Archive for the ‘New York City’ Category
In which The Gay Recluse goes to Broadway. Ohai, so did anyone else see these crazy new storefronts in Washington Heights, on Broadway between 160 and 161? (We didn’t think so.) They went in a few weeks ago — during the middle of the night — and there’s still no signage or anything else to […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Dissonance, Dream, Fashion, New York City, Retail, Washington Heights | 9 Comments
Tags: Broadway, Brothels, Costume Jewelry, Installations, Questions, Storefronts, Uptown
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Sometimes we think about what Manhattan looked like 500 years ago. When it was covered with trees and rivers and lakes. In some ways it was probably a lot more beautiful, or at least unspoiled. It was hard to get a taxi […]
Filed under: Architecture, GWB Project, Infrastructure, Landscape, Memory, New York City | Leave a Comment
Tags: Boats, Manhattan, Shorelines, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse wonders when the fog will burn off. Lately it seems that every morning we wake up in a fog. And we feel sort of hopeless, because even though logic dictates otherwise, we wonder if this will be the day that the fog is permanent. And we’ll never see the sky […]
Filed under: Architecture, Gay, Government, GWB Project, History, New York City, Nostalgia | Leave a Comment
Tags: 401(k), Depression, Fog, Recession, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with birds. For a while after college, we worked watering plants in corporate office buildings in downtown Manhattan. We worked in law firms, investment banks and other companies who generally could be said to rule the world. It was poisonous work to the extent that we were […]
Filed under: Animals, Capitalism, Communism, Government, GWB Project, Infrastructure, Memory, New York City | 2 Comments
Tags: $85 Billion, AIG, Bailouts, Corporate Welfare, Greed, Plant Watering, Rich Assholes
In which The Gay Recluse exalts in the ruins of a scalloped pediment and self-referentially quotes an earlier post. This is where John McCain will be staying when he comes to Washington Heights next week. Lol. In Washington Heights we live among extremes of material decadence and breathtaking neglect, apparent in the crumbling cornices of […]
Filed under: Architecture, Decay, Infrastructure, Landscape, New York City, Ruins, Search, Sickness, The Gay Recluse | Leave a Comment
Tags: Dormers, John McCain, Pediments, Scalloped Pediments, Scallops, Windows
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Step 1. The radar’s kickin. Step 2. New Jersey goes insane. Step 3. The bridge is serene. I, too, have an obsession with the George Washington Bridge. However, mine involves a nagging compulsion to complete a football pass from the deck of […]
Filed under: Architecture, GWB Project, New York City, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: Green Sky, Insane, The George Washington Bridge, Tornado Watch
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Actually, this was yesterday. (We were so much younger then, we’re older than that now.) I, too, have an obsession with the George Washington Bridge. However, mine involves a nagging compulsion to complete a football pass from the deck of the bridge […]
Filed under: Addiction, Architecture, Bad Rock, Good Rock, GWB Project, Infrastructure, Memory, New York City, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: August, Football, Reverse Bob Dylan, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Clear skies. (Are the Olympics over yet?) I too had an obsession with the GWB when I lived in the Heights in the ’80s. Mine was doing as much cruising as possible under that majestic bridge. The “little red lighthouse” was used […]
Filed under: Architecture, GWB Project, New York City, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: August, Clear Skies, Olympics, The George Washington Bridge, The Little Red Lighthouse
In which Dante and Zephyr take over The Gay Recluse. Empty shell + stray kitten = daily heartache. Friends, not every cat is a lolcat…
Filed under: Animals, Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Longing, New York City, Not Every Cat a Lolcat, Pessimism, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 6 Comments
Tags: Cats, Heartaches, Kittens, Lolcats, Strays
In which The Gay Recluse dreams of the desert. This year one of our cactus bloomed for the first time. Apparently it’s very happy! We admire it, even though it makes us wish that we lived in the desert, far away from everything we hate.
Filed under: Gay, GWB Project, Longing, New York City, The Summer Garden | Leave a Comment
Tags: Blooms, Cactus, Deserts, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse says great, wtf. We’ve written before about the vacant house next door, which we’ve been complaining about for close to umm, 10 years. But finally last spring it was declared unsafe, which may mean 1) the city is going to knock it down, or 2) some developer bought it and […]
Filed under: Architecture, Government, New York City, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 1 Comment
Tags: Columnar Pin Oaks, Department of Buildings, Geniuses, Scaffolding, Stoops
In which The Gay Recluse holds a contest. Sort of. We’ve been lazy about posting hot gay statues, but it’s time to take care of some local favorites that have been languishing in the submission box. Reader CBNY, who possesses one of the greatest photo collections of hot gay statues in the world, sent these […]
Filed under: Architecture, Hot Gay Statues, Infrastructure, New York City, The Gay Recluse | 3 Comments
Tags: Book Deals, Grand Central Terminal, Hot Gay Statues, Intellectuals, Lady Statues, Last Laughs, Mercury, Park Avenue, Writers
In which The Gay Recluse rather quickly dies of lung cancer. It’s bad enough when the smoke is spewing across rooftops in the distance, but it’s quite another thing when it’s blowing right through your living room window. When is the city going to get serious about inspecting these shitty boilers? Plus it’s getting worse, […]
Filed under: Government, GWB Project, New York City, Politicians, Sickness, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: 38 Fort Washington Avenue, Asthma, Boilers, Health, Lung Cancer, Rooftops
On the Imminent Death of Flies
In which The Gay Recluse introduces the pitcher plants. This is the first year for our new pitcher plants (Sarracenia). Flies, we have one message for you: beware! The pitcher plant will eat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And dessert, too.
Filed under: Conspiracy, New York City, Pessimism, The Gay Recluse, The Spring Garden, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Flies, Meals, Pitcher plants, Sarracenia
On a Sudden Yet Completely Explicable Desire To Tell the Central Park Conservancy To Shut Up
In which The Gay Recluse asks The Central Park Conservancy to rethink its mailing-list purchases. So a few days ago we received a personal note from Douglas Blonsky, President, Central Park Conservancy and Central Park Administrator. Here it is, with our favorite excerpts! Dear Matthew: I imagine you treasure Central Park for the oasis that […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Dissonance, Drivel, New York City, Resignation, Ruins, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 4 Comments
Tags: Central Park Conservancy, Douglas Blonsky, Fundraising
In which The Gay Recluse goes to the museum. Consider the old panels on the subway platform wall, and observe the finely wrought precision with which each strip of peeling paint has by the hands of time been distressed in the subtlest shades of gold and silver, all displayed in a collage with the glue […]
Filed under: Architecture, Decay, New York City, Subway, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 3 Comments
Tags: Art, Masterpieces, MTA, Museums, Subway
On Gay Modern Love: My Father’s Nostalgia for the Past Blinds Him to the Reality of the Present
In which The Gay Recluse presents a gay alternative to this week’s Modern Love offering in The Times. Those looking for our quantitative analysis should click here. I grew up without my “real” — by which I mean biological — father, who lived in New York City. One summer I made the mistake of mentioning […]
Filed under: Gay, Longing, Memory, New York City, Nostalgia, The Gay Recluse, The Times | Leave a Comment
Tags: Gay Modern Love, Gay Sons, Modern Love, Oblivious Fathers, The New York Times, Tim Elhajj
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with MHCs (“manhole covers”). Location: Broadway and 161st, Washington Heights This pattern would look great anywhere, but mostly in the hospitals and office buildings. Whenever anyone asks me for something to put into a time capsule, I tell them not to bother. The manhole covers will last […]
Filed under: Capitalism, City Pattern Project, Communism, Infrastructure, New York City, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Andy Warhol, Hospitals, Manhole Covers, Office Buildings, Time Capsules
In which The Gay Recluse finds a silver lining. We’ve already written about our bad karma at the 34th Street Station, which is filled with ungainly chrome columns and awkward ramps. But just the other day, we noticed an infinite wall of gold tile. We’re not sure why it took us two years to find. […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, City Pattern Project, Communism, Dissonance, Gentrification, New York City, Subway, The Gay Recluse | 2 Comments
Tags: 34th Street, Berlin, Chrome Columns, D-Train, Karma, MTA, Ramps
The Gay Recluse 