There was a happy medium, it happened in the early 90s. If I could pick a point of reference I would point to the time when Wigstock came to Tompkins Square Park and was held there for a few years after. I think the first time was around 1993, but I could be wrong. Speaking for myself, I would agree that yeah, nobody wants to go around taking their life in their hands and watching their back every moment in a bombed out crime ridden neighborhood.
But there was a time in the EV when there was a nice mix of grit, and the people were generally geared more toward (for lack of a better way of putting it)a DIY anti-materialistic, anti-mainstream mentality and they could pursue that lifestyle without paying an astronomical rent. It wasn't cheap either, but it wasn't entirely out of reach. This is not revisionist history, this is real because I lived in this time and in this place and I saw it with my own eyes. The reason why there is so much reaction to what's happening right now is BECAUSE this doesn't necessarily exist any longer.
The neighborhood may have changed alot over the decades, but let's face it people, this is a really BIG change because it is so unlike anything that's happened before. It's not like previous eras when when white, non-ethnic people came down to plant their flag of art and creativity in the EV soil. This is about a faceless, generic white-washing that could care less about the traditions of the neighborhood. It's about a wave of people that heard it was a fun, sort of free-for-all, piss all over the place area.
The difference between then and now is that regardless of who came to the East Village in the past, what their socio-economic backgrounds were, that they were maybe bad-asses willing to hunker down in squats and live a real urban guerrilla lifestyle, or just regular people that wanted to be in a creative environment, the focus was more or less the same: art and music, and living as far away from the mainstream as possible. The reason for the change now is because for whatever reason, the young people who are attracted to city living, lived their lives up to this point with different values. Values that by all appearances seem extremely shallow and filled with entitlement. Why this happened to kids born in the 80s and early 90s is a question for the sociologists.
Personally I can say that when I was in my 20s and even now, I was interested in OLD things. I didn't dismiss them because they weren't new. The East Village and NYC used to be a place that made you feel very connected to the past and that is now vanishing. All I can say is too bad for the frat people. If they see the light later on in life they'll realized that they wasted the best years of their lives.
JUNE 13, 2012 12:59 PM
One of the city's last tenement Shuls, now a chic landmarked building, this former synagogue was brilliantly transformed into a magnificent home in 2005 by world-famous designers from the Ian Shrager Hotels – earning recognition in Architectural Record for its extraordinary transformation, and attracting the likes of press, politicians and entertainment figures. Yours to rent is the exquisite result of their top-of-the-line gut renovation...
Other distinctive features that make this sun-drenched residence such a unique work of art are its custom-made windows that are exact replicas of when the building was a synagogue (including the Star of David!), and luxurious touches that include Brazilian hardwood cherry floors, hand-poured Brazililan glass mosaic tiles by Vidrotil, beautiful Wenge wood paneling, radiant floor heating, floor-to-ceiling steel cased windows and doors (the list goes on).
Take the stairwell that descends to be transported into a special space, tucked away in the East Village where nightlife rules. Behold, the perfect opportunity to own your completely renovated and fully operational lounge complete with bar, kitchen and full liquor license. The asking price of $325,000 gives you the keys to start your operation right away with a 10 year lease at $9,000 per month and the rights to transfer the liquor license to your business. This spacious duplex at around 2,400 square feet includes DJ booth, HVAC unit, separate VIP area located on the upper floor, outdoor smoking area and much more.
