A tour of writer Gay Talese’s UES “bunker”

Gay Talese gives a tour of his underground Upper East Side office
Gay Talese gives a tour of his underground Upper East Side office

Legendary journalist Gay Talese has lived with his wife in an Upper East Side townhouse for more than 50  years. But when he leaves for work in the morning, he actually heads downstairs, to his phone-less,windowless “subterranean think tank” beneath his home. He recently gave a tour of the “bunker” to the New Yorker.

The underground office, which holds the files Talese keeps of each year of his life, among other artifacts, is the “one place where I think a writer can work without any distractions,” the writer told the New Yorker.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

By signing up, you agree to TheRealDeal Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

On the video tour Talese explains his writing process, why he became a reporter, and how he thinks he’s just “a frustrated interior decorator,” at heart. [New Yorker] — Guelda Voien