Stay Off My Neutral Ground

In New Orleans, we love our quirks. From our streets that follow the curve of the river to our food, New Orleans is one of a kind. Perhaps my favorite is our use of the term “neutral ground.”

Originally, only the median dividing Canal Street was dubbed a “neutral ground” because it safely separated the original French Quarter residents from the American newcomers. At one point, a line of tall trees on the neutral ground ensured eye contact wouldn’t be made.

Since then, the trees have come down but the term has remained; a little neutral ground never hurt anyone.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy