More about Les Fleurs Suite

The shutters were for Hurricane Isaac when this photo was taken.

The largest of the suites currently open is Les Fleurs Suite.  It was the first to be finished, and even after that we've been making additions to the decor.  As we visit antique stores and art galleries around New Orleans, we find new additions for La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.  Not just for the new suites, but also for those that we think are done.  When making a work of art, the work is never done.

Today we focus on the sitting room rather than the bedroom of Les Fleurs Suite.  Not that the bedroom doesn't deserve its own post, but we featured the flower bedecked bed enough with our last entry on these rooms.

We've added some prints to the sitting room:

Antique sofa and marble topped table

Les Fleurs Suite is located on the first floor, across from the dining room.  It has two rooms with a private bath.  The bathroom is just that, a place for full washing in an antique claw foot tub.  The sink is located, a-la-Europe, in the bedroom so that guests have complete privacy in the spacious water closet.

We picked up the table in Central City.  Get ready for a New Orleans geography lesson...

Central City is the neighborhood that lies uptown of Canal Street and the Superdome, roughly between Claiborne and St. Charles Avenues as far as Napoleon Avenue.  It is not in the center of the city, nor is it related to Mid-City, which is also not in the center of the city.  Tourists rarely visit Central City.  It is a relatively self-contained world serving the needs of its inhabitants.  It is a fascinating place, however, and was home to a thriving Jewish community and many jazz legends.  The Uptown Mardi Gras Indian Tribes are headquartered in Central City.

The table was on the sidewalk.  We knocked on the door and asked if the table was for sale.  The lady who answered the door said, "That table is for the trash man.  Take it if you want it.  I can't bear to look at it anymore."  On two motor scooters, we brought the table to its new home.

If you are sitting on the couch, this is what you will see in the opposite corner:

Pocket doors to the right, antique wardrobe to the left

Let's take a closer look at that wardrobe:

They don't make furniture like this any more

Les Fleurs Suite's front window (not pictured here) opens onto a front porch that faces Esplanade Avenue.  People stroll Esplanade Avenue all day long.  Some of them are locals, some of them are tourists, and some of them are both.  While sitting on the front porch, don't be surprised to see people stop to take a picture of the building.  Don't be surprised if tour buses or bicycle tours linger on the opposite side of the street.  

Sometimes, the tour guides are discussing Gayarre Park, which separates Esplanade Avenue from Bayou Road.  Other times, they are discussing the historical significance of the three stately manors in the middle of the 2200 block.  La Belle Esplanade is the rose between two magnolias.

I'm not really interested in writing a full post about the Les Fleurs Suite's bathroom.  Let's just post a photo and be done with it:

The water pressure promotes healthy skin and hair growth

2216 Esplanade Avenue is a manor built in the 1890s.  The building has undergone a number of renovations over the last century and more.  Your hosts think this incarnation is the best of all, honoring the past while moving into the bright future of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Every suite is equipped with its own refrigerator stocked with local soft drinks, beer, water and wine.  Each suite has a coffee maker to enjoy that first cup on a private porch or balcony.  The grounds are secure and locked off-street parking is available in the rear of the sumptuous gardens.  We also feature free wi-fi and cable TV.  Why anyone would want to watch TV while in New Orleans is beyond my idea of a vacation, but it is there if you want it.

If you are thinking about staying a New Orleans B&B, consider La Belle Esplanade.  The location is convenient and beautiful, as are the grounds.  

Bienvenue a l'Avenue d'Esplanade.

Sanctus, Sacre, Nola