3 ms·

> It'll be a better city all around with fewer people and lower rents. Possibly. It depends who leaves. If it's mainly people that are decently high earners an

> It'll be a better city all around with fewer people and lower rents. Possibly. It depends who leaves. If it's mainly people that are decently high earners and provide a lot of the tax base, it will be dark days for the city for awhile. Budgets will be cut as a combination of the tourism collapse and loss of income taxes will compound to create a crisis for the city. These things domino quickly as shops close, real estate taxes aren't collected, etc. I think a lot of young people don't really understand how miserable the city was in many ways for about 25 years there before it had a renaissance the last 25 years. I agree that a correction is needed. The rent is too damn high, to be sure.

ghaff 6y ago
While I'm sure there are exceptions, I imagine a lot of the people who talk about gentrification or who toss out off-hand comments about the Disney-fication of Times Square never actually saw 42nd Street late at night in the 80s or have conveniently blocked it from their memories.
- eternalban 6y ago
  I remember it. In fact, I even helped build models for the 42nd street renovations as a side gig in school. Time Square was as filthy and sleazy as one would expect from exposed underbelly of the beast. It is definitely cleaner now, but there is a different repelling aspect to it. But the fact remains that outside of 42nd Street New York City had a genuine character and energy that off the charts and far removed from an open air market mass tourism destintation. I sorely miss sitting in front of Fanneli's in Prince street and nursing a pint and chatting up _neighbors_; or catching the local music scene in Bowery or East Village; or walking gingerly past the 'made guys' on Mott Street while avoiding looking Gotti in the eye; or going to that run-down theatre on St. Marks or that other one near Kennedy Center. One could walk for hours those days without a single side-walk rage incident; and of course our brunch hangouts were accessible if we showed up reasonably early. (Brooklyn is kinda the Manhattan pre Guilliani Light and that is where I have self exiled.) I mean, for God's sake, we used to have a Kid Robbot right on Prince street. Now that store is selling nail polish and makeup. Yes it is cleaner now, but damn I miss that New York.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    Yeah, there are definitely downsides to gentrification without mythologizing 1970s/80s vintage 42nd Street.

ghaff 6y ago

While I'm sure there are exceptions, I imagine a lot of the people who talk about gentrification or who toss out off-hand comments about the Disney-fication of Times Square never actually saw 42nd Street late at night in the 80s or have conveniently blocked it from their memories.

eternalban 6y ago
I remember it. In fact, I even helped build models for the 42nd street renovations as a side gig in school. Time Square was as filthy and sleazy as one would expect from exposed underbelly of the beast. It is definitely cleaner now, but there is a different repelling aspect to it. But the fact remains that outside of 42nd Street New York City had a genuine character and energy that off the charts and far removed from an open air market mass tourism destintation. I sorely miss sitting in front of Fanneli's in Prince street and nursing a pint and chatting up _neighbors_; or catching the local music scene in Bowery or East Village; or walking gingerly past the 'made guys' on Mott Street while avoiding looking Gotti in the eye; or going to that run-down theatre on St. Marks or that other one near Kennedy Center. One could walk for hours those days without a single side-walk rage incident; and of course our brunch hangouts were accessible if we showed up reasonably early. (Brooklyn is kinda the Manhattan pre Guilliani Light and that is where I have self exiled.) I mean, for God's sake, we used to have a Kid Robbot right on Prince street. Now that store is selling nail polish and makeup. Yes it is cleaner now, but damn I miss that New York.
- ghaff 6y ago
  Yeah, there are definitely downsides to gentrification without mythologizing 1970s/80s vintage 42nd Street.