Gawker.com, the blog that launched in 2002 billing itself as "the source for daily Manhattan media news and gossip," announced on Thursday that it "would be shutting down next week." (You can read more about why here.)
Manhattan hasn't been Gawker's primary focus in years, but the tweets that followed the news showed it clearly still held sway in many New Yorker's hearts. Scrolling through their responses, a few themes became clear.
1. They look back wistfully at the New York of the early 2000s.
.@Gawker has been around almost as long as I've lived in New York. Can't imagine one without the other.
— Tracy Miller (@MillerTracyL) August 18, 2016
Gawker started the year i moved to new york. it was more nyc-centric back then--i really can't think about my early city experience w/o it.
— lucyswope (@lucyswope) August 18, 2016
I haven't read Gawker in years and years, but from about 2003-2008, it defined so much of how I saw New York. RIP.
— Leila Cohan-Miccio (@leilacohan) August 18, 2016
gawker started right around when i moved to new york and has been my mainstay website ever since, for better or worse. sorry to see it go.
— heatherrook (@heatherrook) August 18, 2016
2. They cite Gawker as the reason they moved here in the first place.
Sitting at my shitty office job and reading dishy 2008 Gawker was what made me want to move to New York. This sucks. https://t.co/Hh8wpyquQk
— Amanda Mull (@amandamull) August 18, 2016
gawker is legit why i moved to new york, for better or worse. this feels strange.
— VEVOBryson (@fwbrantley) August 18, 2016
I read Gawker on the Mac in my suburban CT living room every day in high school and was like, "these weirdos. I should move to New York."
— Maryellen Stewart (@Maryellen) August 18, 2016
I wouldn't be writing in New York if I hadn't been reading @gawker in college. R.I.P.
— Angelo (@eyefivestyle) August 18, 2016
3. If they were actually targeted by Gawker, they're a bit more ambivalent.
Gawker once trashed my New York Times wedding announcement and even I'm sorry to see it go.
— Matt Goldich (@MattGoldich) August 18, 2016
But I also remember when Gawker had a hand in my getting fired--and they mocked me for it. I was a 27 y/o editor. Hardly "punching up".
— Jason Pinter (@jasonpinter) August 18, 2016
4. Even if they don't actually live in in New York anymore, the mourn the idea of the city without Gawker.
The idea of New York City without https://t.co/rJSuvxMHG5 is so depressing. Ugh.
— Gillian At Home (@gilliantweets) August 18, 2016
I hear that all New York things are migrating to Detroit these days. I would welcome @Gawker here. Apparently this city survives Bankruptcy.
— Sarah F Cox (@xoxoCox) August 18, 2016
5. They shared their favorite pieces.
People keep posting "the best" @gawker article, but they're all wrong unless they posted this one by @caityweaver:https://t.co/qZR4IVo8OY
— Caek Islove (@caekislove) August 18, 2016
Agree @AMG_OntheGo ...and in my nostalgia, just tried to find their epic '06 'subway smells' map (in vain) #Gawker https://t.co/BMkP6tDHHN
— Nicole Kaldes (@nicolekaldes) August 18, 2016
5a. (This was almost everyone's favorite piece, though.)
I was hooked on Gawker's Best Restaurant series right from the American Girl Cafe review...https://t.co/mCwsx12sAR
— akerwin (@akerwin) August 18, 2016
Can the Best Restaurant in New York series please PLEASE be made into a book in case the Gawker archives get nuked, I need access
— Jess Zimmerman (@j_zimms) August 18, 2016
People keep posting "the best" @gawker article, but they're all wrong unless they posted this one by @caityweaver:https://t.co/qZR4IVo8OY
— Caek Islove (@caekislove) August 18, 2016
Check out everyone's old favorites, because Gawker won't be making many new ones.
