[Click on image to enlarge]
Here's a photo that EVG reader George Cohen took in 1968 "of the hippie scene on St. Mark's Place between Third and Second Avenues, looking east."
Friday, June 13, 2014
Meanwhile on St. Mark's Place in 1968….
[Click on image to enlarge]
Here's a photo that EVG reader George Cohen took in 1968 "of the hippie scene on St. Mark's Place between Third and Second Avenues, looking east."
23 comments:
Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.
However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.
If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.
THAT DOLLAR would've been hi-way robbery
ReplyDeletePizza was 20 cents in 1969.. the choice was, a ride on the train or a slice in those days, then they raised the Subway Fare to 30 cents, and PIZZA followed suit
Not only did they survive, they seemed to be having a damn good time AND unknowingly-love it or hate it-carved out a place in history that is still talked about now. Not only that, they did it without a lot of things that are 'needed' in the EV today; condos, upscale dining, woo culture, douchebags, the list goes on. These people look at what this neighborhood has become now and have a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteI was born too late. The EV in the 60s must've been fucking incredible. I'd gladly take it any day over what's happening now.
I agree. We had it all, Man. But could't break down the wall, motherf**ker. The current lads (and lassies) are just too way out there to even consider alternatives.
ReplyDeleteWoW... 34 & 32 never looked better, and who knew before St.Marks Books was there you could buy liquor in my building
ReplyDeleteWish I knew what month it was, either my mom was pushing me out at St. Vincents or was still "in residence"
"Those were the days". At least for us white guys. If you were black, female, jewish, or gay, well not so much.
ReplyDeleteI lived a couple of blocks West in that era and it was great. I was a young woman,renting my own apartment, living independently, self supporting and it was a great time,much more interesting than now.
DeleteThe war in Vietnam had peaked in deaths the year before but would not end (for the US) for another 6 years. Positive things were happening with civil rights and the Stonewall riots may have been weeks away when this picture was taken. Today a consumers culture has consumed us, wealth is concentrated to a small percentage and the rest of us are being forced out of our homes and neighborhoods. Enjoy today even if it seems like shit because 40 years from now other will be thinking how cool and good we had it.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see a street shot of NYC without any morons texting (and not looking where they're going) or yakking incessantly on their cell phones. If you told these people in the photo that those things were guaranteed to come in the next 45 years it would've sounded like a dystopian nightmare which probably would've scared them to death. They didn't need those 'devices' to survive back then and they did just fine without them.
ReplyDeleteWhich way to the Way-Back Machine, I need to get out of here.
I was talking to a guy on my street here in Bed-Stuy the other. He's a retired teacher, a black dude, who lived in the Village in the '60s. He talked about going to see Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and others at a club on St. Marks, and another place down on I think 4th. Larry Rivers, Mark Rothko and others hung out there and he and his friends would tend bar at Rothko's parties.
ReplyDeletePeople talk about the good old days of NYC in the '70s, but I think the '60s must have been pretty great - all that art, without the decay (at least in the Manhattan).
The Five Spot, which used to be on Cooper Square moved to #2 St Mark’s Place in the early Sixties. That’s where the guy you spoke with woukd have heard Monk, Miles, all the others you mentioned. It was there until ‘67. I cried when it closed. The other place, Slug’s Saloon, was on Third between B & C. Sverybody who was anybody innJazz played Slug’s, and so did those who wanted to be somebody. Called Slug’s, it was one of the greatest Jazz clubs New York has ever known. Until one night in Feb of ‘72, when Lee Morgan was shot and killed by his common law wife, between sets. There was a huge snow storm that night, and speculation was Morgan, who bled to death, might have survived if the ambulance had been able to get there sooner. Slug’s closed later that year.
DeletePizza was 15 cents a slice, at 12th St and 1st Ave. I remember, I felt up my first girlfriend as the pizza man smirked at me.
ReplyDeleteI miss the days when people looked like individuals, and the city was a dirty, but democratic oasis that welcomed everyone regardless of financial or social status. Bring back the 60s. Hell at this point I'd even take the 70s or the early-mid 80s!
ReplyDeleteI wish it was the sixties, I wish I could be happy, I wish, I wish, I wish that something would happen.
ReplyDeleteYes per above, pizza was 15 cents per slice. My mom would give me 60 cents for lunch most days, that was 2 slices, a grape drink, a chocolate bar, and a few pieces Bazooka. Or I could hold off on the chocolate or bazooka for a couple days to save up 12 cents for a great Marvel comic book instead.
ReplyDelete""Those were the days". At least for us white guys. If you were black, female, jewish, or gay, well not so much."
ReplyDeleteWell, more accurately; "This was the place".
If you were any of the four groups you mentioned, you wanted to be here. It was pretty much the makeup of the city (as compared to other places in the country).
In any case; yeah looking back through rose colored glasses is easy; but yeah, sure makes me wish for another time.
Gee I don't see any Fro-Yo places in that photo.
ReplyDeleteOh right...they had more important things to do back then. I guess a simple ice cream cone was enough like it should be now.
It's like we've DE-volved as a culture since then. Thanks a lot 21st Century.
My dad worked at NBC in New York. He took us to a taping on St. Marks to see Gary Puckett and the Union Gap perform, situated on a fire escape on the face of a building. We sat on a stoop across the street with Monty Rock III who spent the entire time with us. The photo above is exactly what it looked like then and took me back to that time.
ReplyDeleteWhere were the yippies/ zippies at a grateful dead concert?...
ReplyDeletePretty sure someone is panhandling off of someone somewhere in this pic. I wish i was around for the 60's. Though I did take the brown acid at woodstock when I was 2.
ReplyDeleteOne thing looking at this pic, I wish who ever had the 'bright' idea of jutting out stores like Vape Store all the way to Jewel 2 had never been born or dropped a lot of acid and never had that particular thought
ReplyDeleteIt has completely made the block into a strip mall, I thank Granny Goodness I live in the back of the building... :(
Funkiberry could have never existed in the 60's since everything back then was in black and white, while today we have millions of colors.
ReplyDeleteActually you could get pizza for 15 cents on 1st ave. and 3 rd st,. there was a pizza place that was 20 cents owned by a guy named Pete who eventually went to being a lawyer,That was on 2 nd ave between 4 th and t5 th st.. I was a kid of 11 years old in 68 growing up in the east village. If you want to have a small idea of what was like go to New Orleans to Frenhmen st.
ReplyDelete@ Unknown
ReplyDeleteHa. I remember Pete - little guy with black curly hair. After Pete came John and his son John. Then they sold to Dominick and his son Dominick? who moved a few storefronts over after a few years.
I also remember Carlos who worked for Pete and John. He always had a new pair of sneakers each week and would hollar at the girls who walked by from the front window. Thanks for the memories!