Die hard New Yorker here ( albeit with a house to escape in the Catskills). First of all- next time you come, you'll go to Daytona Trimmings in the district. Still going strong with two cats that prowl the aisles !Second- India is amazing and totally wack! I've been there four times Would go back tomorrow., Happy to send you my recs. ( and BTW- the contemporary Indian fashion scene is amazo!)
Garment district ?! I never went downtown nyc except for the village. Moved from home city LA when I was 21. Lived 783 Madison Ave. 5 floor walk up. Worked temp jobs . Most Ad agencies and film production. Crazy , wonderful mid 1970’s. Sex was alive and especially well. What a time to be alive ! Happy Turkey
Oh, no! NOT M&J trimming, too!!!! From high school onward, I frequented them for everything, from trim to tassels to buttons -- and that whole neighborhood was once the feather & flower district ... (floral crowns and headbands were a thing when I was in high school so I made my own instead of spending $$$ to buy store-bought); and years later when I had my own non-profit classical theatre company, M&J was the best place to source period-looking trimming for everything from medieval tabards to Edwardiana.
Oh dang, I was just there in the fall! I miss all the bead/finding shops on 6th. At least Toho still exists, near Bryant Park now.
I really dislike change, which is an unfortunate trait in someone who still considers herself an adoptive New Yorker, and is a devoted reader of New York history.
That scaffolding became law through the death of a student at Barnard, Grace Gold, who was killed by falling scaffolding from a Columbia building in the spring of 1979. At first Local Law 10, put in place through the lobbying of Grace's sister, Lori, required building owners to check their scaffolding. It morphed into a law requiring the protective scaffolding on buildings under construction. I grew up in Brooklyn and went to high school with the Gold sisters; it's hard to remember a time before the ubiquitous scaffolding but indeed that's what it looked like like until the 80s. https://www.habitatmag.com/Archive2/362-January-2019/The-Tragedy-That-Changed-the-Face-of-the-City
Yes, perfect. There was still enough gross yucky stuff in Times Square/midtown to remind you you were in a major city, but it was cleaned up enough you could walk around at night without being extra concerned for your safety, even while drunk and making poor life decisions, or so I’ve heard. 😶
I was a little underwhelmed. Good but not great, in my opinion. I don’t like criticizing a show or really any creative endeavor unless I’m going to write about it at length, so I was being quiet about my disappointment.
I SO get the living in NYC - made me feel a bit nostalgic… India! Exciting! Xo
Die hard New Yorker here ( albeit with a house to escape in the Catskills). First of all- next time you come, you'll go to Daytona Trimmings in the district. Still going strong with two cats that prowl the aisles !Second- India is amazing and totally wack! I've been there four times Would go back tomorrow., Happy to send you my recs. ( and BTW- the contemporary Indian fashion scene is amazo!)
Please send any recommendations! Shopping tips especially welcome. Thanks!
"the efflorescence of scaffolding" -- I adore this!
Garment district ?! I never went downtown nyc except for the village. Moved from home city LA when I was 21. Lived 783 Madison Ave. 5 floor walk up. Worked temp jobs . Most Ad agencies and film production. Crazy , wonderful mid 1970’s. Sex was alive and especially well. What a time to be alive ! Happy Turkey
Excellent read.
Strongly recommend Colton Whitehead’s “The Colossus of New York” and specifically this chapter about, well, all of this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-11-11-01-lost-and-found.html
Yeah. That's a really wonderful piece about being part of the NY diaspora. (My slice of time there was 1980-89.)
Ugh, *Colson - no edit button
Oh, no! NOT M&J trimming, too!!!! From high school onward, I frequented them for everything, from trim to tassels to buttons -- and that whole neighborhood was once the feather & flower district ... (floral crowns and headbands were a thing when I was in high school so I made my own instead of spending $$$ to buy store-bought); and years later when I had my own non-profit classical theatre company, M&J was the best place to source period-looking trimming for everything from medieval tabards to Edwardiana.
Sadly, it’s true. End of an era.
Oh dang, I was just there in the fall! I miss all the bead/finding shops on 6th. At least Toho still exists, near Bryant Park now.
I really dislike change, which is an unfortunate trait in someone who still considers herself an adoptive New Yorker, and is a devoted reader of New York history.
That scaffolding became law through the death of a student at Barnard, Grace Gold, who was killed by falling scaffolding from a Columbia building in the spring of 1979. At first Local Law 10, put in place through the lobbying of Grace's sister, Lori, required building owners to check their scaffolding. It morphed into a law requiring the protective scaffolding on buildings under construction. I grew up in Brooklyn and went to high school with the Gold sisters; it's hard to remember a time before the ubiquitous scaffolding but indeed that's what it looked like like until the 80s. https://www.habitatmag.com/Archive2/362-January-2019/The-Tragedy-That-Changed-the-Face-of-the-City
NYC 1993-2013. Best years, worst years, wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Yes, perfect. There was still enough gross yucky stuff in Times Square/midtown to remind you you were in a major city, but it was cleaned up enough you could walk around at night without being extra concerned for your safety, even while drunk and making poor life decisions, or so I’ve heard. 😶
Muji - I feel that so much...I want to organize everything!
“the efflorescence of scaffolding” — Wow!
I noticed there were no comments on Stereophonic - intentional?
I was a little underwhelmed. Good but not great, in my opinion. I don’t like criticizing a show or really any creative endeavor unless I’m going to write about it at length, so I was being quiet about my disappointment.
A solid show. Perhaps a wee bit longer than it needed to be and maybe not the greatest show to ever hit Broadway. But solid.
Have fun in india.
Enjoy that trip to India!!!!
I’m leaving a link to a Dave Frishberg song that puts words and melody to some of the always resonant sentiments you so eloquently express here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zxilQVp_4