My city was gone
Back in the 50s and 60s, Robert Moses was considered a powerful force of urban destruction. As head of public works for New York City, he had bulldozed blocks of tenements to make way for housing projects. He cut through the Grand Concourse section of the Bronx to create the Cross Bronx Expressway, destroying once thriving neighborhoods. There were plans for a highway that cut through SoHo and lower Manhattan, that luckily never came to fruition. He was even blamed indirectly for the disappearance of the original Penn Station, that beautiful McKim, Mead & White landmark, demolished in 1964.
But, along with the destruction also came great public works – Jones Beach, the Triborough Bridge, the 1964 New York World’s Fair pavilions in Queens. For the most part, his projects were meant to keep people moving, giving them access to beaches, parks and other activities outside of New York City.
The mass changes going on for the past few years are far worse than anything that Moses could have ever dreamt up. Many middle-income housing developments like Stuyvesant Town have gone private. Renters used to sit on waiting lists for years just to get a coveted two-bedroom apartment in a safe building with some green space. They weren’t the most glamorous buildings. No doorman, or concierge. Just an affordable, clean place to share with a roommate or raise kids.
Besides housing, many of the small retail businesses and restaurants that make up the unique nature of the city are being forced to close their doors. This change has been more subtle. It started as far back as the late 80s. I noticed the change while I was going to N.Y.U. In those years 8th Street was THE center of interesting vintage clothing stores, funky leather shops, independent record stores, 8th Street Playhouse movie theater – the only place to get the authentic Rocky Horror experience, and, of course, the famous Electric Lady recording studio. Plus, even though it was a chain, the B. Dalton on the corner of 8th and 6th Ave. always hosted to the best book signings. Lou Reed even showed up once to autograph his book of poetry and lyrics.
Two blocks West you could get to the epicenter of Gay culture, a few blocks South folk/rock history met Jazz legends. Folk City right around the corner from the Blue Note. Folk City is long gone – the place where Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and many others started.
Right now there are several empty storefronts on 8th Street, along with some soon to be empty. Will the new tenants not want the cramped older spaces, will developers start leveling the charming duplex walkups? Only time will tell…
Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York is a great blog tracking the day-to-day progress of the destruction of a unique city.
