honoring a long-time Vieux Carré resident and dedicated champion of higher education.
– by Claude Summers
MaMou: Dinner Party Dining in the Vieux Carré
Industry vets Tom Branighan and Molly Wismeier team up to create a warm, bustling brasserie where a delectable menu and a stellar staff lead to delighted diners – and rave reviews.
– by Kim Ranjbar
Gallatin Street Music Fest 2024
The new Gallatin Street Festival eased folks down on the Monday after Jazz Fest, with an exciting line-up of local acts in a relaxed setting at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
- photography by Scott Saltzman
One Day, Two Final Farewells
The French Quarter and Marigny recently celebrated the lives of two beloved neighborhood personalities – street performer Peter Bennett and bookstore owner Otis Fennell.
- photos by Ellis Anderson
Hottest Hell Tours - Burning Bright and Hot
As its name suggests, this company is all about superlatives: Owner Bond Ruggles explains how she’s going about redefining the New Orleans walking tour industry.
– by Kim Ranjbar
The Sad Demise of the Ursuline Chaplains’ Cottage
A diminutive Spanish Colonial cottage demolished in 1917 played a major role in the development of French Quarter historic preservation. This is the first in a new FQJ series, “Preservation Chronicles.”
– by James G. Derbes
Otis Fennell: Mayor of Frenchmen Street
What began in 1978 as the first gay bookstore in the South is still thriving as Frenchmen Art & Books thanks to four nurturing owners – including the late Otis Fennell.
– by Frank Perez
French Quarter Festival 2024
The 2024 French Quarter Festival played, sang and danced its way through four glorious days of sunshine to the delight of visitors and locals alike.
- photos by Scott Saltzman, Melanie Cole and Gregg Martel
Three Decades of Activism, One New Riverfront Park
Unrelenting advocacy over two wharf sites scores what appears to be a win for New Orleans residents while helping protect two of the most fragile neighborhoods in the country: the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny.
– by Frank Perez
An Open Love Letter to French Quarter Residents
A journalist turned buggy driver reflects on the people who live in his unusual workplace - a combination historic museum, adult amusement park, and a residential neighborhood.
– by Mark Orfila