Our streets tells a story

Tied directly to history, some street names appear in French on signs in the French Quarter, with the street’s Spanish title immortalized in ceramic tile on the sides of buildings on corners (Calle del Maine, Calle del Arsenal). Streets named for saints (St. Ann and St. Peter) often parallel avenues honoring French royals (Conti), a class not particularly known for its moral high ground. Street names change bewilderingly, adopting a slew of new monikers across diving lines like Canal Street, over parish lines and when the river’s dramatic crescent scrambles the map. Below, a few streets worth a stroll.