From Hollywood Boulevard, it’s The WOW Report for Radio Andy on SiriusXM! That’s right WOWers, World of Wonder Co-Founder Fenton Bailey, Executive VP of Development Tom Campbell, and WOW Report Editor James St. James have collaborated with reality TV guru and friend of WOW, Andy Cohen, on a weekly Top Ten Countdown of the things from the past week that make us go…WOW!
It’s a pop-culture obsessed hour complete with colorful diatribes, opposing opinions, and a dissection-like discussion that will make your drive home from work more fabulous!
You can now WATCH us recording the WOW Report in our gallery storefront on Hollywood Boulevard, just across the street from Hollywood’s oldest restaurant Musso & Frank! Well, usually…but this week Michelle Visage and Mrs. Kasha Davis join Fenton Bailey and James St. James on the Pink Carpet from the first ever RuPaul’s DragCon NYC to count down their favorite places in the Big Apple!
We air TODAY at 11AM EST (8AM PST) on the Radio Andy channel on SiriusXM, and again at 1PM EST (4PM PST). You can also catch the show on the SiriusXM app!
Let’s get started…
10) Walk on the Wild Side: Christopher Street
One of the gayest streets in America – Christopher St!
From Wikipedia:
Christopher Street is a street in the West Village neighborhood of the New York Cityborough of Manhattan. It is the continuation of 9th Street west of Sixth Avenue. It is named after Charles Christopher Amos, the owner of the inherited estate which included the location of the street. Amos is also the namesake of nearby Charles Street, and of the former Amos Street, which is now West 10th Street.
Skip forward to Walk on the Wild Side: Christopher Street @2:15
9) Read to Filth: 3 Lives & Co Bookstore
Three Lives & Company is one of James St. James’ favorite bookstores. It’s located at 154 W 10th St. in Manhattan.
From their website:
One of the greatest bookstores on the face of the Earth. Every single person who works there is incredibly knowledgeable and well read and full of soul. You can walk in and ask anybody, really, what they’ve read lately and they’ll tell you something – very likely something you’ve never heard of. [But] it’s always going to be something interesting and fabulous. I go there when I’m feeling depressed and discouraged, and I always feel rejuvenated.
Skip forward to Read to Filth: 3 Lives & Co Bookstore @5:17
8) Watering Holes of Grand Central
Who knew there was so much to do in Grand Central Station? Three of Fenton’s favorites spots in the terminal are Oyster Bar, The Campbell Apartment (no relation to our co-host Tom Campbell), and the glass panes you can actually walk between. It’s located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Skip forward to Watering Holes of Grand Central @8:43
7) Getting Off: The Rambles
The Rambles is an area of Central Park between The Lake around 73rd Street and Shakespeare Garden and Belvedere Castle at 79th Street. From Wikipedia:
The Rambles was intended as a woodland walk through highly varied topography, a “wild garden” away from carriage drives and bridle paths, to be wandered in, or to be viewed as a “natural” landscape from the formal lakefront setting of Bethesda Terrace.
But that’s not why it’s one of James’ favorite spots in NYC, it’s one of his favorite because it is (or was) one of the cruisiest places in the city for gay men.
Skip forward to Getting Off: The Rambles @22:08
6) Getting Out: Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park
This is one of Michelle Visage’s favorite hangouts in Central Park. Why? Because that’s where she met her husband! Awww! From Wikipedia:
Sheep Meadow is a 15-acre (61,000 m2) preserve located at the west side of Central Park from 66th to 69th Streets in Manhattan, New York City. It has a long history as a gathering place for large scale demonstrations and political movements. It is currently a favorite spot for families, sunbathers, picnickers, kite flyers, and other visitors to come relax and admire the New York City skyline.
Skip forward to Getting Out: Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park @25:25
5) Tea and Sympathy: Rue La Rue Cafe
Are you a fan of the Golden Girls? Then you MUST visit Rue la Rue Cafe located at 4394 Broadway in Washington Heights! From Wikipedia:
Rue la Rue Cafe is a Golden Girls themed cafe eatery located in the Washington Heightsneighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The restaurant was conceived and is operated by Michael LaRue, a close confidante of one of the four “Golden Girls”, Rue McClanahan (1934–2010) while McClanahan’s son Mark Bisch is a partner.[1][2][3] La Rue, who inherited many of the star’s personal belongings, in turn decorated the restaurant with them (including her 1987 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series), as well as pictures of McClanahan (one each from the decades of her entertainment career) and other memorabilia related to the hit show.[4][5] The establishment is coincidentally located inside the Sofia storage building.[6] Touchingly, there is a plaque reminiscent of a star on Hollywood Boulevard “which reads “Thank You for being a Friend” fitted into concrete at the front door outside under which are some of McClanahan’s ashes.[7]
Skip forward to Tea and Sympathy: Rue La Rue Cafe @28:54
4) Checking In: The Marriott Marquis Atrium
Michelle often stays at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square at 1535 Broadway when she’s in the city. It was opened in 1985 and has awesome bars, lounges, a gym that overlooks Times Square, and an amazing glass elevator that may be one of the best views in the city. Find out why James enjoyed riding the elevator so much on the show!
Skip forward to Checking In: The Marriott Marquis Atrium @31:52
3) Check It Out: Times Square
Which leads us right into Times Square, which may be the heartbeat of the city. It’s been gentrified to death now, but it’s still a must visit if you’re in the concrete jungle. It’s said to be where Madonna was dropped off when she grabbed a cab after landing in NYC and telling her driver to “take me where the action is!”
Skip forward to Check It Out: Times Square @35:42
2) Take a Trip: The Staten Island Ferry
Want to get a great view of the Statue of Liberty, get in some great people watching, and cruise across New York harbor for free? Then you need to jump on the Staten Island Ferry. From Wikipedia:
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry shuttle operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. It runs 5.2 miles (8.4 km) in New York Harbor between the New York Cityboroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. The ferry operates 24/7.
Skip forward to Take a Trip: The Staten Island Ferry @42:05
1) Get Your Gay On: Stonewall Inn
How could the Stonewall Inn NOT be number one on our list? It is ground zero for the LGBTQ liberation movement. We wouldn’t have Gay Pride if it weren’t for the Stonewall riots, and we wouldn’t have the Stonewall riots without the Stonewall Inn. From Wikipedia:
The Stonewall Inn, often shortened to Stonewall, is a gay bar and recreational tavern in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City, and the site of the Stonewall riots of 1969, which is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United States.
Skip forward to Get Your Gay On: Stonewall Inn @45:14
Listen in at 11AM EST (8AM PST) and again at 1PM EST (4PM PST) on SiriusXM! Or listen whenever you want on the SiriusXM App!
And be sure to give your ears the gift of THE WOW REPORT on Radio Andy SiriusXM EVERY Friday.
Do something this weekend that makes YOU go WOW!!!
