Archive for the ‘Washington Heights’ Category
In which The Gay Recluse lives in the past. Our favorite part of Thanksgiving this year was not the food, but the table,* particularly after it was set and waited patiently in the late afternoon sun. Accompanied by the cats, we spent quite a few minutes quietly circling the table, observing the way the light […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Food, GWB Project, History, Memory, New York City, Nostalgia, Washington Heights, Weather | 1 Comment
Tags: Bygones, Community Plate, Grosvenor, Table Service, Thanksgiving
In which The Gay Recluse remembers an old obsession with the color red. Years ago, we went through a phase when we wore only red shirts. But here’s the thing: you couldn’t find any good ones that were new, so we were required to scour used-clothing shops all over the country in a mostly vain […]
Filed under: Architecture, Gay, Health, Longing, Memory, New York City, Obsession, Ruins, Washington Heights | 1 Comment
Tags: Art Nouveau, Doorways, Flannel, Red, Seattle, Shirts, Tours, Vintage Clothing Shoes, Wrought Iron
In which The Gay Recluse covers the teen beat. We first noticed this trend at the beginning of the summer, when we were walking past a group of kids — including some girls, which was extra cool! — on Fort Washington Avenue, all of whom were messing around with skateboards. Then we noticed a regular […]
Filed under: Architecture, Athletes, Memory, New York City, Photography, Stereotypes, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Baseball, Ghettos, Skateboard, Surfing, Teen Beat, Teenagers, The George Washington Bridge, Trends
In which The Gay Recluse rather quickly dies of lung disease. Although there are countless slumlords offenders in Washington Heights, this building is one of the worst. We’ve written about this building before — and for a while it seemed to get better — but now that it’s getting cold, the smoke is getting worse, […]
Filed under: Capitalism, Health, New York City, Washington Heights | 2 Comments
Tags: 311, 672 West 162nd Street, Asthma, Boilers, Cheap Oil, Department of Environmental Protection, Pollution, Slumlords
In which The Gay Recluse loves The Manhattan Times. Hey, so The Manhattan Times wrote a charming (if we say so) piece on The Metropolis Case. If you’ve never read the uptown weekly, you’re missing out (and really, we’re not just saying that!). In this week’s issue alone, there are excellent articles about Andy Linares […]
Filed under: Animals, Literature, The Gay Recluse, The Russian Blue, Washington Heights, Writers-American, Writers-French | 4 Comments
Tags: Beatrice, Book Deals, Novels, The Manhattan Times, The Metropolis Case, Uptown
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with birds. Some mornings the pigeons arrive en masse and circle the rooftops over Washington Heights. One minute the sky will be blank, and the next it will be filled with birds — somehow they move as a single entity — careening like a speed boat on […]
Filed under: Animals, Architecture, GWB Project, Landscape, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Flocks, November, Pigeons, The George Washington Bridge
In which a painter is also obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. So on Saturday when we were walking around in the rain, we were kinda shocked to stumble upon this rather swank gallery on Riverside Drive and 181st Street in Washington Heights. We knocked on the door and they let us in, even though […]
Filed under: Capitalism, GWB Project, Obsession, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: Art Openings, Bennett Vadnais, George Washington Bridge, K.B. Gallery
In which The Gay Recluse cooks. Yesterday we went for a walk in the rain, in part because we wanted to check out what was happening uptown, and in part because none of the grocery stores around us carry the curly parsley that we needed for the lentil soup we planned to make. We’ve been […]
Filed under: City Pattern Project, Dissonance, Food, Gay, Health, Landscape, Longing, Memory, Nostalgia, Photography, Pleasure, Science, Search, The Autumn Garden, Washington Heights, Weather | 4 Comments
Tags: Cultural Revolution, Enbalmed Bread, Health Food, Lentil Soup, Recipes, Sugar Cereals, Uncle Jimmy
In which The Gay Recluse gets an answer. Hey, remember those awesome art-installation storefronts in Washington Heights? Our friends at Uptown Flavor just wrote to tell us that they’re part of an initiative sponsored by the West Harlem Art Fund.
Filed under: Architecture, Landscape, Retail, Washington Heights | 1 Comment
Tags: Storefronts, Uptown Flavor, WaHi, West Harlem Art Fund
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 takes a drive. Yesterday we were in Dupont Circle, and today we were in Northern Westchester, where we like to go each year to 1) pick up mulch for the garden, 2) pig out on fresh donuts and hot cider, and 3) buy apples. There have been times in the […]
Filed under: Capitalism, Longing, Search, The Autumn Garden, Washington Heights, Weather | 2 Comments
Tags: Cheesecake Factory, Cider, Donuts, Drives, Leaves, Moving, Mulch, Westchester
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Today we had to get up early — we’re flying to Washington, DC. We’re attending a joint session of U.S. Congress on the issue of reducing gay stereotypes in Hollywood films and teevee shows. (Ha ha — we wish — we’re actually […]
Filed under: Architecture, Government, GWB Project, Stereotypes, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Conferences, Mornings, The George Washington Bridge, The Law, Washington DC
In which The Gay Recluse walks through the mist of a Sunday morning. Saturday nights can be particularly trying in Washington Heights. Especially now that it’s getting cool out, and you want to keep the windows open. But somehow a cool breeze at one in the morning just isn’t the same when it brings with […]
Filed under: Architecture, Capitalism, Communism, Conspiracy, Decay, Dissonance, History, Landscape, Pessimism, Resignation, Ruins, Search, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | 1 Comment
Tags: Cars, Columnar Pin Oaks, Day, Facades, Night, Noise, Stereos, Streets, Townhouses
In which The Gay Recluse considers a Palin administration and shudders. One difference between George W. Bush (and McCain) and Sarah Palin is that Palin is genuine to a degree Bush or McCain is/was not. Watching Bush (as much as we prefer not to) we get the sense that he — a Connecticut blue blood […]
Filed under: Addiction, Capitalism, City Pattern Project, Government, History, Memory, Pessimism, Politicians, Ruins, Washington Heights | 5 Comments
Tags: Demagogues, Sarah Palin, Thugs
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Wake us up when it’s over.
Filed under: Architecture, GWB Project, Health, Longing, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: Bleak, Fog, Rain, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse wears his landlord hat. Hey! Dreaming of renting a room in Washington Heights? Brownstone life? Expansive closets? Acres of sparse, wooden floors? Views of the George Washington Birch Project? Then get in touch! (Unless you have huge fish tanks or big blue couches from the 1980s.) (Edit: if the above […]
Filed under: Capitalism, GWB Project, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Couches, Fish Tanks, Rentals
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Summer was a waste. “I, too am obsessed with the George Washington Bridge, and have been ever since as stoned youths me and my friends cavorted in the park on the New Jersey side that is directly below the place where the […]
Filed under: Architecture, Good Rock, GWB Project, Infrastructure, The Gay Recluse, Washington Heights, Weather | Leave a Comment
Tags: Saturnine, Summer Was a Waste, The George Washington Bridge
In which The Gay Recluse becomes increasingly obsessed with the George Washington Bridge. Change we can believe in. “The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson is the most beautiful bridge in the world. Made of cables and steel beams, it gleams in the sky like a reversed arch. It is blessed. It is the only […]
Filed under: Architecture, Drivel, Government, GWB Project, Politicians, Washington Heights | Leave a Comment
Tags: Change, Conventions, Le Corbusier, The George Washington Bridge
The Gay Recluse 