The Blockhouse in Central Park

Missing from New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe's discussion of the Blockhouse at the northern end of Central Park (Time Out New York, Issue 606) is the fact that it is located in a popular gay cruising area. Sexual activity went on inside the Blockhouse, also known as the Fort, before a gate with a padlock was installed a few years ago. Especially during the warm months, a visitor can see near the structure, which dates back to the War of 1812, what T.S. Eliot would have described as the "testimony of summer nights": cigarette butts, torn condom wrappers, beer cans, etc.