I think I am obsessed with things that are old. I am always talking about how things used to be-- old times, old days, old New York. I'm getting old, could I be obsessed with myself as well? No, but I am becoming one of those people that is always telling you about how things used to be. Jesus, I'm not even 40, but I am pretty nostalgic. What the hell am I gonna be saying at 80? Just knock me over the head with a hammer then, please.
But lately, I have been a bit teary eyed about the demise of New York. Well, maybe I'm being dramatic, but there are sure some changes taking place that I am sure one day, we will barely be able to distinguish New York from any other mediocre city. Every few months, some other great piece of history dies. This week it was Yankee Stadium. Now, I don't want to hear all the droll about how the Yankees suck. Old Yankee Stadium is a piece of history and soon it will be demolished, like everything else. Sure, there will be a new one. It will be bigger, better, slick and fabulous. But I don't want that-I want old and haggard. Give me the grit of old New York. For god sakes, bust open a fire hydrant in the summer, so the kids can run through it. Paint some graffiti on a wall. Let some kids hang out on a stoop in the prime of their youth. Rent a room at the Plaza-oh sorry, there are no rooms left. What also has me on a tear this week is, I just heard about the new plan to kick everyone out of The Chelsea Hotel. Apparently it is being sold and they want to give all the artists and people who have lived there for 30 years and over, the boot. Of course they do. Oh but they are going capitalize on the fact that famous people have lived and died there, to get people to stay there for $500 a night. They'll probably make some fancy new pamphlet to give out to all these poor tourists that don't know what's what anyway. Meanwhile, why not just let the tourists know about the history as well as letting them know the artists still live there! Ugh-
Ok--let me settle down here. There will be more of old New York posts to come. Although, one question comes to mind whenever I spend my energy writing here----Does anyone read this anyway?
