• SOLD OUT
• Available as a Matted Open Edition/Calendar scene.

The original settlement of New Orleans, established in 1718, is distinguishable today as the Vieux Carre, also known as the French Quarter. Picturesque houses line the narrow streets of this section, built in a style that combines French and Spanish influences. At the heart of the Vieux Carre is Jackson Square, around which are located Saint Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo and Presbytere, former government buildings begun in the late 18th century. Diagonally across from one corner of the Square is Cafe' du Monde. Designed for the convenience of the teamsters bringing produce to the market, Cafe' du Monde quickly became a popular stop for people and in all conditions and dress. It is a regular stop for revelers in evening dress after a night on the town, a hangout for teenagers treating each other to coffee and doughnuts, a place for lovers to linger over cup after cup of coffee, and a site for tourists the world over to enhance their visit to New Orleans.

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Cafe' du Monde is best-known for its cafe'au lait (coffee with milk) and beignets (fresh, powdered-sugared doughnuts). While guests enjoy the food and a break, mule-drawn carriages pass by, with drivers relating historic fact tinged with amusing fiction to riders as they traverse the century-old buildings of the quarter. Street musicians add to the atmosphere and abound on street corners with open cases or upturned hats, playing for tips from appreciative patrons who marvel at their abilities.

Cafe' du Monde, the street musicians, and the mule-drawn carriages are well-known landmarks of the French Quarter of New Orleans, but so are those who visit. Long known for its unique and vivid cultural blend, the city is a major tourism center for the South.