The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans The district as a whole is a National Historic Landmark, and contains numerous individual historic buildings. The neighborhood contains many restaurants, ranging from formal to casual, patronized by both visitors and locals. Some are well known landmarks, such as Antoine's and Tujague's, which have been in business since the 19th century. The most famous of the French Quarter streets, Bourbon Street, or Rue Bourbon, is famous for its drinking establishments. Most of the bars frequented by tourists are new but the Quarter also has a number of notable bars with interesting histories.

The square originally overlooked the Mississippi River across Decatur Street. Jackson Square (formerly Place d'Armes), originally designed by architect and landscaper Louis H. Pilié (although he is only given credit for the iron fence), is an open park the size of a city-block located at the center of the French Quarter