UNO Documentary: The Faubourg Marigny

What: The Faubourg Marigny, its history, and its impact on New Orleans

Film By: UNO student and documentarian Yamato O’Connell

Editor’s Note: NolaVie partners with students of UNO professor László Zsolt Fülöp, pairing them with artists, non-profits, environmental groups, and cultural entities to facilitate a live curriculum, that results in a short documentary. Filmmaker Yamato O’Connell explores the Fauborg Marigny in this short film. The documentary covers the history of the Faubourg Marigny and its place as an iconic area in New Orleans. 

[Read the full transcript of the documentary below]

[Full transcript of the film]

The City of New Orleans was founded starting with the creation of the French Quarter which grew into the area known today as the Faubourg Marigny.

The Marigny got its name from Bernard Marigny de Mandeville, a wealthy plantation owner who owned land downriver from Esplanade Avenue.

By 1805 the city had officially become part of the United States and saw a number of immigrants flooding in from both France and Haiti as well as Spain and other colonies.

Bernard Marigny realized that subdividing his Plantation would be far more profitable than farming it. He began by extending the streets of the French Quarter to create the boundaries of the neighborhood. These boundaries include Esplanade Avenue on the west side, Saint Claude Avenue on the north side, Franklin Avenue on the East, and the Mississippi River on the south side. 

The area is divided by a main Boulevard known as Elysian Fields Avenue. Many of the residents owned or operated businesses in the French Quarter while living downriver in the Marigny.

The post-war housing boom also made the area more affordable to Black veterans. Due to the construction of a municipal sewer system, the wealthier residents left the Marigny and moved to areas where they could install indoor plumbing, leaving behind their houses which would become rental properties.

The Faubourg Marigny is still considered to be one of the more affordable neighborhoods today and maintains its character while still being home to many restaurants, clubs, and b&bs.