Walking Tour 3

Walking Tour 3: Esplanade Ridge

Start: Esplanade Avenue and Johnson Street.

Finish: City Park.

Time: Allow approximately 1 1/2 hours, not including museum, cemetery, and shopping stops.

Best Times: Monday through Saturday, early or late morning.

Worst Times: Sunday, when attractions are closed. Also, you certainly don't want to walk in this area after dark; if you decide to stay in City Park or in the upper Esplanade area until early evening, plan to return on the bus or by taxi.

If you're heading to City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art, or the Jazz & Heritage Festival, consider strolling this overlooked region, or leaving enough time for sightseeing from your car. We particularly enjoy the stretch along St. John's Bayou -- mostly as slow and quiet as the sluggish water itself. Historically, the Esplanade Ridge area was Creole society's answer to St. Charles Avenue -- it's an equally lush boulevard with stately homes and seemingly ancient trees stretching overhead. Originally home to the descendants of the earliest settlers, the avenue had its finest days toward the end of the 19th century, and some of the neighborhoods along its path, especially the Faubourg Treme, are visibly suffering. Esplanade is a little worn compared to St. Charles Avenue, but it's closer to the soul of the city (read: Regular people live here, whereas St. Charles always was and still is for the well-heeled).

You can catch a bus on Esplanade Avenue at the French Quarter, headed toward the park to your starting point. Otherwise, stroll (about 15 min.) up Esplanade Avenue to:

1. 2023 Esplanade Ave., Charpentier House

Originally a plantation home, this house was designed in 1861 for A. B. Charpentier and now operates as Ashtons Bed & Breakfast.

2. 2033-2035 Esplanade Ave., Widow Castanedo's House

Juan Rodriguez purchased this land in the 1780s, and his granddaughter, Widow Castanedo, lived here until her death in 1861 (when it was a smaller, Spanish colonial-style plantation home). Before Esplanade Avenue extended this far from the river, the house was located in what is now the middle of the street. The widow tried and failed to block the extension of the street. The late-Italianate house was moved to its present site and enlarged sometime around the 1890s. It is split down the middle and inhabited today by two sisters.

3. 2139 Esplanade Ave.

A great example of the typical Esplanade Ridge style. Note the Ionic columns on the upper level.

On the opposite side of the street is:

4. 2176 Esplanade Ave.

A simple, classic-style town house, this was the second Bayou Road home built by Hubert Gerard, who also built the 1861 at no. 2023 .

After you cross North Miro Street, Esplanade Avenue crosses the diagonal Bayou Road, which was the route to the French-Canadian settlements at St. John's Bayou in the late 17th century. Veer left at the fork to stay on Esplanade Avenue and look for:

5. Goddess of History -- Genius of Peace Statue

In 1886, this triangular piece of land, called Gayarre Place, was given to the city by Charles Gayarre. George H. Dunbar donated the original terra-cotta statue, a victory monument, which was destroyed in 1938. The present one, made of cement and marble, is a replacement.

6. 2306 Esplanade Ave., Degas House

The Musson family rented this house for many years. Estelle Musson married René Degas, brother of Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist artist. (She and her descendants dropped his last name after he ran off with a neighbor's wife.) Degas is said to have painted the portrait of Estelle that is now in the New Orleans Museum of Art, among other works, during the brief time he spent living here.

The house was built in 1854, and the Italianate decorations were added later when it was split into two buildings. It's a B&B now, with studio tours available by appointment.

7. 2326 Esplanade Ave., Reuther House

The current resident of this house -- a founder of the Contemporary Arts Center and a major figure in the city's arts community -- has a collection of metal and cinder-block sculptures in his front yard, readily visible from the street.

In passing, take a look at nos. 2325, 2329, and 2331 -- all are interesting examples of Creole cottages. Then, continue to:

8. 2337 & 2341 Esplanade Ave.

These houses were identical structures when they were built in 1862 for John Budd Slawson, owner of a horse-drawn-streetcar company that operated along Bayou Road in the 19th century. Back then, they were both single-story shotgun-style houses. Notice the unusual ironwork underneath the front roof overhang.

Cross North Dorgenois Street to:

9. 2453 Esplanade Ave.

Until the other was demolished, this house was one of a pair at the corner of Dorgenois Street. Though its architecture has been changed extensively, it's one of the few remaining mansard-roofed homes on Esplanade Ridge.

Cross North Broad Street to:

10. 2623 Esplanade Ave.

Here is a classical revival Victorian home built in 1896 by Louis A. Jung. Note the Corinthian columns. The Jungs donated the triangular piece of land at Esplanade Avenue, Broad Street, and Crete Street to the city on the condition that it remain public property. Now called DeSoto Park, it is graced by an Art Nouveau fence.

11. 2809 Esplanade Ave.

This is one of the more decorative Victorian Queen Anne center-hall houses on Esplanade Ridge.

12. 2936 Esplanade Ave.

A nice example of what's known as a Gothic villa.

13. Take a Break at Café Degas, Terranova's, or Fair Grinds

At the intersection of Mystery Street and Esplanade Avenue, you'll find a little grouping of shops and restaurants. If you're in the area at lunchtime, you might want to stop at Café Degas, for a leisurely meal -- if the weather is nice, the semi-outdoor setting is exceedingly pleasant. If you just want a snack or some picnic food for City Park, you can get cold cuts, ice cream, and snacks at the family-run Terranova's Italian Grocery, 3308 Esplanade Ave. (tel. 504/482-4131), across the street. Or opt for a break at the quirky Fair Grinds coffeehouse just off Esplanade at 3133 Ponce De Leon St. (tel. 504/913-9072).

Continue to:

14. 3330 Esplanade Ave.

A galleried frame home built in the Creole-cottage style.

On your right is:

15. 3421 Esplanade Ave., St. Louis Cemetery No. 3

This was the site of the public Bayou Cemetery, established in 1835. It was purchased by the St. Louis diocese in 1856 and contains the burial monuments of many of the diocese's priests. If you've been putting off going into the cemeteries because of concerns over safety, you can explore this one on your own -- though as always, you should still be alert.

From the cemetery, head back out to Esplanade Avenue and continue walking toward City Park. When you get to the bridge, go left, following the signs, along St. John's Bayou (one of the nicest and least touristy areas of the city), to:

16. 1440 Moss St., Pitot House

This Creole country house overlooks historic Bayou St. John and is open for public viewing. Knowledgeable docents offer a window onto life in the day when the Bayou was the major trade route. Years later, this was home to the first mayor of New Orleans.

Head back to Esplanade Avenue, turn left, cross the bridge, and walk straight into:

17. Esplanade &City Park Aves., City Park

Explore the sculpture garden, amphitheater, museum, botanical gardens, lakes, and much more in this glorious, expansive park.