Bourbon Street

Where the World Comes to Party

Description

This historic and world-famous street runs directly through the French Quarter like a year-round party. Especially rockin' during the Quarter's many festivals, the street is home to loads of bars, restaurants, strip clubs, and in the more touristy 8-block "Upper Bourbon Street," souvenir and gift shops. During Mardi Gras, the French Quarter Festival, and Southern Decadence especially, the street is virtually paved in tourists guzzling Hurricanes, Hand Grenades, and huge plastic cups of beer. The rest of the year, it's a little more manageable, but no less fun. For several blocks north of the intersection of St. Ann Street (often referred to as the "Velvet Line"), Bourbon Street is a hub of the city's thriving gay community, and features popular gay nightclubs such as The Bourbon Pub, and Oz. The upper end of Bourbon Street, near Canal Street, is home to loads of strip clubs. If you want to escape the hordes of tourists in favor of local flavor, though, the area from Dumaine Street to Pauger is mostly residential, with scattered businesses catering to locals, including the popular bar, Jean Laffite's Blacksmith Shop.