Buildings crowd each other and the narrow streets.
Cool, inviting courtyards can be glimpsed down narrow alleys or carriageways, and the smells of shrimp remoulades and seafood gumbos waft from hidden kitchens. Cathedral bells, jazz trumpets, and ship horns serenade residents and visitors. The Quarter is the heart and soul of modern New Orleans and serves as a continuous reminder of the city s Creole, colonial past. The History of Settlement in Louisiana 2. Aerial view of a typical block 4.