A Subway Archeology Find at 57th Street Station

Over at Second Avenue Sagas, I found this picture of a subway map that was recently "unearthed" that dates from the early 1970's.  It's the famous Vignelli map of the system which created a beautifully geometric version of the complicated NYC subway which is now considered a design classic. Unfortunately, it was also considered a pain in the ass by many New Yorkers and tourists who found the disconnect between the city and the map too much to take.  It was gone by 1979.

However, Vignelli's map lingers on in the hearts of subway history buffs and design fanatics.  And in the the F station at 57th Street.  This is one of the least popular stations in the system, ranked 105th for the number of passengers.  That's probably how this map has been able to survive for some 30 plus years.  So see it now...before it's history once again.

The Losers Of America's Got Talent

NBC's variety show America's Got Talent announced "America's choice" for the winner of the competition this week.  It was a talented but somewhat generic white soul singer named Michael Grimm, with 11 year old opera naif Jackie Evancho in second place.  Third place went to a group called Fighting Gravity which was definitely one of the most unique acts seen on that show, or anywhere on TV for that matter. The most unusual aspect of the group is that they are not performers but college students.

The troupe consists of 13 guys who are all fraternity brothers at Virginia Tech.  They are mainly studying business and engineering.  Apparently, they were inspired by some Japanese performers they saw on the internet.  Regardless, their act is just fun to watch and hard to figure out exactly.  Here's a clip of their first performance on AGT back in June.  Despite losing the competition, they hope to get their show onto the Vegas strip eventually.  I don't think that will be a problem.

  

Boy-Lesque By The Sea

In July, I went out to the Sideshow-By-The-Seashore at Coney Island to see the Pontani Sisters burlesque show.  Well, now the boys have gotten in on the act.  Last Friday, I attended the Boy-Lesque show called "Man-A-Tease", hosted by downtown performance nudist Tigger.  I'd been to the Boylesque review before, as this was the 4th annual show.  But this year, Tigger stepped it up a notch with the addition of a trio of real pros from Chi-town known as The Stagedoor Johnnies.

These three gorgeous and inventive artists presented some stunning new numbers which really brought the boys up to the level of the ladies. Jett Adore (pictured below) did a Zorro number and worked his cape like nobody's business.  Bazooka Joe did a steamy number with a towel...actually lots of towels. And Ray Gunn got a standing O with a burlesque version of the Matrix. Seriously. The night ended with a marching band themed number which was awesome (pictured above).  Maybe it's my past history as a band fag but I loved this number especially.

There was also some pre-show stripping by Go-Go Harder as well as performances by the Evil Hate Monkey, who was recently crowned King of Boylesque in Las Vegas, and a special appearance by Julie Atlas Muz at the end of the show.  Overall, it was a very sexy and entertaining night at the Sideshow by the Seashore.

Randy Rainbow Is Getting Hitched....Sorta

Feeling the rush of victory after the defeat of "Preparation 8" as he calls it, Randy Rainbow has decided to get married.  But who will be the lucky guy? Is it Mel? Or maybe Zac? Or perhaps the star of my movie WTC VIEW (plug!) Michael Urie. Personally, I think this guy needs his own movie or TV show or something. He's a riot!

How Much Is A Penny Really Worth?

Fellow YA author John Green recently put together a lovely rant about the utter uselessness of the modern penny.  Do you know how much it costs to make a penny?  Well, you can surely guess that it's more than the damn things worth.  He actually makes a good case for getting rid of the pesky little trinkets that are a huge wasted of taxpayer money.  Anyway, you can catch John's weekly vlogs, which he puts together along with his brother Hank, on their site Nerd Fighters.

Greater Than Zero

On the eve of the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Ground Zero has been in the news a lot due to plans to build a Muslim Community Center two and half blocks from the site.  While plans for that project are mired in debate, there is remarkable progress at Ground Zero itself.  


Construction at Ground Zero has been going full tilt for nearly two years.  However, due to the complicated multiple uses of the site (transportation, office, memorial, museum, retail) most of that work has been underground getting the pieces of this momunmental puzzle to fit.  But results are now visible above street level and they are impressive.  The new World Trade Center has risen nearly 20 stories high, the outlines of the memorial pools are now clearly visible, WTC 4's impressive lobby is framed and they recently planted the first of more than 400 white oak trees on the former site of the Twin Towers.  


There's a great interactive feature in the TIMES today which give a birds-eye, time-lapse view of the site and provides some drawings of how it will look when it's all completed in 2014.  In the meantime, the Memorial Pools will open to the public a year from now on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, with the underground museum set to open in 2012.

Late Summer Reading: "I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth The Trip"

I recently read a landmark book in the gay YA genre, a novel published back in 1969 that is now widely regarded as starting the genre:  John Donovan's "I'll Get There, It Better Be Worth The Trip".  The book was re-released this year in a lovely 40th anniversary edition with an introduction and essays by authors Brent Hartinger, Martin Wilson and Stacey Donovan.  

The book is the simple but sharply told story of 13 year old Davy Ross, who moves to Manhattan to live with his mom after his grandmother dies.  Told in the first person, the book achingly charts the pain of his loss as well the challenge of moving into his new digs in ol' New York.  Davy lives with his now-single mom in a pre-gay Chelsea while attending a day school for rich kids in a pre-Stonewall West Village.  The book's period details are precise and somewhat fascinating to a NYC history addict like myself. 


Davy's best friend and the most charming suprise of the book is a lively little daschund named Fred.  This is one of the most precisely drawn animals in fiction, with a personality that nearly matches that of all the other major characters. However, the biggest character of all is Davy's alcoholic mom who is a sort of the dark-side version of Auntie Mame.  Living with her is a challenge and you feel for Davy as he tries to navigate her unpredictable behaviour.  He also meets a guy at school named Altschuler who becomes a friend, an ememy and a bridge to a whole new life.  

Clearly forbidden from using "bad" words in a YA book way back then, there are some clever curses and descriptions of Fred doing his business.  And despite the generous use of the Holden-esque words "lousy", "phony" and "old bastard", the book is very well written especially as it gets into Davy's awakening.  So, if you're looking for a late edition to your late summer reading, this book is a sweet and timeless tale of self-discovery that I would definitely recommend.  

A Notable Passing For The Gay History Books

I'm usually not one to read the obituaries in the TIMES. I have friends who tell me it's often the first thing they read because the paper puts some much research, writing and general effort into them. I do remember the obit for Frank Sinatra's passing was very impressive, reading like a short novel almost.  


Anyway, today I happened to be flipping through an actual paper copy of the TIMES (how retro!) when I saw a headline in the obituaries that got my attention.  It was about Seymour Pine, an NYC police inspector who led a vice raid on an illegal Mafia run nightclub called the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969.  This raid quickly went sour as transvestites and lesbians struggled with the police trying to arrest them. The growing crowd outside the club grew unruly, parking meters and rocks were tossed and the rest, as they say, is LGBT history.


In 2004, Pine spoke at a panel about the Stonewall Riots and expressed his regret for the raid and subsequent mayhem.  Explaining that he was merely following orders from his superiors, he even apologized for his actions in response to a question at the panel.  As reported in David Carter's book on the riots, Pine said "if what I did helped gay people, then I'm glad."  Seymour Pine was 91 years old.

The NYC Heat Wave That Killed 1300 People

It's official now--the summer of 2010 was the hottest summer on record for New York City.  The average temperature for June, July and August was 77.8....the highest since record keeping began.  There has been a lot of bitching and moaning about the heat here in the City.  But comparatively, this summer was nothing compared to a heat wave more than 100 years ago that killed more than a thousand New Yorkers.


In August of 1896, the city baked over a period of 10 days where the temperature registered over 90 degrees with 90% humidity, even at night.  In todays terms, the "Heat Index" during this week and half period often hit 120 degrees.  Of course, this was before the invention of air conditioning so people (and countless horses) were dropping like flies.  One of the odder ways people died was from rolling off the roofs of tenements and fire escapes where they were sleeping.


There's a new book out that details this nearly forgotten chapter in NYC history.  It's called "Hot Time In The Old Town" by historian Ed Kohn.  One interesting fact is that Theodore Roosevelt was the police commissioner at the time and, in lieu of a mayor who did nothing, he took action and distributed ice to the poor.  It was a transformative moment for the young Roosevelt, who got a very close look at conditions the lower class lived in and was inspired by the experience to do what he could as he rose to power, eventually becoming President of the United States.


I haven't read this book but it on my list now.  It would have been good beach reading but maybe it'll be better not to be baking while reading a book about it.  

Food Truck Rally At Govenor's Island

With Hurricane Earl making a trip to the beach not that appealing this weekend, there are some other unique holiday options here in the city.  If you're looking for something fun and unusual this Labor Day, I'd recommend a trip to Governor's Island for the Food Truck rally.  It's happening on Sunday only, from 12n to 5pm on Colonel's Row.


Yeah, I know....Food Truck's are oh-so -rendy these days and maybe you're getting a little sick of hearing about them.  But the point of Food Trucks is eating, not discussing.  So go eat something already!  [said in my best Jewish grandmother voice]  :)  There will be ice cream from Van Leuuwen, seafood from Red Hook Lobster Pound and slushies from Kelvin Natural Slush along with seven other trucks.  The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck was not listed on the program but who knows.....maybe he'll pull a surprise attack!