Visiting Treme, New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana

Visitors to New Orleans generally only stick to the French Quarter neighbourhood of the city. Yes, it’s a great area to explore but if you only visit there, you’ll get a very lopsided view of New Orleans. There are several neighbourhoods of interest in the city but one I definitely recommend is Tremé.

Tremé is extremely interesting because it’s the oldest black neighborhood in the US. There is so much history here! In the 18thand 19th centuries, many ‘free persons of colour’ and ex-enslaved peoples owned property in this area of New Orleans; this was extremely unusual for the US at that time because of slavery.

Today, Tremé is a great place in which to wander for a few hours. So if you’re heading to New Orleans, I challenge you to strap on your walking shoes and go out past the usual party zone in the French Quarter and explore another side to this great city. Here are some of the things you should definitely not miss:

Located on the outer edge of the French Quarter, the Louis Armstrong Park is dedicated to you know you and other important musicians. It is a pleasant park in which you can wander peacefully, away from crowds. There are green spaces, fountains, and bridges to explore. My favourite part was Congo Square. Since the early 19th century, both free and enslaved African-Americans would come here on a Sunday. This was the only place in which they could legally congregate. Congo Square had a market but the area became famous for the singing and dancing. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).