We are all looking for ways to stay in shape, especially with bathing suit season coming up in a few short weeks (although mother nature seems to think differently). There are a bevy of different gyms you can go to in the New York City area, but which one is the best to go to? In my opinion, that one is Crunch Gym. They recently opened a brand new location in Chelsea, it’s third location in the big apple. The location is at 220 West 19th Street between 7th and 8th avenue, wedged in the heart of the Chelsea district. [Read more…] about Crunch Fitness’ in Chelsea- Why it’s the best
New York City
Fun and Debauchery at The Black Party Weekend
New York City itself is known for being a prime area for some of the best events in the world. That rings true especially for events geared towards the gay community. The Black Party weekend is one of those annual events that bring men from around the world for a weekend of excitement, dancing, interesting wardrobe choices and above all a unique experience that you can’t get anywhere else in the world.
Hosted at the legendary Roseland Ballroom, the Black Party Weekend starts on Friday night and doesn’t end until around Sunday afternoon. If you are into something that is a little outside of the norm, this is the event for you. Leather and gear enthusiasts are rampant at all of the events, as well as some of the most known names in the gay adult industry.
It starts out on Friday night around 7PM with the Black Party Expo. This gets the weekend going, with several different vendors promoting their fascinating lines. Whether it is a gay app that is hot right now (Recon, Mister), the best M4M night in the world (Adonis), or some of the biggest gay adult websites online right now (Cocky Boys, Lucas Entertainment) there was something for everyone there. It was set up with a fantastic light display that encompassed the look of a Ferris Wheel. It was something that I could definitely tell was going to be in heavy use for the party itself.
That same night was where The Hookie awards took place. This event was designed for rentboy.com, a site devoted to the personal enjoyment of a fellow gentleman. Hosted by Rupaul’s Drag Race season 4 winner Sharon Needles and comedian Cole Escada, the awards were presented in full to some well known names in the adult industry (Austin Wolff, Trenton Ducati, Rafael Alencar) and some of the biggest members on Rentboy. Some of the presenters included well known journalists like Paper Magazine Editor-In-Chief Mr. Mickey and Village Voice writer Michael Musto. The awards itself had some really great names to them (Best Top, Best Boyfriend Fantasy, etc) and above all everyone seemed to have a great time. Sharon and Cole did an amazing job themselves, and as a personal fan of Sharon’s it was great to see her perform live and prove why she won season 4.
The next days events were similar to Friday nights. There was an extended version of the expo that lasted from 12-7pm, so if you weren’t able to make it there Friday you had all day to see what the vendors were selling and get to meet and greet some of your favorite stars. Saturday night is what everyone was there for- The Black Party. I had a ton of friends who went, and said they had a great time. Some really unique performances took place but above all the music kept everyone going through the night into Sunday morning.
If you ever get a chance to have a once in a lifetime experience and you are local or visiting the New York City area, stop by next year’s Black Party weekend. It is one that you don’t want to miss!
Adonis Lounge Grand Opening March 9th!!!
I have had the utmost pleasure of getting to know Timothy de Iturriaga, the charismatic and beyond friendly head guy in charge of the Adonis Lounge over the past couple of months. Heck, I even did a really great interview a little while back to get a better understanding of what this man is all about. Adonis is the number one place in the world to come see some of the best looking men in outfits like the one pictured above. It goes beyond the aesthetic as they all go out of their way to treat each customer with respect and get to know them on a much better level, hence why this event has become even bigger throughout its four year stint.
Now, Tim has elevated it to a whole other level by opening at a brand new venue. It’s new location will be at 22 West 39th Street between 5th and 6th avenue. The grand opening will be this Saturday night starting at 9. I got to see a preview of what it looks like yesterday, and the one word that really comes to mind with it is SPACE. It has a really great atmosphere and you can tell the whole venue is going to be packed on Saturday night with hot guys, big fans, newcomers and above all everyone having a great time.
I sat down with Tim to talk about the new venue and his hopes for the future with it.
How excited are you for the new venue?
“I am very excited. It’s been quite a progression from where we started as a once monthy event in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It was a small little show, more like an after-thought as no one in the gay community really knew who we were. Then we got a chance to come to Manhattan and work on 58th Street. It got to the point where we needed a club with more space and we found the right venue for that. So this is definitely an exciting venture for me and the team.”
“When we went to the old venue on 58th it was great, but in the past couple of years things have really expanded. We have doubled our numbers so a venue like that because difficult to hold an event due to overcrowding and whatnot. They are great there, nothing wrong with them whatsoever. They gave us an opportunity for which I am forever grateful for. They took a chance on us and I greatly appreciate it, but now I feel its time to try something new and see what happens.
Will the pricing change now that you are at this new venue?
“Not at all. It is still a ten dollar charge to get in and the other aspects of the lap dances and champagne rooms are still in check. That’s an important aspect to remember. Usually when people go to a larger venue the price also goes up, but it is still the same.”
Who can we expect at the event on Saturday?
“We have so many people from Randy Blue’s Angel Diablo to 2012 Escort of the Year Vito Gallo. 40 plus dancers will fill the atmosphere, so there is at least one person to each and everyone’s liking”.
Go and check the event out on Saturday and be apart of one of the best M4M experiences, if not the best, in the world.
Adonis Lounge
22 West 39th Street
9pm-4am
A Walk Down 5th
I always keep my compact camera in my pocket every where I go. It’s so convenient to take out and snap pictures when the moment is right. It’s quicker to point and shoot and less clumsy on a crowded sidewalk than my iPhone or Nikon D90.
Recently, I took a walk down 5th. The setting sun was dead in my eyes as I walked down town from my apartment on 55th to the Library. I had my compact and was snapping as much as I could on the way.