Mississippi river in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana.It is the most populous city in Louisiana. A major port, New Orleans is considered an economic and commercial hub for the broader Gulf Coast region of the United States. The boundaries are formed by the Mississippi River and Jefferson parish to the west and Lake Pontchartrain to the north. Lake Pontchartrain is connected by The Rigolets channel to Lake Borgne on the east (and thence to the gulf), and the southern boundary of New Orleans is made up of St. Bernard parish and, again, the Mississippi River. The city is divided by the Mississippi, with the principal settlement on the east bank. Bourbon Street embodies the life of a party town. The street is lit by neon lights, throbbing with music and decorated by beads and balconies. Named for a royal family in France and not the amber-colored alcohol, Bourbon Street has become a place for revelry of all sorts. With its windows and doors flung open to the wandering crowds, it should be no surprise that the famed sidewalk strolling libation known as the “go cup” was invented on Bourbon Street, according to Tulane University historian Richard Campanella. Many things change in New Orleans, but the color and excitement of Bourbon Street never falters. One of the most luxurious spots on Bourbon Street, The Royal Sonesta Hotel, opened in 1969. But the hotel’s site dates back to when the city was founded. Facing Jackson Square and flanked by the historic Cabildo on one side and the equally historic Presbytere on the other, St. Louis Cathedral is among the tallest and most imposing structures in the French Quarter. And one of the most recognizable. It has been seen in hundreds of movies, TV shows and other visual presentations and it is a local and international architectural icon.
As the mother church of the Archdiocese of New
Orleans, St. Louis Cathedral has a long and interesting history. It is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States, originally built in 1727 and dedicated to King Louis IX of France, "The Crusading King" who was later canonized by the Church. The original St. Louis Cathedral burned during the great fire of 1794 and was rebuilt. The present structure was completed in the 1850s.
In September 1987 the cathedral witnessed the
historic visit of Pope John Paul II and the plaza directly in front of the church was renamed in the pope's honor. Shortly afterward the status of the Cathedral was upgraded to a Basilica. At the rear of the Cathedral is the St. Anthony Garden dominated by a statue of Jesus with His arms upraised. At night, floodlights project an imposing shadow from the statue onto the Cathedral - a particularly awe- inspiring sight.