The Five O'Clock Grille offers BBQ on the corner of St. Louis and Bourbon. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)
A partygoer attempts to capture the view on Bourbon and Conti with his cell phone. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)
Katrina be darned. Crowds stretch from Toulouse to St. Peter on Bourbon. (AP Photo/Derrik J. Lang)
Derrik J. Lang reports on the crossing of Iberville and Bourbon.
The intersection of Bienville is a little more wild.
Lang on the music of Conti and Bourbon.
Below the balconies, religious protesters pass fliers to passers-by.
Toulouse is quieter than the other blocks.
Lang loses his way at St. Peter.
More protesters dominate the corner of Orleans and Bourbon.
Lang sees something he wasn't expecting at St. Ann.

It's perhaps the rowdiest street in America.

Lined with a legion of karaoke and daiquiri bars, restaurants and strip clubs, Bourbon Street is New Orleans' gluttonous and alcoholic axis. For eight blocks, the street is home to hard-drinking tourists looking to get into some trouble -- or just find some souvenirs or a bite to eat.

During Mardi Gras, the balconies above the bingeing (and sometimes purging) become beaded necklace dispensaries for anyone willing to scream or just show some flesh. But in a city known for its French injections, jazz and now its languishing levees, is this naughty passageway an important part of a reviving city?

asap drifted down the indulgence intersections of Bourbon from Iberville to St. Ann Streets to spot the nuances of this Disneyland for adults -- and to see which merchants were closed for business.

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IBERVILLE

The scene: At the beginning of the Bourbon Street stretch, the country western-themed Howl at the Moon dominates this block, blasting tunes like Big and Rich's "Ride a Cowboy" to passers-by. After a $5 cover, visitors can pony up another $5 to ride the saloon's mechanical bull. Across the street is the Mango Mango daiquiri bar, which blares Kelly Clarkson.

Closed for business: Storyville Jazz Parlor

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BIENVILLE

The scene: Visually, the Desire Oyster Bar -- with its famous neon sign -- dominates this intersection. But it's the balconies at strip clubs Larry Flynt's Hustler Club and The Frat House, where the latest "Girls Gone Wild" is apparently being filmed, that garner the most attention.

Closed for business: Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant, Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar

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CONTI

The scene: Just as crazy as Bienville, several people mingle and dance in the middle of this street. The Royal Sonesta Hotel, which encompasses the entire block, has two balconies that draw mucho interest from Bourbon Street dwellers. So does The Famous Door, a night club belting jazz and R&B while female patrons dance atop the bar.

Closed for business: Temptations Gentlemen's Club

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ST. LOUIS

The scene: The St. Louis block is flying high with the Bourbon Street Blues Company, Fat Catz Bar, Five O' Clock Grille and Bourbon Vieux. The most action is seen at Razzoo Bar and Patio, where revelers sing karaoke to packed spectators and lounge around a flaming fountain.

Closed for business: Seaport Cafe and Bar

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TOULOUSE

The scene: On the corner, long lines of revelers line up at the Tropical Isle for a hand grenade, a potent neon green concoction served in a plastic cup the shape of a grenade. Farther down Bourbon, the behemoth Pat O'Brien's Bar is packed with patrons sipping on the establishment's famous hurricane cocktails.

Closed for business: Dark Entry gothic clothing store

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ST. PETER

The scene: With songs such as Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" booming into the street, this crossing offers a mostly older crowd at the Maison Bourbon Jazz Club and the Krazy Korner -- although the massive Cat's Meow a few doors down is home to a diverse (but mostly bad) group of karaoke singers.

Closed for business: None

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ORLEANS

The scene: More subdued than the other blocks, the corner of Orleans and Bourbon is home to Johnny White's Sports Bar and Grill and another Tropical Isle, which offers multiple windows for Bourbon strollers looking to get their hand grenade fix. The Bourbon Orleans hotel is also located here.

Closed for business: None

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ST. ANN

The scene: At the end of the eight rowdy blocks of Bourbon lie two gay clubs, Oz and Bourbon Pub Parade. On one side, several men spill out into the intersection. On the other, women flash for beads above the Snooks sports bar. Visitors to this block can also find Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo, which sells candles, incense and other talismans.

Closed for business: Club 735

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asap reporter Derrik J. Lang is covering the sights, sounds and smells of Mardi Gras 2006.

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