Random NYC Street Minute: The Blue Store in Chelsea

Random, quintessential gay NYC experience:  My husband and I meandered our way from dinner at Cuba Cafe to catch "A Single Man" (loved it, by the way...go read Patrick's review), and happened by The Blue Store, the local porn shop dead center in Chelsea's 8th Avenue cat-walk.  By the time it took us to walk the twenty feet past the store front, we'd bumped into one friend going in to find "fun things" for he and his partner's 8th anniversary and then met up with a second friend coming out where he explained he had just stopped in to "get warm."  We totally called him out on that lame excuse which got us a little giggle and smile as we left.

Manhattan Mainstreaming

We were not surprised to see this ad on West 23rd Street in the gayborhood called Chelsea.

We were, however, very surprised to see this ad on West 66th at the center of our Upper West Side neighborhood, Maclarendale.

Barista Boys And It's Good For The Prostate

Posted by Donnie:

Today the BBC reports that coffee is good for the prostate. Now now, Not in the stimulation sense, but it may help to lower the risk of prostate cancer and have some limited health benefits.

When I read about coffee, it's hard for me not to reminisce and fondly recall our beloved "Big Cup" in Chelsea. Hard to believe that it has now been closed for over four years. It was standard for us to say lets "meet me at the Big Cup". Aah, the eye candy, cute barista boys, guys in sweats coming from the gym, HX, Metro, Blade and Next magazines strewn all over the brig-a-brag furnishings. It was "the gay coffee joint". Alas, gentrification and rent increases forced its closure. Another nail in the coffin of the gay ghetto.
We still have some nice New York "gay friendly" places such as Ninth Street Espresso on 9th street in Alphabet City and Tompkins Square Park. More of a bakery, but if you can get a seat, Billy's Bakery has luscious cupcakes and good java. I'm sure you all have a favorite place, care to share?