Cruising Diary: The Vale of Cashmere
Is there a more beautiful name for a cruising spot?
On New York’s The Vale of Cashmere. A controversial renovation, my first time cruising the Vale and how it got its name.
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Here come the strollers. New York’s cruising community is in mourning. Ground has broken on a $37.5 million restoration of Prospect Park’s Vale of Cashmere. The Vale is one of the most well-known cruising spots in New York City, catering to Black and Brown men.
It’s not just lovers of outdoor trysts who are worried about the future of the Vale. Many in the Queer performance community are lamenting the loss of the space, too, which had become a performance hub. I watched an raucous night of drag curated by the incomparable Charlene Incarnate after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.
My introduction to the Vale was one unforgettable night ten years ago…
Cruising Diary: Brooklyn, 2015
I wasn’t in a hurry to get home. The huge fight I just had with my boyfriend was going to keep me up all night. I couldn’t imagine being this angry in a packed subway, so I decided to stomp through Prospect Park even though it was an hour after it closed.
