Known for it's live jazz, Cajun cuisine and boisterous bars, the French Quarter in New Orleans developed initially due to the thriving Port of New Orleans after being founded in 1718 by LaMoyne as the capital of Louisiana. It is the oldest French and Spanish colonial settlement in the U.S. an still occupies the original six by thirteen block area laid out in 1722. Andrew Jackson planned with the pirate Jean LaFitte and fought the Battle of New Orleans in December 1814 without knowing that the British and Americans had signed a treaty a few days earlier. Nearby Jackson Square commemorates this with a statue of Jackson in front of St. Louis Cathedral, one of the oldest in the United States.

Today the French Quarter survives despite harsh weather and hurricanes and it's citizens continue to enjoy life in the "Big Easy".  Many of the original structures remain including the Old Absinthe House (where it is said that Jackson and LaFitte met to plan the battle), Preservation Hall, LaFitte Tavern and various restaurants and small hotels. More about the French Quarter...