What's The Same In New York Since 1989

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As of this weekend, I have been in New York for 32 years. They say you become a "New Yorker" after 10. I suppose I am New York to the 3rd power?

Last week I had one of those sensory memories walking to a client meeting in the August humidity. While crossing 5th Avenue, the heat, the noise, and the smells transported me to another late August day back in 1989, pounding the pavement with "The World's Heaviest Briefcase" looking for a job.

It made me stop and smile. A lot has changed since then of course. I certainly have. But a few things remain the same here. I've made a list of what's the same for me since those early days:

WHAT'S THE SAME IN NEW YORK SINCE 1989

* There's another pandemic now, just as misunderstood and misappropriated by political interests.

* Rent is still "Too damn high" as one upstart political party used as a battle cry about 10 years ago. Except for rare blips, rents go up exponentially.

* You always want more. If you live here, you know what I mean.

* The thrill you get from live theater. I still get giddy at the thought of walking to a Broadway show or seeing one of my favorite bands at Madison Square Garden 10 blocks from home. Thank heavens the TKTS discount booth is still in Times Square.

* I used to think, "Will they ever be done building New York?" No, they won't. Yet, sometimes you get new treasures to explore and make your own, like my neighborhood gems The Highline Park and Little Island right in the Hudson.

* A sense of anything can happen here. Good or bad.

* The consistent disregard for others' well-being became more obvious during COVID when the "haves" were outnumbered by the "have-nots."

* The 2-for-1 happy hour remains an economic necessity regardless of your salary level.

* You still need that hustle to survive here.

* Dr. Zizmor's subway ads.

OK, your turn. What's the same for you since 1989?

Comments

l i t t l e b r e t t , BIG CITY

When I left college in 1989, I was a virgin with corn-fed drive and a terrifying secret. It could disappoint or disgust my family and friends. It could even kill me. But I couldn’t hide from it anymore. With "The World's Heaviest Briefcase," I escaped on a midnight train from Lima, Ohio to the YMCA on West 34th Street in Manhattan. Being gay had to be easier in New York, even though I was arriving with no home or job. Right away, a hooker chased me in Times Square, and perverts watched me shower at the Y. I filled payphones with quarters each day, desperately seeking work. Ultimately, I was confronted by my biggest fear when dating my first man – a member of AIDS activist group ACT UP. Could I really survive in one of the hardest cities in the world? Or would I fail and return to Ohio, back in the closet to find a wife and a lawn to mow. l i t t l e b r e t t , BIG CITY celebrates finding your own place in the world. Here I recall and sal

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Little Brett, Big City

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