Bound by the might Mississippi, Felicity, Thalia, and the smallest sliver of Claiborne sits the First Ward. The small, triangular section encompasses a roughly five mile radius spanning parts of Central City and the Lower Garden District. Though first in name, the First Ward is certainly not the oldest of the seventeen wards that stand today. Rather, its boundaries were formally drawn in 1852 in an attempt to reunify three separate municipalities. How they were first divided then brought back together is a story in itself — one of conflict that cuts far deeper than area boundaries and urban planning.
Our present day wards fan out from the First Ward headed towards the largest ward, the Ninth Ward, then jump to the neighboring ward Uptown from the first, crisscrossing to the West Bank from fourteen to fifteen to sixteen. It's a little confusing, but we've got a map of the wards after the jump to help set things straight. So, what notable landmarks are in the First Ward of New Orleans?
Despite its size, the First Ward encompasses a whole lot of green space. Both Annunication Square and a majority of Coliseum Square, pictured below, call the First Ward home. The gallery, theatre, and wonderful venue Zeitgeist as well as Ashe Cultural Center are in the First Ward, as are Avenue Pub and Casa Borrega. There's a whole lot of amenities, cultural touchstones, and parks to explore.
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