by Crimson Boudoir

Created on: October 09, 2009

I grew up when New York was a quintessential haven for small business. Their presence defined neighborhoods. My first apartment was close to St. Marks Place in Manhattan. In the 1970's and 80's St. Marks Place and it's surrounding streets were a home to historic bars, little cafs, artist's quarters, book stores, 100 year old theaters, concert halls, and punk shops like Manic Panic and Trash & Vaudeville( which miraculously still survives). It was a mixture of vintage clothing stores, junk shops and stores which until recently kept all things kitschy alive, like "Love Saves the Day". There were (and I am sure still are) great places for a bite, Ukrainian all night eateries like the " Kiev", and the first sushi bar which opened in '84 on Avenue A. At Browniesyou could hear the latest rock band, and across the street at King Tut's WaWa Hut, you could mingle with all sorts and dance until you dropped. There was the Ritz on 12th street, The World on 1st, and at 14th street and 1st. there was a blues bar, where I used to go hear some of the best musicians in the city play an open jam on Sundays. The streets were alive with music. The East Village was a definitive place where individuality flourished and where music played an integral part. There were historic places to go hear live music too, like CBGB's and the recently closed, Continental. You could hear live music, because that was as much a part of the city as a bagel is. And, you didn't have to pay $25 dollars to do it, because it wasn't a franchised place, it was a part of the neighborhood.

You didn't have a number like 3-1-1 where everyone who dials it can have their own personal bitch fest and rat out their neighbor, whining about the "noise". Don't get me wrong, I like sleep. But I am not talking about late night screamo bands playing at 1, or 2 in the morning on a weeknight. I am specifically talking about a single guitar on a Tuesday at 8pm in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens. Now, they rat you out for that. Maybe the 80's was a more innocent time, a more tolerant time for nightlife in the city. But Since 2002, when "Operation Silent Night" came into existence, 3-1-1 has been the killer of all businesses that are not consumer oriented. . If you can't "eat it, buy it, or wear it" , you're simply run out of Dodge.

( For those of you who live in other places, and are unfamiliar with the terms "Operation Silent Night" and "3-1-1", they are the Mayor's pet projects to "quiet" the city. 3-1-1

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