May 28, 2009

Remember The Gaiety

One of my favorite blogs is Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, which catalogs the increasing speed at which the city has been changing in recent years. Yesterday, Jeremiah wrote about one of my most sorely missed New York landmarks; the Howard Johnson's building in Times Square which also housed the Gaiety Theatre on the second floor.

During my wanton youth, there were many fun nights spent at Hojo's drinking Whiskey Sours and snacking on fried clams (or cried flams, as I liked to call them). Afterwards, we'd head upstairs for the entertainment, the Gaiety's live all-male strip show that Madonna made infamous in her 1992 SEX book. For the budget conscious, a night at the Gaiety
(15$ the last time I went) was way cheaper than the cost of a Broadway show....and certainly a lot racier. ;)

Anyway, it's all gone now, as are many old Times Square landmarks. But kudos to Jeremiah for keeping the dream alive....and remembering.