Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share #26 Posted January 21, 2013 Lol, total opposite for me. I avoid Midtown like the plague, place is just this homogenized maze of tourists where the only locals are stuffy rich people. Midtown, by the way, is the total winner for dark and depressing, it's all shadows. Places like the LES, the Village, Harlem, etc. get way more natural light. I spend pretty much all of my days either below 14th St. or above 96th St.; nowhere near as much character anywhere else in the borough. lol.... If you stay around Madison or Park like I do there are few fewer tourists. Midtown is old money (especially East Midtown) but I can live with that and the vibe is better anyway... Great places to eat, though a bit pricier, but that's Midtown for you. Whenever I'm Downtown either to meet clients or for business or whatever, it feels much less laid back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHV9218 Posted January 21, 2013 Share #27 Posted January 21, 2013 lol.... If you stay around Madison or Park like I do there are few fewer tourists. Midtown is old money (especially East Midtown) but I can live with that and the vibe is better anyway... Great places to eat, though a bit pricier, but that's Midtown for you. Whenever I'm Downtown either to meet clients or for business or whatever, I feels much less laid back. Less laid back? Maybe we're not talking about downtown in the same way, how are you defining it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share #28 Posted January 21, 2013 Less laid back? Maybe we're not talking about downtown in the same way, how are you defining it? I find Downtown to be high stressed, narrow streets, with people smoking all over the place. Midtown is more laid back and a bit cleaner in most parts (particularly East Midtown)... People work hard up there too but the vibe is different. Maybe the stock market has something to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHV9218 Posted January 21, 2013 Share #29 Posted January 21, 2013 I find Downtown to be high stressed, narrow streets, with people smoking all over the place. Midtown is more laid back and a bit cleaner in most parts (particularly East Midtown)... People work hard up there too but the vibe is different. Maybe the stock market has something to do with it. Oh, you're talking about wayyyy downtown, Financial District area. Yeah I don't chill there too much, a lot of the area below Chambers has the same vibes as Midtown to me. The area around the stock market I completely hate, just nothing good there. I think of downtown as more the residential areas of downtown: East/West Village, LES, SoHo, Tribeca, those areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share #30 Posted January 21, 2013 Oh, you're talking about wayyyy downtown, Financial District area. Yeah I don't chill there too much, a lot of the area below Chambers has the same vibes as Midtown to me. The area around the stock market I completely hate, just nothing good there. I think of downtown as more the residential areas of downtown: East/West Village, LES, SoHo, Tribeca, those areas. Yeah... I like TriBeCa, SoHo and East/West Village and am especially fond of Chelsea since I used to work down there but those areas also have some great authentic Italian restaurants. To be honest though, Midtown is wayyy different from Downtown... Totally different vibe and Midtown is more old money while Downtown is more of a hustler mentality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardlet6 Posted January 22, 2013 Share #31 Posted January 22, 2013 Yeah too much rowdiness on 8th ave (Strange people by Port Authority Terminal, too many sex shops etc, it also seems dirtier) 6th Ave on the other hand houses the major corporation buildings, then there's Herald Square, 34th Street shopping district etc, yep totally different vibe. Sheesh even the 6th Ave line looks cleaner go figure! You should have seen that area during the 60s to the nineties. Sex shops on 42 Street between Times Square and Eighth. Triple X movie theatres on Eighth Avenue with 15 year old hookers. Arcades and the notorious Blackjack books and Show World. Now it's Disneyland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realizm Posted January 22, 2013 Share #32 Posted January 22, 2013 Living in New York City almost all my life and being all into it during the 90's as a teen in HS,(House music, the raves, drum n bass, the cafes, the events at Wash Sq Park) I can remember how Greenwich Village used to be like -- lots of fun! Now it's changed and the hipsters has taken over the area, the vibe is sadly gone. I can still remember when they had Tower Records even! I remember how 8th Ave used to be like as you've described during the 90's before I believe Rudy Guliani made the resolve to clean up the seediness of 8th Ave and also Times Square. Man times has changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Concourse Posted January 22, 2013 Share #33 Posted January 22, 2013 Lol, I would guess I'm in the minority, but I like the 'disneyland' like atmosphere of TS. I don't need to see the rows of porn shops lining the streets. Plus aren't there still some along 8th av? Just keep that stuff to the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo19 Posted January 22, 2013 Share #34 Posted January 22, 2013 So it would seem the majority of "blighted" neigborhoods have been homogenized greatly. A shame. Very different from out in L.A. where for the most part each respective neighborhood and area continues to maintain it's respective culture, for better of worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadcruiser1 Posted January 23, 2013 Share #35 Posted January 23, 2013 These videos from New York: A Documentary Film will explain it better. Skip to 5:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87yVl-w8cY8 Also this one.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx8Gikjhom0 Central Park.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted January 23, 2013 Share #36 Posted January 23, 2013 Lol, I would guess I'm in the minority, but I like the 'disneyland' like atmosphere of TS. I don't need to see the rows of porn shops lining the streets. Plus aren't there still some along 8th av? Just keep that stuff to the side. I greatly prefer the current Manhattan to the mess it was years ago. A trip to the city is something that everyone can enjoy now and people come here from all over to visit. People don't have to worry about their safety when visiting and living in the city* * Yes there are unsafe areas but they are a small fraction of the city compared to how things used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realizm Posted January 23, 2013 Share #37 Posted January 23, 2013 Lol, I would guess I'm in the minority, but I like the 'disneyland' like atmosphere of TS. I don't need to see the rows of porn shops lining the streets. Plus aren't there still some along 8th av? Just keep that stuff to the side. Ha! Those porn shops lining the streets was what I did'nt miss, tell me about it!. Glad Rudy Guliani (him right?) made that move to rid of them. But what's killing me is how that original vibe of the Village is forever gone. It was the sh!t back in the days during the 90's with a genuine NYer vibe full of creativity new ideas and alternative culture. To add: I like the comments I am hearing from those who like how Manhattan currently is, in a way it has improved, but, I'm old skool, know what I mean? So it would seem the majority of "blighted" neigborhoods have been homogenized greatly. A shame. Very different from out in L.A. where for the most part each respective neighborhood and area continues to maintain it's respective culture, for better of worse. Yeah my opinion, realizm speaking but that's what happened because of gentrification. A good thing in a way (less crime etc) but at a serious cost in terms of the loss of original NYer culture, that vibe I mean, that was lost in time as a result. That's what I am trying to say to all, (my deep personal feelings as a native NYer) ....... Add: Enjoying this discussion very much, everyone posting here are giving good feedback, this a very solid thread by REAL NYers all of us! Nothing on Earth like the Big Apple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted January 23, 2013 Share #38 Posted January 23, 2013 There are still artists and stuff in those neighborhoods, its not like that creative vibe left. Its like Haight Ashbury in San Fran they still got music stores and people smoking weed there and stuff, but its easier for people from all over to come visit now. What we are seeing is a return back to the city from the suburbs, a reversal of the flock to the suburbs that happened in the 1970s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Concourse Posted January 23, 2013 Share #39 Posted January 23, 2013 The ring cycle just keeps shifting over. It's as if those from Suffolk moved to Manhattan and those from Queens/Brooklyn moved to Nassau etc. There was a cartoon depicting this, but I can't find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realizm Posted January 23, 2013 Share #40 Posted January 23, 2013 I think many of the hipsters are transplants from other US states (or other countries)rich spoiled snotty self-entitled elitist uber-trendy brats, who are in NYC taking advantage of the gentrification process, moving in and raping NYC culture.!!!!! (Yes I'm critical about this!). Had to scream at somebody! Grrrrrrrrr..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted January 23, 2013 Share #41 Posted January 23, 2013 The ring cycle just keeps shifting over. It's as if those from Suffolk moved to Manhattan and those from Queens/Brooklyn moved to Nassau etc. There was a cartoon depicting this, but I can't find it. A lot of those neighborhoods that we consider ghetto today used to be middle class areas like Fordham, Flatbush, Canarsie, and Wakefield but then those people moved out to the suburbs. But now generations later the people who grew up in Nassau and Suffolk are winding up back in Brooklyn and Queens, and the working class people in the city wind up moving down south where the cost of living is lower. Its interesting how higher gas prices and insurance costs have started to reverse a trend thats been going on for decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted January 23, 2013 Share #42 Posted January 23, 2013 A lot of those neighborhoods that we consider ghetto today used to be middle class areas like Fordham, Flatbush, Canarsie, and Wakefield but then those people moved out to the suburbs. Wakefield & Canarsie are still middle-class, for the most part. Yeah my opinion, realizm speaking but that's what happened because of gentrification. A good thing in a way (less crime etc) but at a serious cost in terms of the loss of original NYer culture, that vibe I mean, that was lost in time as a result. That's what I am trying to say to all, (my deep personal feelings as a native NYer) ....... Well, there's always the outer boroughs. Not everything revolves around Manhattan, yanno. The ring cycle just keeps shifting over. It's as if those from Suffolk moved to Manhattan and those from Queens/Brooklyn moved to Nassau etc. There was a cartoon depicting this, but I can't find it. Well, that's an actual pattern in a lot of cities. You have the "concentric rings" pattern, and then you also have the "favored quarter" pattern. http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?cityincome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted January 23, 2013 Share #43 Posted January 23, 2013 Wakefield & Canarsie are still middle-class, for the most part. I've never been to Canarsie, but Wakefield I was up there once, it did not seem like middle class at all. Its no Bedford Park or Schuylerville. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted January 24, 2013 Share #44 Posted January 24, 2013 I've never been to Canarsie, but Wakefield I was up there once, it did not seem like middle class at all. Its no Bedford Park or Schuylerville. The parts away from White Plains Road are more middle class. For instance: http://www.google.com/maps?q=wakefield,+bronx,+ny&hl=en&ll=40.895316,-73.847437&spn=0.019107,0.037894&geocode=+&hnear=Wakefield,+Bronx,+New+York&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.895238,-73.847409&panoid=DgK3SJrevNJFmBvE9VIQ3Q&cbp=12,155,,0,0 The median income once you get away from WPR is generally around $65,000 - $70,000, which is well above the city-wide average of $50,000: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Wakefield-Bronx-NY.html The poverty rate is well below average as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo19 Posted January 24, 2013 Share #45 Posted January 24, 2013 Ha! Those porn shops lining the streets was what I did'nt miss, tell me about it!. Glad Rudy Guliani (him right?) made that move to rid of them. But what's killing me is how that original vibe of the Village is forever gone. It was the sh!t back in the days during the 90's with a genuine NYer vibe full of creativity new ideas and alternative culture. To add: I like the comments I am hearing from those who like how Manhattan currently is, in a way it has improved, but, I'm old skool, know what I mean? Yeah my opinion, realizm speaking but that's what happened because of gentrification. A good thing in a way (less crime etc) but at a serious cost in terms of the loss of original NYer culture, that vibe I mean, that was lost in time as a result. That's what I am trying to say to all, (my deep personal feelings as a native NYer) ....... Add: Enjoying this discussion very much, everyone posting here are giving good feedback, this a very solid thread by REAL NYers all of us! Nothing on Earth like the Big Apple! Lol, but it was those same seedy ass shops that were a part of the village and other areas in the city which in part made up the overall vibe. There are still artists and stuff in those neighborhoods, its not like that creative vibe left. Its like Haight Ashbury in San Fran they still got music stores and people smoking weed there and stuff, but its easier for people from all over to come visit now. What we are seeing is a return back to the city from the suburbs, a reversal of the flock to the suburbs that happened in the 1970s. Slightly irrelevant, but I'll speak in behalf of San Francisco. Areas like that have quieted down. In fact, the Bay Area as a whole has sort of calmed down in comparison from the mid 90's. Isn't as wacky as it used to be that's for sure. I think many of the hipsters are transplants from other US states (or other countries)rich spoiled snotty self-entitled elitist uber-trendy brats, who are in NYC taking advantage of the gentrification process, moving in and raping NYC culture.!!!!! (Yes I'm critical about this!). Had to scream at somebody! Grrrrrrrrr..... Agreed. And it's just not NYC but everywhere in urban areas across the United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted January 24, 2013 Share #46 Posted January 24, 2013 The parts away from White Plains Road are more middle class. For instance: http://www.google.com/maps?q=wakefield,+bronx,+ny&hl=en&ll=40.895316,-73.847437&spn=0.019107,0.037894&geocode=+&hnear=Wakefield,+Bronx,+New+York&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.895238,-73.847409&panoid=DgK3SJrevNJFmBvE9VIQ3Q&cbp=12,155,,0,0 The median income once you get away from WPR is generally around $65,000 - $70,000, which is well above the city-wide average of $50,000: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Wakefield-Bronx-NY.html The poverty rate is well below average as well. I was up by 241 Street getting yard photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realizm Posted January 24, 2013 Share #47 Posted January 24, 2013 Guys! No I don't mean the stupid sex shops! There was the clubs and the house music/rave atmosphere and all that made the Village live back in the days! That's what I mean. The diversity, originality and all. Now it's all mainstream and blah.... The sex shops can all burn in a massive 60 block fire as far as I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realizm Posted January 24, 2013 Share #48 Posted January 24, 2013 The street fairs, the vintage shops, all the times smoking weed in Washington Square Park, I miss all of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted January 24, 2013 Share #49 Posted January 24, 2013 I was up by 241 Street getting yard photos Well, that explains it, then. With a rail yard, and the elevated tracks near there, middle-class people wouldn't want to deal with the noise (Not to mention, tons of people passing through every day). Throughout the city, most areas right near elevated tracks are working-class at best. But if there's middle-class portions of the neighborhood, it's usually further away from the tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo19 Posted January 24, 2013 Share #50 Posted January 24, 2013 Guys! No I don't mean the stupid sex shops! The sex shops can all burn in a massive 60 block fire as far as I see it. Fine then. Keep everything confined to your home. There was the clubs and the house music/rave atmosphere and all that made the Village live back in the days! That's what I mean. The diversity, originality and all. Now it's all mainstream and blah.... The street fairs, the vintage shops, all the times smoking weed in Washington Square Park, I miss all of that. They way I see it, all of that died as a result of the evolution of culture in the late 90's and early 00's (if you can call it that) and the "maturing" of the previous generation. Later on, the influx of the "new" generation greatly affected culture by advocating and accepting a not only a homogenous environment and culture, but also a homegenous lifestyle. I likely read to much into your posts so sorry if I completely missed your point. And if it seems like I'm talking out of my ass I apologize for that to, as I'm sick in bed and delirious as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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