When did NYC become Disneyworld?

[berko]

Left NYC in'99 after living there for 11 years. Ive been coming back periodically and have been watching manhattan and brooklyn gentrify dramatically.
Staying down in Chelsea near the High Line this time, and was startled by how unrecognizable this part of the city has become. I mean, its nice and its safe; but it doesn't even really feel like NYC anymore. Not sure how to feel about it.

[iceman]

2009, apparently: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/op...high-line.html

[The SnowShow]

It's fun but it's lost it's edge IMO.

[berko]

2009, apparently: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/op...high-line.html

That pretty much hits the nail on the head.

[Buster Highmen]

Last time I spent any amount of time in NYC was 1981. On Clinton south of Houston. I gather that area has changed a bit.

The subway graffiti was awesome at the time and I remember reading about the Swiss consulate complaining about the cars being cleaned up circa 2000.

[Benny Profane]

No, it wasn't the High Line, it started when Guiliani converted Times Square from porn theaters and Kung fu theaters and gang warfare arena (re: Taxi Driver) into, well, Disneyland, sort of, making it safe for flyover residents to fly in and spend 300 bucks a seat to see Cats and eat at the Olive Garden in the middle of it all. Yeah, it sucks, but, not as much as what was there before. I almost got mugged in broad daylight on a Sunday leaving Port Authority back in the crack epedemic days, so, not sorry to see that gone, like most people who have to live and work and survive in that place.
The High Line is replacing what would have descended into urban blight anyplace else in America. That is an area of Manhattan that is still a remnant of older industrial and warehouse NYC, which, of course, had zero future, and was declining rapidly before that thing went up. Too bad that more of it couldn't be converted to housing mortals could afford, but, that's a problem the whole world is dealing with in cool places people with money want to live.
I laugh when I'm down there these days. Just down there a few weeks ago to go into the Whitney and a few galleries. I drove a cab in 1978 (re: Taxi Driver, 1976) at night, and played that area a lot, because it was all leather gay bars full of dudes who had to get home to the upper east side and maybe Queens. The Anvil used to right where the Apple Store is. If only these tourists knew what went on in public between parked cars under that high line back then. So, you know, it ain't that bad. Scumbags aren't that glamorous, unless Lou Reed is writing cool songs about them.

[The SnowShow]

That article does hit the nail on the head. Chelsea has become just another outdoor mall.

[Lostmyboards]

It's all about Lead. 30 years after removing lead from gasoline crime dropped across the country very significantly and predictably. Mental health, and intelligence went up significantly, especially for those with the greatest exposure, those in dense, urban, high poverty areas. Naturally NYC is better, it's population is no longer having their brains poisoned.

[digitaldeath]

9/11

[XXX-er]

It's all about Lead. 30 years after removing lead from gasoline crime dropped across the country very significantly and predictably. Mental health, and intelligence went up significantly, especially for those with the greatest exposure, those in dense, urban, high poverty areas. Naturally NYC is better, it's population is no longer having their brains poisoned.

How about Roe vs Wade ?

less disadvantaged people being born

[iceman]

It's all about Lead. 30 years after removing lead from gasoline crime dropped across the country very significantly and predictably. Mental health, and intelligence went up significantly, especially for those with the greatest exposure, those in dense, urban, high poverty areas. Naturally NYC is better, it's population is no longer having their brains poisoned.

It's an interesting theory and I've read quite a bit about it. Certainly there's pretty incredible correlation between blood lead levels and violent crime, but is it causation? Harder to say. Personally I believe it but you'd have a hard time proving it.

[Toadman]

November 8th, 2016. Trump made it a great place again. First time I was in NYC was back in 1991. Worked there briefly on John St. right next to that other street named Wall.

Don't miss the squeegee dudes trying to dirty my car windshield, and then wanting a few bucks for the service.

You can blame my BIL for cleaning up the subway car graffiti. He was working for the Port Authority at the time, and helped develop a solvent to clean up the paint.

Just spent some time back in NYC for Xmas. It definitely has changed over the years but what city hasn't? East Village is no longer crack central. Most parks have really been cleaned up, and the squirrels are the major beneficiaries.




Yes, I legit got into Gramercy Park without climbing the fence...

[bushman]

What kind of sideways world do you live in?

[sb]

In order to save the village we had to destroy it.

[Benny Profane]

I have that same issue posting pics from my phone here.

[FLS]

No, it wasn't the High Line, it started when Guiliani converted Times Square from porn theaters and Kung fu theaters and gang warfare arena (re: Taxi Driver) into, well, Disneyland, sort of, making it safe for flyover residents to fly in and spend 300 bucks a seat to see Cats and eat at the Olive Garden in the middle of it all.

Came here to say pretty much this. Before Guiliani it really was as wild and grimy as its reputation.

[DasBlunt]

NYC did not become a world wide destination because of the strip clubs and kung fu movie houses.....you guys are lamenting the seedy past?

ahahaha,

[Buster Highmen]

you guys are lamenting the seedy past?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Chelsea

During its lifetime Hotel Chelsea has provided a home to many famous writers and thinkers including Mark Twain,[19] O. Henry,[19] Herbert Huncke,[20] Dylan Thomas,[19] Arthur C. Clarke, William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Sam Shepard, Arnold Weinstein, Sharmagne Leland-St. John, Arthur Miller, Quentin Crisp, Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams,[19] Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac (who wrote On the Road there),[20] Robert Hunter, Jack Gantos, Brendan Behan, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Thomas Wolfe, Charles Bukowski, Jan Cremer, Henk Hofland, Raymond Kennedy, Matthew Richardson, James T. Farrell, Valerie Solanas, Mary Cantwell, Rene Ricard and Brad Gooch, R. K. Narayan.

ahahaha, :you're an idiot.

[east or bust]

Wait, so you guys are saying you weren't fans of the Dinkin era?

I worked on Wooster/Grand for a couple months 2 years ago, nothing to complain about in that area. Just a little too upscale, felt out of place. Never took the subway either, only the path to 9th or the WTC, I liked walking.

[Toadman]

What kind of sideways world do you live in?

TGR has some issues these days when you try to post a pic. Give it a try and see if you have better luck. Or, I may have been doing a cart wheel when I took the pic...

[mall walker]

This place I don't live was so much cooler back when it was unsafe for its inhabitants

[fatnslow]

How about Roe vs Wade ?

less disadvantaged people being born

We'll, the ones that should
still usually don't. The lowest on the chain are still too dumb to you know........

[Buster Highmen]

This place I don't live was so much cooler back when it was unsafe for its inhabitants

Like it or not, this is true.

After the Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Beasties, Grandmaster Flash, Television, Patti Smith, punk/new wave in general, the era of great rock from NYC has faded.

[Benny Profane]

Nobody can afford to live there anymore. Nashville is getting hot as a musician's home, because it's cheap, and it's just not country I'm talking about.

[Benny Profane]

NYC did not become a world wide destination because of the strip clubs and kung fu movie houses.....you guys are lamenting the seedy past?

ahahaha,

Please, don't. Just take another hit.