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Bayou St. John Area Real Estate And Homes For Sale In New Orleans, LA

Browse Bayou St. John real estate listings, homes for sale, and local information with the local expertise and insight of RE/MAX Louisiana real estate agents.

Bayou St. John Community Snapshot

Bayou St. John Area Insight

  • Santi Adams
    Santi Adams
    RE/MAX N.O. Properties
    Ask Santi a question about Bayou St. John.
    Bayou St. John
    Bayou St. John Fun Facts
    On the north end of Mid-City is Bayou St. John, which was first used by Native American Chapitoulas and Choctaws, as a short route from Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River in the 1600's. After the Choctaw showed it to the French in the late 1600's, they used it as a shipping channel and renamed it Bayou St. John (the Indians called it Bayouk Choupic).

    Because of the difference in water level between the Bayou and the sea level, there was a portage, where Native Americans, traders, and trappers had to unload goods from the Bayou and transport them overland along a trail, into the city. This trail later became Grand Route St. John and Esplanade Avenue.

    Daniel Clark bought a huge portion of this area from plantation owners in 1804 and mapped out Faubourg St. John (present day Bayou St. John neighborhood). Up until the mid 1850's, there were not that many houses, due to poor drainage. In the 1860's the Rampart-Esplanade Railroad Line and the Esplanade Bayou Bridge Line had major impacts in the increased development of the area (these streetcars actually traveled across the Magnolia Bridge back then)!

    In the 1930's, many families with houseboats lived along the bayou, but neighbors started complaining about the unkempt appearance. In 1936, Congress ended navigational use on the bayou and WPA workers dredged and cleaned it up. Today, this neighborhood is full of historic houses, including colonial-style homes, cottages and bungalows. The Bayou is a community gathering spot used by dog walkers, canoers and kayakers and is the site of the annual fun-time Bayou Boogaloo Festival.
  • Ask a Local Expert a question about Bayou St. John.
    The Dufour Plassan House is located on N.White and Bell Streets in Bayou St. John and seemingly comes out of nowhere as you drive through the neighborhood. The home gets its name from two previous owners: Cyprien Dufour, a former state senator and district attorney, who built the home on Esplanade Avenue in 1870. It was moved to its current location in 1906 when it was purchased by Adolph Plassan.

    The home is an interesting mixture of architectural styles popular at the time and in the area. The first is the French Colonial Plantation style of the 18th century. The second is the Greek Revival Double Gallery style and Greek Revival Raised American Cottage, both popular in the mid-19th century.

    The elaborate iron work fence surrounding the Dufour Plassan house is what catches the eye of most passersby. It was created by Wood, Miltenberger & Co, Southern Ornamental Iron Works, an affiliate of Philadelphia company Wood & Perot. Decorated with cornstalks, sunflowers, and what appears to be a fruit cornucopia, this fence is a one of a kind creation. It would have been extremely expensive to commission at the time and would have been meant as a very visible display of the wealth of the property owner. This landmark home continues to be used as a private residence.
  • Ask a Local Expert a question about Bayou St. John.
    One of the things I love most about Bayou St. John is the small parks and green spaces sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. Alcee Fortier Park is the largest and best known, thanks to the massive taxi lines that stand alongside it at each Jazz Fest. This park, along with many of the other smaller green spaces throughout the neighborhood, is triangular. This is due to the irregular street patterns in the area.

    If one looks on a map, there is a noticeable change in the street patterns starting at Ursuline and Crete Streets. It leads up to the Grand Route St John and the beginning of the Fairgrounds neighborhood. These historic roads lead to or from Moss street; and the bayou to historic Bayou Road.Their importance is in transporting goods and services to New Orleans, located to the south, and formerly entirely separate from this sleepy Bayou community. The cone-like formation created by these streets comes to a point on Moss Street between Desoto and Grand Rte St John and is often referred to as the Esplanade Triangle.
  • Ask a Local Expert a question about Bayou St. John.
    The neighborhood of Bayou St. John is named after the body of water that defines its western boundary along Moss Street. Other bounding streets include Esplanade Avenue, N. Broad Street, and Lafitte Avenue, which runs along the new Lafitte Greenway. Bayou St. John is a lovely neighborhood with a laid back feel. Bayou St. John is full of great historic homes and landmarks, as well as the Bayou Boogaloo festival late each spring.
  • Rachael Kansas
    Rachael Kansas
    RE/MAX N.O. Properties
    Ask Rachael a question about Bayou St. John.
    Bayou St. John
    Esplanade Avenue
    Esplanade Avenue is a beautiful street that runs from Bayou St. John and the cemeteries all the way down to the French Quarter and the River. But closer to the bayou, Esplanade is the heart of the Bayou St. John neighborhood also referred to as Esplanade Ridge since the street literally is a high point for the area.

    There are beautiful live oak trees and fabulous restaurants to check out - like Lola's and Cafe Degas. Swirl Wine Bar, 1000 Figs, Santa Fe, CC's Coffee and Fair Grinds Coffee House are also great neighborhood spots. And with Jazz Fest at the Fairgrounds just a couple of blocks away this area is certainly hot each spring!

Featured Local Expert

Santi Adams
Santi Adams
RE/MAX N.O. Properties

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