Like its French Quarter cousin, the Bywater area saw little damage from Hurricane Katrina. After plantations gave away to developments, early residents included Creoles, Free People of Color and Italians. History buffs will want to check out the historic marker at the intersection of Press and Royal, commemorating the site where Homer Plessy was forcefully removed from a railroad car in violation of Louisiana's Separate Car Act, leading to the landmark Plessy vs. Ferguson civil rights case. Bywater is a National Historic District and runs about 120 blocks, with numerous neighborhood restaurants, bars and corner groceries. Head here for the annual Fringe Festival, which showcases a variety of offbeat and sometimes off-color performances.