The "American Quarter" Hoax: How an April Fools' Prank Fooled New Orleans

The Viral Fake Website That Had Locals in a Frenzy

The “American Quarter” Hoax

April 1st is always a day of mischief. This year, a prank went above and beyond. It convinced some New Orleanians that their beloved French Quarter had been renamed the “American Quarter.”

A cleverly designed website, AmericanQuarter.us, appeared online. It included an official-looking press release. The announcement stated that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry had issued Executive Order 25-504. It declared a “new chapter for Louisiana.” The hoax claimed that all French street names in the French Quarter would be replaced with “American-centric alternatives,” and it even invited the public to submit suggestions.

“Too long the French Quarter, one of the great American tourist destinations, has been referred to as French when it is in fact fully American in character,” the site stated.

The prank was conceived by Blake Haney, who is the founder of local clothing brand Dirty Coast. He worked with his team to create the site in just five hours. They secured the domain. They designed a red, white, and blue logo featuring a silhouette of Andrew Jackson. They also used AI to generate a spokesperson for a convincing press video.

“We will be changing all French street names to American names over the coming months.”

To add an extra layer of authenticity, Haney carefully selected an AI voice. He described it as “the closest thing to an older gentleman, oil company lobbyist voice.” The video, along with links to the actual Louisiana government website, made the prank even more believable.

As the site gained traction on Reddit and social media, the responses ranged from amusement to outrage. Some took to the suggestion box to propose tongue-in-cheek name changes. One person suggested renaming Toulouse Street to “Footloose Street.” Another proposed changing Chartres Street to “How Is This Worse Than Bobby Jindal Boulevard.”

Not everyone was laughing, though. Cybersecurity experts warned that such pranks highlight the dangers of misinformation and phishing scams.

“People need to be especially cautious when engaging with websites that request personal information,” said cybersecurity analyst Jordan Reynolds. “A well-designed hoax like this may seem harmless, but giving away an email address can expose users to scams, spam, or even identity theft.”

Many social media users debated whether the announcement was real. One Redditor remarked, “The sad part is that it’s hard to tell these days.” Another chimed in, “You had me for a minute. Scary that something this stupid is entirely plausible these days.”

To cap off the joke, Dirty Coast released a response video. They even launched a limited-edition T-shirt reading “Freedom to French.” It features an X over the American Quarter logo. The suggestion box on the site collected over 400 submissions—many of them just rants about Governor Landry.

Some worry that the prank will spark real discussions about changing the French Quarter’s identity. Haney sees it as a win. “I’d say it was a smashing success as an April Fool’s joke,” he said. “Now we have to figure out how we can one-up this thing next year. I have to actually spend money.”

For now, New Orleans’ beloved French Quarter remains untouched, steeped in its rich French, Spanish, and Creole history. But this prank serves as a reminder: always fact-check before believing or sharing news online.

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