Faubourg St. John

Faubourg St. John, is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, located just north of Broad Street at the intersection of Orleans Avenue. Faubourg St. John is approximately 75 city blocks in area and has an average elevation of about one foot above sea level. It was built along what is known as the Esplanade Ridge. The Esplanade Ridge Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

More than 4,000 residents call Faubourg St. John (originally Faubourg Saint-Jean) home. The word faubourg is French for neighborhood or suburb.

Faubourg St. John is known for its abundant parks, architecturally-significant homes, museums, the Bayou St. John waterway, and restaurants and shops along Ponce de Leon and Broad Streets.

The area near the end of the navigable section of Bayou St. John was long a Native American trade route. Some French trappers and traders settled with the Native Americans by the end of the 17th century. In 1708, the community of Port Bayou Saint-Jean was established here. The town predated the official founding of New Orleans, but it was not incorporated into the city boundaries until the start of the 19th century.

A 1730 account notes Mardi Gras celebrations here. In 1794 the Carondelet Canal provided a navigable water link from the neighborhood to the city at the French Quarter.

A visitor at the start of the 19th century noted the neighborhood "has charming dance halls, cafes, and billiard parlors. The pleasures procured there by the young folks attract many people."

In 1852 the "Union Race Course" was laid out, later known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, it has long been a noted home to horse racing and other events. Since 1972 the Fair Grounds has been the venue for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Cabrini High School is a girls' Catholic school located in Faubourg St. John which offers grades 8-12 and was founded in 1905 by Mother Francesca Cabrini.

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