On my most recent visit to New York City I got a small, a light reminder of what New York City used to be like. There were a few moments around Penn Station and in Chelsea that reminded me of what the city was like on my earliest visits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I was actually staying in Hell's Kitchen, but it isn't very hellish anymore.
Yes, New York City is a much safer, cleaner place than it used to be, but it also seems a bit sterile. In some ways, it's no longer as innovative, as cutting edge, rather at times it just seems to be a larger replica of any shopping center in any town in America.
This post is to remind some of us and educate others as to what the City used to be, so rev up that Trans Am, turn up that boombox, and enjoy the days of Crime and Grime:
