New York City, 2026. We are living in a bold, transformative new era. To mark the occasion, we've made some eye-catching new swag for our subscribers.
That's right: It's Hell Gate's first-ever T-shirt! And you can get it on sale right now.
Our limited-edition, union-made, graphic tees look like this:
Yes, this is a cool shirt. Yes, it was designed by the incredible artist Olive Panter. But it's also a callback to one of the most iconic pieces of civic propaganda ever made—the "Welcome to Fear City" pamphlet.
In 1975, as New York City faced an existential budget crisis, the NYPD's biggest police union tried to gain leverage in their contract negotiations by printing up a pamphlet with the menacing skull on the cover as a "survival guide" for tourists, painting the entire city as a slum overrun by vice and crime. Cops distributed the pamphlet (Sample advice: "Don't walk") to people arriving at JFK Airport. While the union ultimately failed at preventing the budget cuts, they did succeed in producing a legendary zine, one that feels freshly relevant today given the reactionary freakout at the dawn of this new epoch.
So, how can you obtain this sacred swag? As with all our merch, you can only get one by becoming a Hell Gate Believer. And this week only, you can grab an annual Believer subscription for only $150. That's a 25 percent discount off our usual $200 annual price!
Already a Hell Gate Friend or Supporter and want to become a Believer to get the shirt? Make sure you're logged into our site, then click here. Then next to your subscription level, hit "change" and upgrade to a Believer! (We recommend the annual subscription, which saves you 17 percent over a monthly subscription.)
When you subscribe to Hell Gate, you are supporting worker-owned local journalism at a time when the city needs it more than ever. As a Believer, your subscription entitles you to a whole bunch of perks, including:
- Exclusive invites to our quarterly events;
- Unlimited access to the thousands of articles on our website;
- Commenting privileges on our site, so you can tell us how you really feel;
- Our Inbox Hell and Morning Spew newsletters;
- A Hell Gate sticker; and
- Limited-edition annual Hell Gate swag (this year: the T-shirt!).
Are you already a Hell Gate subscriber and want to know how and when YOU can get the shirt? Here's a little FAQ that will answer your pertinent questions!
Subscribe to Hell Gate and become a Believer now! Don't delay—this sale ends Sunday, March 1.