Historic LaSalle Street Corridor
As a business and entertainment center, Historic LaSalle Street between Washington and Louisiana Avenues in Central City New Orleans was a gathering place for many renowned African-American entrepreneurs, musicians, and political and social activists in the 1940s and 1950s. The Dew Drop Inn, one of the corridor’s focal points, was a premiere music venue that hosted top African-American musicians from around the country. It welcomed both African-American and white patrons, despite social norms and city-wide segregation ordinances. In recognition of its significance, the City of New Orleans designated the Dew Drop Inn a historic landmark in 2010.
The Historic LaSalle Street Corridor is on the verge of a renaissance. This once vital hub of commercial and cultural activity has suffered from decades of population loss and disinvestment. Recently, public, private and philanthropic investments have poured into the area, and the population is growing. The New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative (NONDC) is working with legacy owners of former businesses along the corridor to engage in a community-driven revitalization project. When completed, the Historic LaSalle Street Corridor Project will provide access to neighborhood-based goods and services and opportunities for economic inclusion,and will contribute to a sustainable, livable neighborhood in Central City New Orleans.
For more information on the Dew Drop Inn, visit The South’s Swankiest Night Spot: The Legend of the Dew Drop Inn or dewdropinnnola.com.
Keep up to date on plans for the corridor by liking the Historic LaSalle Street Corridor Facebook Page. You can also follow on Twitter @LaSalleStNOLA.
