Jackson Square

French Quarter
New Orleans, LA

Contributed by Project for Public Spaces

This lively and heavily trafficked park in the French Quarter is a popular site for artists, street performers and musicians who entertain tourists and locals.

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03/05/02 Lee Tucker said:

Jackson Square is the heart of the French Quarter and as such is part of one of America's most endangered national historic sites because of over comercialization as noted for years by the Nationl Trust for Historic Preservation. The city also studied the problem in 1994 but have yet to take any action to correct the problem. To the contrary, they have taken action that has worsened the quality of life. For example, the city council raised the maximum allowable decibel level from 70db (the citywide maximumn for residential zones)to 80db equivilant to an industrial zone to accommidate street performers over the objections of the surrounding neighbors. If you have had similar problems that you have solved,please pass along the info. Lee Tucker, President of Friends of Jackson Square.

01/06/03 Brad Ott said:

Jackson Square has been a great place. Recognizing that the pedestrian plaza surrounding the old square has fallen into disrepair, the New Orleans City Council approved of a restoration project in late 2001. According to the project's architect, Cashio Cochran: "The primary goal...is to return Jackson Square to its 1970s renovated state of function and aesthetics." Essentially, repair and replace cracked and broken flagstone and bollards at the plaza's entrances. Also, simply repaint and repair the plaza's much used and loved benches.

Almost immediately after the permits were secured to start the work, newly elected council member Jacquelyn Clarkson ordered removal of the Pedestrian plaza's mall benches, and pledged that their removal was permanent "for a lot of reasons." Due to an incredible outpouring of public protest, she and other city officials had to back track and pledge that they would return the benches after the flagstone repairs were completed; and the St. Louis Cathedral renovations were completed. EVERYTHING must be finished by December 2003 -- the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase (inside the adjacent Cabildo).

A citizens' group, BRING BACK THE BENCHES was formed to bring back the original benches of the Jackson Square Pedestrian Plaza. Officials now say they will return -- but with metal dividers! Four per side, they would permit only three people to sit (spacing between them is 24 and 7/8 inches). Further, as noted by discussion at the 12/10/02 Architecture Committee meeting of the Vieux Carre Commission, their division will also preclude the ability to turn around and socialize with neighbors on the attached and adjoining benches. Their recommendation was to simply have ONE divider per bench, located in the middle of each, in line with the leg supports so that the visual effect continues. The full VCC voted however unanimously 12/17/02 to ignore their Architecture Committee recommendation and to keep the four dividers on each side (it should be further noted that this hearing would not have even happened except for the discovery that the metal dividers were installed without the required VCC prior approval. In the war against "vagrants" and "undesirables" (quotes theirs), public laws and transparency doesn't matter.

The project and the square, because it has been hijacked by forces seeking to make it a private courtyard, should be nominated to PPS's "Hall of Shame".

06/18/03 Lee Tucker said:

Jackson Square is a fenced one block square park surrounded by a pedestrian mall and the most historically important buildings in New Orleans. It is the heart of the French Quarter and focal point of that historic neighborhood and the primary destination of the city's 18+ million visitors annually. Councilperson Jacquelyn Clarkson who was recently re-elected to represent the district that includes the French Quarter is open to all public input and has made balanced decisions about Jackson Square based on the greatest public good. The overwhelming majority of the neighborhood and the city council applaud the two recent changes to Jackson Square. 1. Restoration and improvements to the infrastructure which included the addition of armrest to the benches. I have observed the use of the benches with armrest and see no evidence that they restrict conversations with others on either side of the bench. The seating space is large enough for people of all sizes. The only thing that they do not accommodate is lying down. However, only a few feet away inside the park there benches with no restrictive dividers so anyone can choose for themselves. 2. In an effort to preserve the historic European ambiance of the square, all the city council members recently authored an ordinance to insure the viability of the traditional, established Jackson Square artist colony's use of the area adjacent to the outside of the fence without interference. It will not interfere with the muscats and other street performers that have regularly performed for the last 12 years in the middle of the Chartres Street side of the square. It is balanced management of a high demand area. It should be nominated for the "Hall of Fame." The Hall of Shame should feature the few who ignore the considered decisions of the neighborhood, community, and elected representatives.

05/21/03 Professor Purple said:

There are few places as free and wonderful as Jackson Square in New Orleans. It's a mixture of history, culture, music, people (rich and poor), mystery and romance. There are few nicer places in the world to sit, relax, and enjoy a pristine inner park, maintained through the hard work and dedication of both public and private patrons. The outer part of the park is truly one of the freest places on the planet. Only in Barcelona, Spain, San Francisco, United States, and Rome, Italy can you find such a vibrant and diverse community within such a small public place. Each of the four blocks that make up Jackson Square are special and unique.
Artists (folk, representational, portrait, expressionist, impressionist, and "tourist-oriented" hacks),
Musicians (country, jazz, acid jazz, dixieland, rock-a-billy, gospel, and very occasionally RAP),
Entertainers (jugglers, magicians, commedians, tarot and palm readers, bone readers),
Spiritually Religious (Roman Catholics, Hari Krishna, Pagans, fundamentalist Christians, mediums, spiritualists, Voodou pratitioners),
Civil Servants (park maintenance, security guards, museum employees, police, code enforcers),
Vendors (Lucky Dog salespeople, ice cream/soft drink salespeople, flower cart woman, newspaper salespeople, and shoe shine men), and
Shops (a hat shop, a kite shop, three mediocre restaurants, one outstanding dining restaurant, a show shop, a toy store, an cheap print/art store, womens' accessories stores, a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Parlor, and a yuppie Jewish oriented knick-knack shop),
tour guides (Literary Tours, Haunted History Tours, Ghost Tours, independent citizens of New Orleans showing visitors around, Mule & Buggy drivers), writers (poets, journalists, travel writers, novelists), and
Muggle Smokers (people using chemicals and other natural and man-made products like alcohol, marijuana, LSD [acid], exstacy, and tobaco to enhance the already-amazing experenience found everywhere on the blocks of St. Ann, Rue Chartres, St. Peter, and Decatur that make up the place known as Jackson Square),
political propaganda ("The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved," a statue of President Andrew, Plaques commemorating the Works Progress Administration which renovated the Pontalba apartment buildings that flank the square, the Cabilido Museum which celebrates the Louisiana Purchase [land grab], Napolean's death mask, etc), and finally
the tourist sham (Cafe DuMonde - one of the few tourist traps in the United States where a clump of greasy fried fat covered in sugar attracts almost everyone who comes to the city. No matter how hard, dry or overcooked it is, people keep recommending it).
Although all who have posted have done an injustice to greatness that IS Jackson Square, because to properly describe it would take a full-size book. Finally, in spite of years of creeping toward gentrification, recent ordinances passed by the city council of New Orleans limiting the freedoms on Jackson Square have utterly backfired. A once-popular council-woman is running away in defeat. Having declared, "We have removed the benches and the undesirables who sit on them, the benches shall never return," she has had to eat crow. The benches and their freedom-loving inhabitants have returned. Upon the next election, Ms. Clarkson shall not return. The freedom-loving people of the city rose up against oppression and crushed it. Over 5 times in the last 15 years, the Federal Courts have ruled in favor of the free, open public space on Jackson Square. It can only be hoped that gentrifiers will move on to someplace else.
Jackson Square is a living, breathing place, full of life, vibrancy, and freedom. Some seek to turn back the clock to some halcyon time that NEVER existed. We must fight against turning Jackson Square into a Venice, Italy. Venice is a beautiful city, but its tourist areas are DEAD of current culture, because they're trapped in celebrating the PAST.
New Orleans, but especially the public space of Jackson Square is ALIVE, because it preserves and celebrates the past, WHILE continuing to thrive and grow and create NEW traditions that will be the history celebrated hundreds of years from now. Those who support Great FREE Public Spaces must unite to keep Jackson Square free of the fossilizers and gentrifiers.

12/10/03 JK Schwehm said:

Jackson Square is a favorite spot to do weddings in New Orleans. The New Orleans Parkway and Parks Commission must be contacted for permission. New Orleans Parks and Parkways, 2829 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122. 504-286-2100 More information can be found on the web at Jackson Square Wedding.