Patricia

Patricia

Independent, Introvert, The Naked Cowgirl

“I spend most of my time in Times Square, where I perform. I only sing the song my husband (The Naked Cowboy) taught me: ‘I’m the Naked Cowgirl. Keeping it real for you. I’m The Naked Cowgirl. You gotta do what you gotta do.’ I sing for five seconds before I shout to the crowd ‘Take a picture! You can take a picture with me!’ I get both positive and negative comments from people. I’ve had older ladies walk by and tell me what I am doing is disgusting, but usually people are really friendly.”

“ I love New York now, but when I first came here I was depressed. I wanted to go back to Mexico. It took me eight years to get used to this city. I started volunteering at senior centers, and that was when my view of the city changed. I felt like I started to get to know New York. I went to places I had never been before and met so many great people who taught me a lot.”

“I teach a salsa class at the senior center. Many of the seniors are in wheelchairs, some of them in a lot of pain. But they tell ‘I’m gonna dance!’ I love the people there, seeing how excited and happy they are. It makes me happy.”

“I moved here in 2003. I wanted to go to school, but my mom didn’t have the money. So I decided to pay for it myself. I started working at a deli. I would go to work at 5am before school and then sleep on the train. I’m the type of person who will always work hard to achieve my goals even when people tell me I can’t do it. If you listen to the negativity, you’re going to fail. I like to call myself a successful woman. You have to tell yourself you can achieve it and not listen to anyone else.”

“I met my husband Robert (The Naked Cowboy) in 2008. We started dating in 2012. Before we started dating, I was working as a belly dancer, and he asked me to come to Times Square and perform with him. He played the drum and I danced. It was nice, but the crowds were nothing compared to what he got as The Naked Cowboy, so we decided to make me The Naked Cowgirl.”

“My husband gets up first every morning. He brings me coffee and I’ll start writing in my journal, just the things that I want to accomplish that day. My husband leaves for Times Square before me. You know, girls always take forever to get ready. So an hour later I leave. If we have a day off I’ll clean the house, he reads books, we’ll go to the gym, to Spa Castle in Flushing.”

“I make all our costumes. I paint the underwear, design the bra, paint the boots, the guitar. Ladies love to buy my husband’s underwear, so he has a whole suitcase of them. He gives away everything. We’re a tourist attraction and our goal is to get more people come visit New York. We want to make people happy.”

Q&A

What neighborhood do you live in? I live in Woodside, Queens.

Best thing about living there? It’s a very quiet and peaceful neighborhood.

Favorite neighborhood? West Village in Manhattan and Astoria in Queens.

Favorite street to stroll? 34th street and Broadway in Manhattan.

Why? It’s the best place for shopping.

Favorite restaurant? Taqueria Coatzingo in Jackson Heights. It is a Mexican restaurant and they have amazing food there.

Favorite bar? I don’t go to bars, but I love to get a green juice in a place in Jackson Heights called Just Made 4 U.

Hidden gem? Hudson River Park is a lovely stretch along the water to go running or just walk around.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? Get used to seeing crazy people in the train or in the streets, learn how to ride the train, don’t pay attention if you see somebody screaming or talking to themselves in the streets. Feel free to be whatever you want to be!

Your New York soundtrack? Juan Gabriel Buenos Dias Señor Sol

“ Some days I feel so grumpy. I don’t want to see anybody or talk to anybody, but I know I have to do it. So to get myself pumped, I’ll lift some weights and do a little warm up dance. Once I start performing my mood changes. I get compliments from the crowd, people smile, it makes me feel better.”

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT PATRICIA

DRESS “I got this when I went back to Mexico. I wanted something that could be a memory from seeing my mom for the first time in 15 years. I almost fainted when I saw her. It was the first time I went back home since I moved here.”

TRAINING WHEEL “My guilty pleasure is sex and eating. I try not to eat junk food, but when I eat, I like to eat a lot of bread and cheese. This is for working out my abs.”

JOURNAL “I wrote repeatedly that I wanted to be a New York resident. They denied my application four times. I kept writing in this journal ‘I will be approved. I will be a New York resident.’ And then the fifth time I was approved.”

BRA “This is the first bra I designed. When I started doing The Naked Cowgirl I used to just buy them. It takes me three hours to make one but it’s like meditation. I think I’m a genius!”

WEDDING ALBUM “We got married in February 2013, by the Hollywood sign. It was Robert’s dream. I love these pictures, all the happy moments. It was a little sad that my family couldn’t be there, but it was a really nice wedding.”