Gay of A Certain Age - Marie's Crisis is Our Brand

One of the reasons I enjoyed this last trip to New York most was
that I visited places I had taken for granted and not visited for years.
One such place is the the old Gay Triangle on Christopher street- home of The Stonewall, The Monster and Boot & Saddle (although I think Boot & Saddle is gone).
The place has changed quite a bit.  There's now a Big Gay Ice Cream store on the corner

where I enjoyed a Big Gay Pumpkin (Gluten-free) cone!  The ice cream is magical and has the consistency of whipped butter. Delicious!

Another change is the line to get in to one of my old haunts, Marie's Crisis Cafe!  A line??
Fortunately my friend, Gerald (with a hard G) has some charm & pull and got me in the place immediately.

Used to be, in the old days, you'd just walk in, order a drink and sing along to show tunes to your heart's content.  You might even meet a handsome fella who knows just as many Sondheim lyrics as you do!  I developed a crush on someone this very night.  Perhaps you can guess which one it is in this photo.

Nowadays, the place is crazy crowded with more than 50% college girls who think it's cool to be there.  It's obvious that they have no interest in the show tunes because they spend a lot of time talking louder than the singing, sounding like raging seagulls plotting an attack on the beachside Subway sandwich shop!  Despite the noisy girls and my crush leaving half way through my visit, I had a great time!  Thanks to Gerald and his two, non-college girlfriends, along with a strong Campari & soda, I was able to capture the feeling of the old days when I would come to Marie's on every NY visit.

I remember that the main reason that I had stop coming was that the pianist I always ended up catching on duty was a lacivious schmuck who thought it was a hoot to turn every song into a naughty ditty.  Fortunately, the pianist this night was at the top of his game, respectful of the music and a cutie, to boot!

The only reason I left when I did, with at least two more hours left in the piano, was because I didn't want to be sleepy during my matinee the next day.  I was very pleased.

As a Gay of A Certain age, it's nice to find that though some places have changed or have become different, they can still be a source of happy times & a place to enjoy new delights!  TRY BIG GAY ICE CREAM!