Compared to many of the world’s nations, the United States is still in its infancy. Many cities in the US were founded by European explorers and colonizers who put their unique cultural stamp on the flourishing cities they created. Be it a smattering of culinary delicacies and a slight linguistic quirk or the architecture of a whole section of the city, European influence in America is everywhere you look.
From Boston, the oldest city in the US, to the tiny town of Fredericksburg founded in 1846, here is our list of 11 ‘European’ cities in the United States.
1) New Orleans, Louisiana
Home to some of the most fascinating examples of French and Spanish colonial architecture in the US, New Orleans, or La Nouvelle-Orleans as it was once known, has a long and colorful history. Founded by the French, New Orleans was under Spanish rule in the 18th century. The Vieux Carre area of New Orleans is the oldest part of the city as most of its buildings were erected during French and Spanish rule and now house popular restaurants and cafes. The influx of European immigrants to New Orleans following the Second World War, particularly those from Ireland and Germany, helped to create the distinctive melting pot of New Orleans’ culture we see today.
