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I am glad you cannot light up a joint in public anymore, because it didn't stop with just a joint. You had those lighting a joint, and others shooting up heroin, and still others smoking crack and prostituting themselves and their children for a hit, all in plain sight, parks, and other public areas. It is great to romanticize the wonderful world of NYC in the 70s and 80s, but the reality was far different.
But I thought that's what we were doing here, romanticizing the grungy 70s! It was Age of Rudy that changed everything. Around 1980, "Junky" writer William Burroughs said, when imagining the perfect place to live, he'd include NYC cops. Imagine! Back then I recall some silly friend cleaning a dime bag of pot on a frisbee in Washington Square Park in the middle of the day, and a cop strolled over, and like he was embarrassed to say it, told the guy, Hey, why ya wanna bust my chops, just put it down a little, don't be so obvious. THOSE were New York's Finest, I thought, like Burroughs said.
And Hell's Kitchen and East Village bars had some real wackos and maniacs ... the after-hours places were well-known and all over. Now, serious lameness rules. Still pockets of coolness, but none of the old intensity and menace.
When you couldn't drink a beer in the park or on the street, that's what started sucking the life out of the city. Guys used to roll around big trash cans of beer on ice, selling em for $1 each. It was like a party every day. Now it's a near police state, of course ... low crime where the pale faces live, but if you want to visit the 70s, I guess you can still go to the nabes where the cops look the other way or don't come around much. Maybe THAT'S why people are moving to these hipster holes, nostalgia.
Last edited by keith talent; 02-28-2008 at 03:01 PM..
In 1975, when I moved to the West Side, it was just starting to gentrify. Columbus Ave. was still marginal but getting hot. That was quite a while ago. We've lost dry cleaners and shoe makers -- M & Ps. Laundromat-wise we're underserved, but we enjoy a very high per capita bank branch ratio. And now you can walk down Columbus Ave. from 73rd to 66th Sts. and pass six or seven skin care/cosmetics stores. For sweet Pete's sake!
I moved from my old neighborhood during the waning days of old New York into a rich neighborhood one mile north. It was the biggest regret of my life. And I am still pretty young.
I missed out on so much because I moved to a town full of spoiled, pampered FAIRIES. And now I will never have a chance to have what I missed because old New York is gone.
I miss the old New York
Riverdale? The Pelhams?
We all miss it. Im trying to figure out how to raise my kids in a place that still has the city neighborhood community and good values, but I dont know if I can stay around here long term.
I agree, the "cool" nostalgic feeling NYC used to give is gone. Not just are we losing our skyline (Twin Towers), but times square has turned into kiddie disney land. How boring! Even the village (West and Greenwich) have lost there edge, and everything is becoming commercialized. The same way MTV stopped playing videos and replaced them with reality and other BS shows, is the same way NYC is going from unique and exciting to "cookie-cutter" and boring! Truly sad and unfortunate to say the least!
I feel sorry for the new generation of people just entering NYC to start their lives. They might as well just go to Chicago or any other typical American city, because NYC these days is not much different.
Oh, come on. New York has more variety of restaurants, shops, and people than anywhere in the world. Those yuppies will never take over the whole city. I was walking around the city last night (Lower East Side area) and saw drug addicts, homeless people lying on the pavement, and hookers. You people spend way too much time in Times Square. People see a street sweeper in these neighborhoods and automatically that neighborhood is yuppified. It’s ridiculous. NYC will always be the most unique, diverse, and real.
You will find druggies, hookers and homeless people in all major cities. As far as NYC being the most diverse and real...it's slowly losing it's flavor and is nothing like it was even 15 years ago. It's edge is slowly diminishing the more commercialized things become. It doesn't send a chill up ones spine anymore the way it once did!
Last edited by Diggur; 02-29-2008 at 09:51 PM..
Reason: sentence missing
Adult theaters and Porno shops, crack pipes and deadbeats, now NYC is tourist friendly. Archie Bunker is a throw back and your neighborhood speaks 15 languages, none of which you do.
Prices are sky and Carson Daily can walk down these streets without getting mugged.
Sad times.
Certain aspects of NYC back then was hot and some things weren't. I remember the Decepticons smacking cats in the heads with hammers. Drug crews like The supreme team in Fort Green and the one in Queens, Mob Style uptown (Harlem), Calvin Klein, Boy George, Diamond (all drug cats). Stick up kids were every where, selling crack was a common thing in the hood and most yuppies enclaves now used to be war zones before. So no, I don't think anyone in their right mind misses that.
BUT, it was also the BEST time/era for hip hop. That was when the "gods" ran hip hop and you had people talking about sensible things instead of how many women they have bagged. Who can forget Mr. Magic, Marly Marl, Red Alert etc. They ran the radio air waves back then. You didn't have to go cop a mix tape, just pop your cassette in and wait for Marly or Red to come on. Who can forget 4 finger rings, Cazels, Wallabees, rocking Lo (Polo). Remember when Albee Square Mall used to be the truth?!
Things have definitely change for the better but somethings will be surely missed. Last time I came home (to Brooklyn) I took my wife and kid through parts of Bed Stuy and Fort green on foot, something I would have never done back in the days.
I definately miss the old NY - it's gone and now so I am. I was born in Coney Island and lived in the LES for most of my life (I am 41). I just moved from NYC last month to the Pacific North West and I am very happy to be gone. NYC is now a big over-crowded, over-sanitized, over-priced, over-hyped shopping mall - nothing special; I can shop anywhere and prefer shopping online anyway.
NYC is in my blood and I will always be a New Yorker; it has shaped who I am and I wouldn't change it for the world. I consider myself very lucky to have grown up in the LES and the old city; however, times change, people change, places change. It happens everywhere; no place is immune. I decided it was better to leave with my fond memories of the old New York than stay and be miserable. Life is too short.
Although it's great to be able to see a concert at the BB King blues Club on 42 street, leave late, take the train home and feel safe, I miss the seedy Times Square of the 70's. For no other reason danger and people who make your skin crawl add to the character the area once had. I know it's silly and stupid to hear but it's just a sentiment. All the techno stuff and endless electronics and corporate stuff just give the area a generic "anywhere USA" impersonal feel. I have sipped gourmet coffee and have seen expensive shops in place of spots 30 years ago where I recall running from drug addicts and hustlers, scared to death but then laughing about it after. It seems you have to listen to the songs of Saturday night Fever and the late 70's disco stuff to appreciate and connect with NY 30 years ago
Certain aspects of NYC back then was hot and some things weren't. I remember the Decepticons smacking cats in the heads with hammers. Drug crews like The supreme team in Fort Green and the one in Queens, Mob Style uptown (Harlem), Calvin Klein, Boy George, Diamond (all drug cats). Stick up kids were every where, selling crack was a common thing in the hood and most yuppies enclaves now used to be war zones before. So no, I don't think anyone in their right mind misses that.
BUT, it was also the BEST time/era for hip hop. That was when the "gods" ran hip hop and you had people talking about sensible things instead of how many women they have bagged. Who can forget Mr. Magic, Marly Marl, Red Alert etc. They ran the radio air waves back then. You didn't have to go cop a mix tape, just pop your cassette in and wait for Marly or Red to come on. Who can forget 4 finger rings, Cazels, Wallabees, rocking Lo (Polo). Remember when Albee Square Mall used to be the truth?!
Things have definitely change for the better but somethings will be surely missed. Last time I came home (to Brooklyn) I took my wife and kid through parts of Bed Stuy and Fort green on foot, something I would have never done back in the days.
Drugs and crime are always a drawback but at least even the crews back then were unique and local. Now they just have West Coast gang mentality creepin in. Back in the day, even somewhat recently, if you didnt want the crime you could afford to move out to the island or Jersey and be safe. Now, the island and Jersey are much more money and they have gang problems out there too.
The city didnt eliminate problems, just pushed them out to more remote areas of the boroughs and to surrounding suburban towns. The modern day gangs are moving very far into the suburbs, but that doesn't matter because we should all bow down to Rudy and Bloomberg for "cleaning up bad areas".
The music back then was great. Forget buying cds and downloading mp3s, I remember poppin tapes in and hittin the record button when the radio played songs I like. Even the rock music was better, and the house music was hard underground stuff. Music today sucks.
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