A scene in Exchange Alley. This once thriving thoroughfare originally connected Canal Street with the St. Louis Exchange Hotel. Exchange Place, as it was then called, was lined with banks and shops. It formed one of the commercial centers of the Crescent City during the 19th century. The function of Exchange Place became obscured in the early part of this century when its route between Conti and St. Louis Streets was demolished to make way for the new Civil Court House fronting on Royal Street. In recent years Exchange Alley between Bienville and Conti Streets, at least, has enjoyed something of a comeback, with several restaurants, law offices, and art galleries opening their doors to the old walkway.

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