History

Esplanade runs from the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 front to the intersection with Carrollton Avenue

Carrollton Avenue

Carrollton Avenue is a major thoroughfare stretching across the Uptown/Carrollton and Mid-City districts of New Orleans. South Carrollton Avenue runs from St. Charles Avenue in the Riverbend in a northeast lakebound direction through Carrollton and into Mid-City...

 just past Bayou St. John

Bayou St. John

Bayou St. John is a bayou within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.The Bayou as a natural feature drained the swampy land of a good portion of what was to become New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain...

, and the entrance to City Park. In the 19th century it was important as a portage

Portage

Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...

 route of trade between the Bayou which linked to Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...

 and the River. Many 19th century mansion

Mansion

A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...

s still line the street; it functioned as a "millionaire's row" for the Louisiana Creole

Louisiana Creole

Louisiana Creole can refer to:* Louisiana Creole people* Louisiana Creole French language* Louisiana Creole cuisine...

 section of the city similar to that of St. Charles Avenue

St. Charles Avenue

St. Charles Avenue is a thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. and the home of the St. Charles Streetcar Line. It is also famous for the hundreds of mansions that adorn the tree-lined boulevard for much of the Uptown section of the route. The southern live oak trees, particularly found in...

 for the Anglophone section in Uptown New Orleans

Uptown New Orleans

Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...

.

Esplanade Avenue is the dividing line between the 6th Ward

6th Ward of New Orleans

The 6th Ward or Sixth Ward is one of the seventeen Wards of New Orleans, located in the Downtown section of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.-Boundaries:...

 and 7th Ward of New Orleans

7th Ward of New Orleans

The 7th Ward is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is geographically the second largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans, after the 9th Ward.-Boundaries and geography:...

.

From the River to Claiborne Avenue, Esplanade has one lane of traffic in both directions, with a raised neutral ground (median) in the center. From Claiborne to Carrollton it has two lanes in each direction, with a smaller neutral ground.

The segment from the River to Rampart Street

Rampart Street

Rampart Street is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana.The upper end of the street is in the New Orleans Central Business District...

 separates the French Quarter

French Quarter

The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...

 from the Faubourg Marigny

Faubourg Marigny

The Marigny is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Bywater District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: North Rampart Street and St...

. Near the river on the French Quarter side is the old New Orleans Mint

New Orleans Mint

The New Orleans Mint operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. During its years of operation, it produced over 427 million gold and silver coins of nearly every American denomination, with a total face value of over...

 building.

Passing by the Faubourg Treme neighborhood, Esplanade goes through the area known alternatively as "Faubourg St. John" or "Esplanade Ridge", near the New Orleans Fairgrounds. The house where Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...

 stayed during his time in New Orleans is in this section.

Just past Carrollton Avenue is the entrance to the New Orleans Museum of Art

New Orleans Museum of Art

The New Orleans Museum of Art is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the "Canal Street - City Park" streetcar line...

.