The New Orleans Collection: French Quarter Building

Walking through the French Quarter during the daylight hours, during the week, when hardly anyone is out and about, is one of my favorite things to do. Many tourists love to come and experience the hustle and bustle and grit of Bourbon Street at night, but not I. And not many locals, for that. You can get a big feel for that listening to the podcast Beyond Bourbon Street, which I’m heavily affiliated with. The French Quarter is a neighborhood, a place of commerce, gathering, and fun. As a local and a real estate broker here, I enjoy it as just that; not as a place to gawk at or get drunk and throw up on the streets. That is why it's part of the New Orleans Collection. Read more about the French Quarter as a neighborhood, and peruse the gorgeous listings while you're at it.

Frequently, I get asked to do video tours for clients in my real estate company. They want to move to New Orleans and can’t be there physically to see apartments, and I volunteer to be their eyes and scout out different spots. This gives me the perfect opportunity to photograph different areas of the French Quarter, very much from a locals’ perspective. And very much with the calmness and gentleness of a true neighborhood.

The building I chose for The New Orleans Collection is a classic New Orleans building. It may be a private residence, it may be a business. I’m not sure and I didn’t look into it. The color of the shutters against the perfect color brick (because all brick color is not made the same) spoke to me. Being able to snap photos when there is so little traffic is a huge benefit of hitting the area when no one else is there. The only people you see are residents walking their dogs or watering their plants on their balconies (no support poles underneath) or galleries (support poles underneath). It’s a magical place during these times, even for the most cynical of New Orleans people.