Virtually New Orleans - Feature Photo of the Week, May 12, 1997

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The Feature Photo is sponsored this week by NOLA Market.

It's springtime in New Orleans, and this is my favorite time of year for exploring the Quarter. Why the Quarter? Because it's cool enough to really walk around without dropping dead of heat exhaustion. It's easier to explore other neighborhoods as it gets warmer because you can easily get back to the car for an A/C recharge. If you want to walk around the Quarter, your best bet is to park the car in a lot make a day of it. With afternoon temperatures just breaking 80F right now, this is good walking weather (provided it's not raining, of course). You need to really do some exploring to see the true charms of the Quarter, since so many of them are hidden from view. The courtyards of many of the houses in the neighborhood are an excellent example of this.

Most of the houses in the Quarter are built in the Spanish Colonial style. This means they don't look like much at all from the street. You see a stucco wall, a door, maybe a long covered walkway, and that's about it. OK, so why do these homes go for $500K and up? It's the inside that's important, not the street view. The Spanish didn't believe in showing off their wealth to the rest of the neighborhood. They focused their efforts inward and built their homes around interior courtyards and gardens. So, when you enter off the street, you walk down that entrance walkway and emerge into an open courtyard. The house surrounds this courtyard. There are usually galleries along the upper levels of the house, enabling you to walk around and admire the garden from above.

This Susie Leavines photo is typical of the gardens you'll find in the Quarter. The main focus of the courtyard is a central fountain surrounded by lots of greenery. You can see the upper gallery behind the fountain. Depending on the orientation of the house, outdoor tables and chairs will be located to maximize shade. The courtyards are designed to suck in any breeze available, so if you're out of the direct sun, have a bit of green plants, and maybe some running water in a fountain, a Quarter courtyard is pleasant even on the hottest of July afternoons.

How do you get to see some of these courtyards? The easiest way is to walk around and explore some of the shops and galleries along Rue Royal and Rue Chartres. Many of the art galleries are in homes with courtyards, and on nice days the proprieters will put out merchandise in the courtyard for you to peruse. The courtyard lures you in, and hopefully will draw your attention to their wares. There are several fundraising tours annually of private homes that give you the chance to see some of the less public gardens and courtyards as well.

As mentioned earlier, this photo is by Susie Q. Leavines. Check out her web site or feel free to drop her line and share your comments.

If you have any comments on the feature photos, please feel free to drop me a line and tell 'em to me!

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