New Orleans Square and Environs
Rising into view past the dense foliage of Adventureland
and dotting the waterfront of the Rivers of America, New Orleans Square is
three converging streets that wind in and out of rambling, ornate French-Quarter
Louisiana, sweeping stairs descending inside peek-a-boo courtyards hidden
between fine shops and eateries. From storefronts, jewels and crystal glimmer
temptingly as the roar of live jazz floats overhead through the crowds from
the many eateries or from the wandering band which is ever-present and never
fails to draw an audience.
From corners and courtyards, vendors offer wares. Portraits drawn in chalk;
landscapes painted; parasols to shield from the hot afternoon sun. A mime
will occasionally appear from the back archway, darting playfully between
the crowds. From high above, life streams from the wrought-ironed balconies
and behind the shuttered windows and doors: birds chirp, a frustrated painter
has yet to finish his masterpiece, a jazz musician practices, and a Voo-Doo
queen takes visitors.
As the night comes, the crowds dwindle, and the warm,
dim glow of many gas lights reflects the crowded streets across the river.
Now is the time to explore. Proceeding through the square, past the courtyards
and doorways, a narrow band or railroad track rises to the left, while ahead
the narrow walkway empties into a courtyard where a water fountain patiently
trickles.
Through the parted trees, ahead it looms: just a glimpse, of course, of white clapboard and green wrought iron. A crows-nest cupola tops its’ flat, wide roof, partially obscured by chimney tops rising from inside.
You have reached some forgotten corner of the park,
a low, tall fence of brick and stone rising around the sloping lawns of an
antebellum Mansion. The ornate gates are swung wide, and two bronze plaques
quietly announce your arrival:
