Early Morning Walk in the Quarter

This is, in our estimation, one in a list of thirty marvelous places, flavors, events, and experiences that anyone who lives in—or loves—our part of the world should experience at least once in his or her lifetime.

A walk through the French Quarter at dawn after a late night rain shower provides a glimpse into the New Orleans of the 1800s. The smell of all the cheap alcohol has been washed away. No barkers aggressively invite the hoards into bars and strip clubs, and the neon signs have been turned off. The tourists are still asleep, and the city exhibits a buttoned-up modesty of sorts. A faint mist hangs in the air, and Jackson Square is peaceful. Longtime residents walk their dogs and trucks make deliveries to local merchants. It is what the Quarter was when the majority of the population made their homes there. Much like Paris, the Vieux Carré feels like an old city waking up.