Rod Hagen Posted March 1 Posted March 1 (edited) Two stills from the movie Ballet Down The Highway. At first I thought it might be the London Terrace pool, but I looked at some photos of the LT pool, and it isn't. It almost certainly has to be in Manhattan, not one of the other Burroughs nor Long Island, simply because since they only had the camera for the weekend, they had to keep it nearby (though some of the movie is either Upstate or LI, so maybe 2 weekends. Still, I'm sure this pool is/was in the city.) It's so beautiful, I must swim there if it still exists. Where do you think/know it is? THANKS! Edited March 1 by Rod Hagen
+ ApexNomad Posted March 1 Posted March 1 8 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said: Two stills from the movie Ballet Down The Highway. At first I thought it might be the London Terrace pool, but I looked at some photos of the LT pool, and it isn't. It almost certainly has to be in Manhattan, not one of the other Burroughs nor Long Island, simply because since they only had the camera for the weekend, they had to keep it nearby (though some of the movie is either Upstate or LI, so maybe 2 weekends. Still, I'm sure this pool is/was in the city.) It's so beautiful, I must swim there if it still exists. Where do you think/know it is? THANKS! I haven’t seen this movie, but it almost looks like Asser Levy Rec Center.
Rod Hagen Posted March 1 Author Posted March 1 (edited) 2 hours ago, ApexNomad said: I haven’t seen this movie, but it almost looks like Asser Levy Rec Center. Thank you. Good call. I'm pretty sure it isn't that one though, the tile is too different, though it could have been changed, but the second floor is too different remodeled or otherwise. BUT most importantly, I just watched the scene again and the characters say they are at a YMCA. It's quite possible it was the INFAMOUS YMCA at 213 West 23rd Street. I just rewatched the Village People video, and none of it is inside the YMCA. But ChatGPT swears there was a pool there, and is incapable of trying to find a photo. I think some asshole Slash Lucky Dog owns the whole building now, or most of it. Regardless, even if there is a pool there still it wouldn't look this old fashion, and I wouldn't be allowed to swim in it. Gotta love these old pools. Thank you for the Asser L. Rec Center, I'll hit that place someday. Second floor from Movie: London Terrace Pool Here in LA, USC is nice: p.s. I just watched the scene closely again. Despite the tile, and the second floor, and the fact that they say they are at the YMCA, it could be the Asser Levy Rec Center. Hmm... Edited March 1 by Rod Hagen + ApexNomad 1
+ ApexNomad Posted March 2 Posted March 2 35 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said: Thank you. Good call. I'm pretty sure it isn't that one though, the tile is too different, though it could have been changed, but the second floor is too different remodeled or otherwise. BUT most importantly, I just watched the scene again and the characters say they are at a YMCA. It's quite possible it was the INFAMOUS YMCA at 213 West 23rd Street. I just rewatched the Village People video, and none of it is inside the YMCA. But ChatGPT swears there was a pool there, and is incapable of trying to find a photo. I think some asshole Slash Lucky Dog owns the whole building now, or most of it. Regardless, even if there is a pool there still it wouldn't look this old fashion, and I wouldn't be allowed to swim in it. Gotta love these old pools. Thank you for the Asser L. Rec Center, I'll hit that place someday. Second floor from Movie: London Terrace Pool Here in LA, USC is nice: p.s. I just watched the scene closely again. Despite the tile, and the second floor, and the fact that they say they are at the YMCA, it could be the Asser Levy Rec Center. Hmm... You’re going back 50 years with that movie. My guess is that wherever they shot that scene, it probably doesn’t look the same now. Rod Hagen 1
d.anders Posted March 2 Posted March 2 That pool looks to me like it's the West Side YMCA at 63rd St. In the 70's and 80's, that Y location was the most notorious. I think that location has 2 pools. Not sure if the tiling still exists today, but it could. Whippoorwill, + ApexNomad and Rod Hagen 2 1
+ sync Posted March 2 Posted March 2 https://www.google.com/search?q=tiled+YMCA+pool+in+NYC&sca_esv=109f214143aab34f&hl= This shot of the West Side YMCA pool appears to match the tile patterns in the Ballet Down the Highway screen shots: Rod Hagen, + ApexNomad, soloyo215 and 2 others 4 1
samhexum Posted March 2 Posted March 2 (edited) On 3/1/2025 at 7:09 PM, ApexNomad said: You’re going back 50 years with that movie. My guess is that wherever they shot that scene, it probably doesn’t look the same now. There's a point in the Gordon Grant/Nick Rodgers classic Hot Truckin' in which they pick up a guy riding his bike near their box truck, which is parked along a curb. There is a street sign on a pole on the corner in the background. One night I was bored and decided I had to find a current Street view of that location, and I eventually did, only to find that they had cleared away a great deal of greenery from the spot and the location where the truck had been parked looked very different… And the truck wasn't there anymore, either. Edited March 3 by samhexum because his comment had gotten deleted when he added the attachments and he didn't want to deprive all you good people of his delightful wit Rod Hagen, + ApexNomad and Whippoorwill 2 1
kingsley88 Posted March 3 Posted March 3 Definitely west side ymca on west 63rd street. https://ymcanyc.org/locations/west-side-ymca/about https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Feature-g60763-d93627-zft6217-West_Side_YMCA.html https://maps.app.goo.gl/FmzcEpX4SyKdwwha6 + robear, + claym, + sync and 2 others 2 1 2
+ nycman Posted March 4 Posted March 4 On 3/1/2025 at 4:22 PM, Rod Hagen said: Two stills from the movie Ballet Down The Highway. At first I thought it might be the London Terrace pool, but I looked at some photos of the LT pool, and it isn't. It almost certainly has to be in Manhattan, not one of the other Burroughs nor Long Island, simply because since they only had the camera for the weekend, they had to keep it nearby (though some of the movie is either Upstate or LI, so maybe 2 weekends. Still, I'm sure this pool is/was in the city.) It's so beautiful, I must swim there if it still exists. Where do you think/know it is? THANKS! Upper Westside NYC YMCA. Don’t ask me how I know….it just is. Hey, I used to be young, cute, and poor. What more do you need to know? Rod Hagen, Whippoorwill and + azdr0710 1 1 1
Rod Hagen Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 1 hour ago, nycman said: Upper Westside NYC YMCA. Don’t ask me how I know….it just is. Hey, I used to be young, cute, and poor. What more do you need to know? Oh Wow, there it is. Thank you. + nycman 1
dutchal Posted March 4 Posted March 4 9 hours ago, Rod Hagen said: Oh Wow, there it is. Thank you. Where can you watch the movie?
Rod Hagen Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 1 hour ago, dutchal said: Where can you watch the movie? My apartment :-) Also, here and here: https://gay.aebn.com/gay/movies/72375/ballet-down-the-highway?refid=AEBN-053724 https://www.gaydvdempire.com/1885667/ballet-down-the-highway-porn-videos.html?partner_id=56800950 + claym and Whippoorwill 2
dutchal Posted March 4 Posted March 4 6 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said: My apartment 🙂 Also, here and here: https://gay.aebn.com/gay/movies/72375/ballet-down-the-highway?refid=AEBN-053724 https://www.gaydvdempire.com/1885667/ballet-down-the-highway-porn-videos.html?partner_id=56800950 Thanks! Rod Hagen 1
Rod Hagen Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 Thank you everyone. Such a gorgeous pool. You all are lucky to live there.
Rod Hagen Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 On 3/2/2025 at 8:28 AM, d.anders said: That pool looks to me like it's the West Side YMCA at 63rd St. In the 70's and 80's, that Y location was the most notorious. I think that location has 2 pools. Not sure if the tiling still exists today, but it could. More notorious. Then it definitely makes sense to include it in the film: wink and a nod to people who knew, invitation to those who didn't.
d.anders Posted March 4 Posted March 4 14 minutes ago, Rod Hagen said: More notorious. Then it definitely makes sense to include it in the film Let's not forget, YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association. I don't know the film, but I assume it's porn. How on earth did they get permission to shoot at the Y? Somebody had to know someone somewhere. This is not something that could occur today. How I often miss the 70's and 80's.
Whippoorwill Posted March 4 Posted March 4 They undoubtedly did not get permission. Probably, the hot gay night janitor let them in. Rod Hagen and BSR 1 1
Rod Hagen Posted March 5 Author Posted March 5 (edited) 11 hours ago, Whippoorwill said: They undoubtedly did not get permission. Probably, the hot gay night janitor let them in. All of those glorious gorgeous guys behind 70s Gay Porn were genuine Guerilla-filmmakers Edited March 5 by Rod Hagen + claym 1
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