734 Royal St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
29.9586110,-90.0642067
I can remember in the mid 1990’s, my cousin and I made a trip to New Orleans. As teenagers we just wanted some alcohol and maybe be lucky enough to spot a breast by glancing in one of the gentlemen club’s doors. Fortunately, my cousin was not carded that evening so we walked around the French Quarters with our alcoholic drinks like we were hot stuff. We decided to go on one of the many “Haunted New Orleans” tours that were being offered. We were both fascinated with haunted history and figured this was the only way we could get a somewhat realistic account of some of the gruesome events that took place in the city. We paid our fourteen dollars and were greeted by an overweight version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula who talked with a lisp, as he couldn’t quite speak correctly due to his prosthetic fangs. Still, we were excited to get what we thought was an insider’s look at the city. To this day, I will never forget the very first place we stopped by; a small little tea shop with a tragic story of devotion.
As plentiful as breasts and alcohol are in the French Quarter, so are fortune tellers. Especially in Jackson Square, it is impossible to walk ten feet without bumping into an individual with a folding table, a crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards, waiting to read your future. Occasionally, you may even run into one or two with a large poster board, containing some faded magazine articles that they were featured in from the 1980’s in a pathetic attempt to validate their authenticity. Sadly, like many of the breasts, most of the fortune tellers are equally as fake! I’ve always recommend that you quickly bypass these folks and if you are looking for a little more legitimate psychic reading, you might want to try some of the reputable shops in the area.
