Image Courtesy of NYCDOT
A limited number of authentic street signs commemorating Gay Street in Manhattan’s West Village, located less than two blocks from the Stonewall National Monument between Christopher Street and Waverly Place was announced today. Signs include a batch of traditional Greenwich Village Historic District Gay Street signs, and a batch with a special Pride flag inspired trim along the bottom. Today’s release is part of the agency’s monthly ‘sign drops,’ pulled from the wide range of hand-made signs from the NYC DOT Sign Shop, which produces over 70,000 signs each year. NYC DOT launched its ‘sign drops’ last June with the inaugural release of Christopher Street/Stonewall Place in honor of Pride Month 2024.
Gay Street is historically understood to be named for a family who owned land or resided in the area during colonial times, yet has nonetheless been embraced by the local LGBTQ+ community. The short street, originally a stable alley, was later widened in 1833 and was eventually known to be the residence of African-American musicians who were associated with the community’s bohemian vibe, and over 100 years later, would make appearances in pop culture, such as the movie A Night to Remember (1942), Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” music video (1982), and Sheryl Crow’s “A Change Would Do You Good” music video (1996). In fact, Sheryl Crow appears on Gay Street for the entirety of the video, at one point throwing her belongings from an upper floor window onto the street. Both Sheryl Crow and Cyndi Lauper are regarded as LGBTQ advocates and icons.
A limited release of 100 signs will be sold online for $100 each and are available one per customer. All signs will be sold via the CityStore, the Official Store of the City of New York, and proceeds will benefit the city’s general fund. This signage offers a bit of nostalgia and a literal piece of the city’s infrastructure.
Monthly sign drops from NYC DOT feature signs for iconic New York City streets, commemorations of famous New Yorkers, celebrations of special occasions, and other custom releases. NYC DOT began its monthly drops in June 2024, with the release of Christopher Street/Stonewall Place street signs to commemorate Pride Month.
Other recent sign drops include:
- Wall Street
- Leaving Brooklyn: Fughgeddaboudit
- East 161st Street and Shea Road in honor of baseball’s opening day
- Love Lane to recognize Valentine’s Day
- Broadway in celebration of Broadway Week.
- Cornelia Street to honor the street’s prominence among pop music fans.
About the NYC DOT Sign Shop
The New York City DOT Sign Shop is in Maspeth, Queens and manufactures over 70,000 signs each year. A team of 32 Sign Shop employees hand-make street signs, highway signs, directional signs, parking signs, and more. There are about one million NYC DOT signs in use across the 6,000 miles of streets in New York City.
The monthly sign drops are the latest iteration of sales that have historically been available from the Sign Shop.
About the CityStore
CityStore is the Official store of the City of New York. CityStore is operated by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. One hundred percent of sales benefit the City of New York.
CityStore is similar to a museum store, which complements the museum by highlighting the treasures within while serving as a stand-alone retail entity for wonderful gifts, collectables and research materials. A museum store is a revenue source for the museum and reinforces and protects the integrity of the museum brand. CityStore is the ‘museum store’ for the entire City of New York.
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