It was the time when New York was the gay capital of the world. Manhattan was not cleaned up and safe like it is today. Artists and bohemians populated the city as it was the ideal place for them. Nightlife was wild and uninhibited; sex, drugs, debauchery reigned. A whole generation of young men set out to revolutionise the art world. It was the late 1960s and ’70s, when AIDS did not threaten yet and New York embodied everything that is sometimes attributed to Berlin in these days. It was the peak of Andy Warhol, the undisputed star of the American art scene. He had moved to Manhattan at the age of 21 in  summer 1949 after completing his art studies in his native city of Pittsburgh.

Much has changed in the borough since the death of this celebrated Pop Art artist on February 22nd, 1987. Nightlife may no longer be as legendary as it was 40 years ago, but marriage for all came into effect this summer. This is probably the greatest success for New York’s queer community since the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. Many traces of Andy Warhol’s life are blurred. The building that contained Warhol’s first “Factory” studio was demolished, the galleries that once paved the way for the young talent’s entry into the art world have moved on There are city tours on all kinds of subjects, such as “Sex and the City,” haunted buildings, or to small, tasty restaurants, but none dedicated officially to the life of Andy Warhol.

Anyone who wants to see places like “Factory”, “Studio 54” or the church where Andrew Warhola – he came from a Catholic immigrant family –  worshipped almost daily, will have a hard time. The photographer Christopher Makos lives in the East Village, not far from Christopher Street. He and Warhol met around 1975. Some memories of his from then on constant companion are rather vague. “Those who can remember the smallest details of that time did not live it,” Makos states with a smirk. He sits in his living room with his assistant Peter Wise, the room overloaded with books, photographs and magazines. Makos is the best source of information one could wish for. The best place to start your Warhol tour is Union Square. Where now the colourful “Farmer’s Market” takes place every Saturday from June to November, were once the two most important locations of  “Factory” apart from “Silver Factory” (whose building was demolished). There is the “Decker Building” at 33 Union Square West, where Warhol moved in with his studio on the sixth floor in 1968. It was in this studio where Valerie Solanas shot at Warhol and the art critic Mario Amaya on June 3rd, 1968. Warhol moved the “Factory” to a building just opposite at 860 Broadway in 1974 after he had emerged from enfant terrible to be the most important protagonist of NYC art scene.

The silvery “Warhol Monument” by artist Rob Pruitt was unveiled here in March 2011 and is permanently installed on Union Square. At the time of Factory, a run-down and dangerous area, the square and the surrounding streets have been revamped. The only place to have survived all changes is a branch of McDonalds (39 Union Square West) right next to the old “Factory”. It looks almost as it did in the 1970s, when Warhol employees quickly fetched their burgers. Their their boss preferred healthier options at smaller restaurants in the neighbourhood, none of them are there any more.

While Union Square was Warhol’s work address for many years, he lived on Upper East Side. The artist moved from his apartment at 242 Lexington Avenue to a townhouse on the same street at number 1342 in 1960. Warhol then bought an old townhouse on 66th Street (57 East 66th Street) in 1974 that is one of the stations in Warhol’s New York life that features a large information board. Warhol lived on this quiet street lined by trees to the day he died. Andy’s lover, interior designer Jed Johnso, moved into the house with Warhol and furnished it in the “American Empire” style from the beginning of the 19th century. Here on Upper East Side, east of Central Park, you can also find the famous Chinese restaurant Mr Chow and Serendipity 3. The small café in the basement was once called Warhol’s favourite “sweet shop”, and he paid his bills with drawings.

People queue for a sandwiches around noon, while minibuses drop off the next load of tourists. The church Saint Vincent Ferrer is much calmer. The Dominican church, built in 1918 in neo-Gothic style, is not only considered to be one of the most beautiful churches of New York with its splendid stained glass windows. Warhol regularly attended services and, according to Christopher Makos, visited the church almost daily. Although the then parish priest Sam Matarazzo often preached against homosexuality, the church was visited by many gays. Matarazzo himself, who never saw Warhol take communion or confession, suspected that those who wanted to hide their being gay came to his services.

Another important building in Warhol’s life can be found on 63rd Street. The 1967 building by architect Paul Rudolph impresses with its ultra-modern style and belonged to gay fashion designer Halston. It served as a meeting place for what could easily be called the Studio 54 family. Gay author Truman Capote belonged to it as well as Liza Minnelli, Bianca Jagger, Diane von Fürstenberg and Diana Vreeland. There were also lively private parties, the address was raised to the status of a club of its own: the “101”. They met for dinner on caviar, potatoes and cocaine. According to Halston biographer Steven Gaines, the “potato course” was often skipped. Steve Rubell, founder of Studio 54, is said to have sometimes come to Halston House wearing Minnelli’s clothes. Swiss playboy Gunter Sachs was owner of the house until his suicide in May 2011. The house might be for sale –
if you can spare the money.

Our last stop will be the legendary club “Studio 54” on 54th Street and Broadway. There are many articles about the club, a documentary made, countless anecdotes told. You had access to the club or you were a nobody. Those times are past. If you want to access this former temple of decadence and disco, you can only do so when you buy a ticket for one of the performances at “Studio 54 Theater”. This will probably only be a marginal show compared to what you imagine when you hear the magic words “Studio 54”. Legendary. And anyone who can remember and details from its past glory was probably never let in.

INFO

www.nycgo.com/gay
Official homepage of NYC tourist board offering plenty of informtion and tips about the 5 Boroughs and its gay scene.

www.nextmagazine.com
Homepageebsite off free gay city mag Nextg including event calendar.

www.warholstars.org
Detailed vita of Andy Warhol.

HOW TO GET THERE

Air Berlin offers daily departures from Dusseldorf to New York JFK and also 4 weekly non-stop services from Berlin. One-way tickets are available from 209.99 Euros (including taxes, serive charges and arimiles).
www.airberlin.com

HOTELS

All information on NYC gay scene can be found at Spartacus International Gay Guide or  iPhone App.

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