Darlings, with my schedule these days, I simply have no time to get down to this neighborhood that I frequented so much during my youth, it now has come to represent it. But now, even those representations are fast disappearing.
I found this out, on Friday, when I had a free day. I got my flu shot, then took the train down to the Village to see what was up. Or wasn't.
I am sure most of my girls recognize the facade of this building. It was once Manatus, one of the two all-night venues one could go to, so one could sober up, or recover from a quickie lay. I am told, before it was Manatus, it was known as Clyde's, but that was before I hit town!
Standing in front of this facade made me feel like Gloria Swanson in that iconic photo of her, standing in the Roxy's rubble, which inspired "Follies." I knew a picture of me here would not inspire anything, so I decided to take a little walk to see what else is gone.
Well, the big news is Christopher Street is not the gay mecca it once was. Now, I am not sure this city has a gay mecca anymore. Some used to say Chelsea, but have you been there lately, darlings??????? Are you kidding???????????????
Imagine my shock when I saw the windows of what used to be Boots And Saddles all papered up. The sign naming the bar was gone, but, hell I knew that place for years; I'd been in there, during my time. As far as I am concerned, it is gone!
But Rag And Bone is still there; can you believe it? And that Havana food place that had the temerity to replace David's Pot Belly? Oh, and that other all-night eatery around the corner, the Tiffany Diner, has been gone for years, replaced by a bank!!!!!!!!!!!
The Village just isn't the Village anymore. I had to wonder why. Economics? Well, partly! Age; that is, the fact I am getting older? Maybe, though I am not infirm enough yet to not enjoy a stroll down Christopher Street--if there was anything worth strolling for. But there is not.
What has happened is, as the Baby Boomers age up and out, the succeeding generations of gays are going to become--if they haven't already--so dangerously homogenized they will not be able to be distinguished from their straight counterparts. Which means the notion of a gay community becomes questionable, and then, at least not in my time, vanishes altogether.
It bothers me to think what, if anything will be left. The specificity of gay culture was what made us such a viable presence. Sure, anti-gay violence and bullying should end, but there is no reason to water down style and attitude, just to fit in. Being gay should be about celebrating your differences, not blending in.
So I thought, as I walked through the Village of my youth, seeing what it was flash before my eyes, confronted with what is there now. How sad. I could not wait to leave.
But, thank God for Three Lives Bookstore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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