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Be careful what you wish for. This city was an open, puss-oozing sore back then. The hollow-headed fools who get all dewy-eyed and nostalgic about the "good old days" always conveniently forget the exponentially higher violent crime rates, filthy, barely functional subway system, and the near insolvency of the city. I often wonder if any of these dopes would still get all weak-in-the-knees reminiscing about this city in 1970s had a loved one of theirs been taken from them by one of the countless criminals who were seemingly free to infest and terrorize our streets with impunity back then.
Trust me, if this city even remotely resembled the Thunderdome-esque cesspit it was between 1975-1990, none of these skinny-legged, soy-sucking, carbon-footprint-reducing, artisan-chick-pea-salad-eating, low-testosterone, beta male hipsters would be able to walk the streets of neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Bushwick or Williamsburg. There were large swaths of this city that were simply uninhabitable, including many sections that are considered highly fashionable today.
Of course, for those who are really serious about wanting to live in a place with that kind of gritty, retro urban charm, they're free to move to places like Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, or even Chicago, but, of course, they won't. Or better yet - simply re-elect that thoroughly incompetent poltroon De Blassholio to a couple of more terms as mayor. This city will be an overflowing, Third World spittoon in no time. The sad irony is that those same people who love conjuring up these feverish masturbatory fantasies about how wonderful and special this city was back in the 1970's will be the first to flee it like their gluten-free hummus was on fire should it ever return to that state.
Be careful what you wish for. This city was an open, puss-oozing sore back then. The hollow-headed fools who get all dewy-eyed and nostalgic about the "good old days" always conveniently forget the exponentially higher violent crime rates, filthy, barely functional subway system, and the near insolvency of the city. I often wonder if any of these dopes would still get all weak-in-the-knees reminiscing about this city in 1970s had a loved one of theirs been taken from them by one of the countless criminals who were seemingly free to infest and terrorize our streets with impunity back then.
Trust me, if this city even remotely resembled the Thunderdome-esque cesspit it was between 1975-1990, none of these skinny-legged, soy-sucking, carbon-footprint-reducing, artisan-chick-pea-salad-eating, low-testosterone, beta male hipsters would be able to walk the streets of neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Bushwick or Williamsburg. There were large swaths of this city that were simply uninhabitable, including many sections that are considered highly fashionable today.
Of course, for those who are really serious about wanting to live in a place with that kind of gritty, retro urban charm, they're free to move to places like Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, or even Chicago, but, of course, they won't. Or better yet - simply re-elect that thoroughly incompetent poltroon De Blassholio to a couple of more terms as mayor. This city will be an overflowing, Third World spittoon in no time. The sad irony is that those same people who love conjuring up these feverish masturbatory fantasies about how wonderful and special this city was back in the 1970's will be the first to flee it like their gluten-free hummus was on fire should it ever return to that state.
You do know de Blasio is term limited to only be able to run once more, and no crime has not skyrocketed under de Blasio. I'm not saying you should support him, but there is no need to be dishonest either.
With that said the people claiming the 80s were the good old days are old people wishing they were young again, and looking at their youth with rose colored glasses. As people get stuck in ****ty marriages, mediocre jobs, and live unfulfilled lives, it's easy for them to drift back into the past, where they still had hope.
Be careful what you wish for. This city was an open, puss-oozing sore back then. The hollow-headed fools who get all dewy-eyed and nostalgic about the "good old days" always conveniently forget the exponentially higher violent crime rates, filthy, barely functional subway system, and the near insolvency of the city. I often wonder if any of these dopes would still get all weak-in-the-knees reminiscing about this city in 1970s had a loved one of theirs been taken from them by one of the countless criminals who were seemingly free to infest and terrorize our streets with impunity back then.
Trust me, if this city even remotely resembled the Thunderdome-esque cesspit it was between 1975-1990, none of these skinny-legged, soy-sucking, carbon-footprint-reducing, artisan-chick-pea-salad-eating, low-testosterone, beta male hipsters would be able to walk the streets of neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Bushwick or Williamsburg. There were large swaths of this city that were simply uninhabitable, including many sections that are considered highly fashionable today.
Of course, for those who are really serious about wanting to live in a place with that kind of gritty, retro urban charm, they're free to move to places like Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, or even Chicago, but, of course, they won't. Or better yet - simply re-elect that thoroughly incompetent poltroon De Blassholio to a couple of more terms as mayor. This city will be an overflowing, Third World spittoon in no time. The sad irony is that those same people who love conjuring up these feverish masturbatory fantasies about how wonderful and special this city was back in the 1970's will be the first to flee it like their gluten-free hummus was on fire should it ever return to that state.
Oh please !
I was there remember? It was no where near *that* bad; you make NYC sound like some favela like Cajueiro.
Yes, there was crime and yes, things were far more gritty than today, but still largely if you stayed out of certain places things were pretty much as they are today.
By the 1980's The city was slowly crawling out of the wreckage from 1970's near bankruptcy. Crime was largely influenced by the crack/cocaine epidemic that was sweeping much of the USA so nearly every large urban area was going through much of the same issues.
East Village? You crossed Avenue A at your own risk. Harlem? Forget about it for the most part. Bronx (ditto).
Be careful what you wish for. This city was an open, puss-oozing sore back then. The hollow-headed fools who get all dewy-eyed and nostalgic about the "good old days" always conveniently forget the exponentially higher violent crime rates, filthy, barely functional subway system, and the near insolvency of the city. I often wonder if any of these dopes would still get all weak-in-the-knees reminiscing about this city in 1970s had a loved one of theirs been taken from them by one of the countless criminals who were seemingly free to infest and terrorize our streets with impunity back then.
Trust me, if this city even remotely resembled the Thunderdome-esque cesspit it was between 1975-1990, none of these skinny-legged, soy-sucking, carbon-footprint-reducing, artisan-chick-pea-salad-eating, low-testosterone, beta male hipsters would be able to walk the streets of neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy, Bushwick or Williamsburg. There were large swaths of this city that were simply uninhabitable, including many sections that are considered highly fashionable today.
Of course, for those who are really serious about wanting to live in a place with that kind of gritty, retro urban charm, they're free to move to places like Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, or even Chicago, but, of course, they won't. Or better yet - simply re-elect that thoroughly incompetent poltroon De Blassholio to a couple of more terms as mayor. This city will be an overflowing, Third World spittoon in no time. The sad irony is that those same people who love conjuring up these feverish masturbatory fantasies about how wonderful and special this city was back in the 1970's will be the first to flee it like their gluten-free hummus was on fire should it ever return to that state.
I was there remember? It was no where near *that* bad; you make NYC sound like some favela like Cajueiro.
Yes, there was crime and yes, things were far more gritty than today, but still largely if you stayed out of certain places things were pretty much as they are today.
By the 1980's The city was slowly crawling out of the wreckage from 1970's near bankruptcy. Crime was largely influenced by the crack/cocaine epidemic that was sweeping much of the USA so nearly every large urban area was going through much of the same issues.
East Village? You crossed Avenue A at your own risk. Harlem? Forget about it for the most part. Bronx (ditto).
That's mighty elitist of you. And what about those tens of thousands of people who had no choice but to go into those "certain places" because they either couldn't afford to live someplace else, or had to work in such places? Oh yeah, that's right....screw them. As long as we can reminisce about partying at places like CBGB or Studio 54, who cares about the countless poor and downtrodden victims of rampant crime back then.
That's mighty elitist of you. And what about those tens of thousands of people who had no choice but to go into those "certain places" because they either couldn't afford to live someplace else, or had to work in such places? Oh yeah, that's right....screw them. As long as we can reminisce about partying at places like CBGB or Studio 54, who cares about the countless poor and downtrodden victims of rampant crime back then.
You're not old enough to know anything about CBGB and Studio 54, are you? If you were you would not have made your comment. Hate to tell you but people from all economic levels were there. And BTW, those clubs were prominent in the 70's and not 80's.
That's mighty elitist of you. And what about those tens of thousands of people who had no choice but to go into those "certain places" because they either couldn't afford to live someplace else, or had to work in such places? Oh yeah, that's right....screw them. As long as we can reminisce about partying at places like CBGB or Studio 54, who cares about the countless poor and downtrodden victims of rampant crime back then.
Come down off that cross, we can use the wood.
Anyone with common sense who was around in the 1980's or 1970's for that matter would say the same thing. It isn't a matter of looking down or whatever on anyone. If you had no business being in a dangerous area why would you go there?
In it two girls from Long Island are looking for some party over on Avenue B or someplace east of Avenue A. One girl just won't stop telling her friend about how "unsafe" or "dangerous" it is to cross "Avenue A"! *LOL* The she heard that a girl a friend of hers knew or something got *raped* going past Avenue A.
Yes, it was dangerous as heck going into the East Village in the 1980's. But if you knew how to handle yourself, had some street smarts it was no worse than anyplace else down town. It didn't hurt that some of the best parties and so forth were in the East Village.
No one looked down on anyone who lived in the EV, Harlem. South Bronx, Bushwick, Bedford Stuyvesant or whatever. You just stayed the heck out unless you had a reason for being over there. NYPD would tell you (say if they came across some clueless white kid or whatever walking around parts of Harlem or EV obviously looking as if he didn't belong). In fact that was one of the tools in NYPD's kit to spot those looking for drugs or otherwise up to no good.
I went to NYU in the early 1980s. Whenever I walked through Washington Square Park, drug dealers would pass me, saying "smokes, smokes, smokes," or "loose joints, loose joints, loose joints."
I think they had this notion that by not specifically offering to sell drugs, but only saying those words, they couldn't be arrested. That I had to make the offer to buy, and that undercover cops couldn't do that, as that would be entrapment.
I don't know if their take on the law was accurate, but that's how they plied their trade.
During the day the park was full of skateboarders, seniors on benches, mothers with baby strollers, homeless, and drug dealers. All passing each other by, doing their own thing.
The dealers seem to have been cleared out by Giuliani.
The subways and streets were scarier at night, before Giuliani cleaned things up. In the 1980s, I felt nervous walking Manhattan streets and riding the subways after midnight. Not so during the Giuliani or Bloomberg years.
I last visited NYC in 2013. My sister, who still lives there, says it's really gone downhill with De Blasio.
Ah the East Village in the 80's....when you were
Adventurous if you were on Ave A
Brave on Ave B
Courageous on Ave C........
And Dead on Ave D.. ROFL
I still despise Ave D though.
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