Extending twelve blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue , Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars and strip clubs. With He founded New Orleans in In , the royal engineer Adrien de Pauger designed the city's street layout. He named the streets after French royal houses and Catholic saints. The Great New Orleans Fire of destroyed 80 percent of the city's buildings. The Spanish rebuilt many of the damaged structures, which are still standing today, so that Bourbon Street and the French Quarter display more Spanish than French influence.
Following a brief restoration of French rule, the United States gained control of the colony with the Louisiana Purchase. During the 19th century, New Orleans was similar to other Southern cities in that its economy was based on selling cash crops , such as sugar and tobacco. By , newcomers whose wealth came from these enterprises turned New Orleans into the third largest metropolis in the country. The main difference between New Orleans and other Southern cities was its unique cultural heritage from having been a French and Spanish possession.
Promoters emphasized this cultural legacy, in the form of its architecture, cuisine and traditions, to attract tourists to New Orleans. The French Quarter was central to this image of cultural legacy and became the best-known part of the city.
Recent arrivals in New Orleans criticized the perceived loose morals of the Creoles , a perception that drew many travelers to New Orleans to drink, gamble and visit the city's brothels , beginning in the s. Bourbon Street was a desirable residential area before about The area became known for prostitution, gambling and vaudeville acts.
This was also the era when some of New Orleans' most famous restaurants were founded. Galatoire's, at Bourbon Street [ 11 ] was established by Jean Galatoire in Known for years by its characteristic line snaking down Bourbon Street, patrons waited for hours just to get a table, especially on Fridays. While there was an interest in historic districts at the time, developers pressured to modernize the city. After the war, Bourbon Street became the new Storyville in terms of reputation.
