Question for Keith

Lol at that autocorrect.

Who are these pink rocks I'm hearing about?

Not a very simple question to answer. My 'punk rock' days in New York basically spanned 1980 through 1983 (I also had what I like to call an early midlife crisis and started playing music again in 1994 that lasted to 2000) certainly in my opinion this was a great time to be in New York City as a curious teenager. I also used to travel to NYC to buy T-shirts at a place on the lower East Side called Eisner Brothers, I was into silk screening and had a small business in high school selling punk rock shirts that I made. This was probably around 1978 to 1980?? I'm certainly guilty of looking at things at this time in my life through rose-colored glasses. Although I never had any issues in the city, this was certainly a much different place, much more dangerous at least potentially.

In general I loved the '80s in NYC, going to see David Bowie in the elephant Man in 1980 on Broadway. And my favorite pastime walking around the village and to some extent Soho buying records at places like Golden disc on bleecker Street (where as a teenager I ran into David Bowie and his son) who were there buying records.

I officially moved to Manhattan in around 1982, I lived on Norfolk Street near Houston where we paid $200 a month for about 1,400 ft. And then I lived at 633 East 6th Street near Avenue c where we paid about the same for half a floor in a tenement building.

I began dating someone, who I eventually married and had two children with who grew up in Chelsea. Her parents were Geraldine Page and Rip Torn, just trying to add some context to my early years in Manhattan. I was hanging out with people like Norman Mailer, Terry Southern, Sandy Dennis, professor Corey Irwin, the Newman's so this provided a very interesting backdrop to my early experiences in New York City. My mother-in-law was doing Agnes of God at the time on Broadway, just so many great memories. The city was extremely diverse, artistically, culturally and financially, I miss this the most about New York. I could be at a dinner party for the theater or New York ballet on Park Avenue (Angelica had a platinum mohawk, everyone found us somewhat interesting, two young punks : ). Or be hanging out in a Soho loft with some up and coming painter or actors at a completely different kind of party, but somehow everybody seemed to mingle together.

I've already gone on too much here and honestly I could write a book about my early years in New York City. However later on when I had children, my perspective did change a little bit. Although when my kids went to West Village nursery School in the 80s, the area was a little bit scary for many. My wife went there in the 60s and we were the first second generation family to attend the school.

All that said, yes I have many fond memories of New York in the 80s. On many levels it was certainly a more diverse place and also a lot easier to live and enjoy without needing to be making a hefty living. For me city Life was about the cultural experience, mixing of different people from different backgrounds. The small cafes, galleries, lots of old mom and pop stores of every ilk, great restaurants and clubs and music scene. So many great memories hanging out at Max's Kansas City and seeing people like Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry or Mick Jagger. Or the Mudd club in SoHo along with all the other small music venues like a7, pyramid club, botany etc. And it was definitely a real adventure to go to Brooklyn back in those days especially neighborhoods like Williamsburg or pretty much anywhere along the waterfront.

Are you sorry you asked the question...lol. like I said I could write a book about the eighties in New York!

Keith Burkhardt
TBG

One additional thought, I think one of the things that kept NYC interesting, people were scared of the city. When I was in 10th grade and would tell kids I was taking the bus into the city to buy records and t-shirts, they'd look at me like I had three heads! It was that edge that sort of naturally kept the population thinned out... For better or worse.

My grandmother commuted in to the city through the '60s and '70s to work at 1 Wall Street. She had nothing good to say about New York! Lol.

So, high prices are the problem and crime is the solution.

Keith you really should think about writing a book.

Keith,
I would definitely read your book. I was a suburban kid who started hanging out in NY in the late '70s as a teenager selling knock off t-shirts at rock concerts outside the Garden. Many a night running away from the cops that the band sicced on us. (My parents had no idea that went on.) Southern rock bands were the worst for that. Hanging out in Times Square waiting for the show to end to sell more shirts. As a 16-year-old it was so seedy and I loved it. I recapture that era's vibe watching movies like Three Days of the Condor to see what long-lost businesses appear in the background of scenes.

@GeorgeP sounds like we shared a similar youth! I used to sneak out my bedroom window and then back in it! Not to be overly nostalgic, but I do the same thing when watching old movies or TV shows about New York City, keep my eye out for some long forgotten shops and restaurants etc.

Just picked up The Hot Rock. Any other 1970s NYC movies that people can recommend?

The French Connection.
Mean Streets.
Marathon Man.
Taxi Driver.
Saturday Night Fever.

When you say "picked up" 1970s movies:
VHS or Betamax?

Hah, DVD. But probably more available on tape.

Sometimes Kanopy has the old movies for free.

Midnight cowboy, Panic in needle park

Prisoner of Second Avenue; Kramer vs. Kramer

Favorite NYC 'location' films:
Manhattan (1979), Annie Hall (1977), Godspell (1973) (the last for Victor Garber as well)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088680/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Last Tango in Paris, The Garden of the Finzi -Continis, The Conformist, Easy Rider (1969) ( was it true that Rip Torn was recast by Dennis Hopper?, instead Jack Nicholson got the role playing George Hanson; he was incredible, he became an instant star. That role was written by Terry Southern (author of Red-Dirt Marijuana) for Rip Torn.

stache,
I have a friend who hated After Hours because it hit way too close to home. I don't think there was a location in the whole thing we hadn't been to. Plus a lot of the plot actually happened.

Same thing with Spinal Tap.

After Hours brings back memories of living that life at the time.