Explaining Myself, Not Very Well

Xmastime wanted to know if I was glad that the city seems to be taking a slight downturn. While I responded to his comments regarding "Everything is just a little askew," I thought I'd take a whack at explaining myself here.

Of course I don't want a return of high crime, unsafe streets, dirty subway stations, homeless everywhere, men crapping on the streets (oh wait, that was me), etc.

But I also don't want more hideous hi-rises. I don't want Harlem to vanish into a sea of gentrification and corprification (that's my own word). I don't want a Duane Reade on every corner (I know, too late). I'm disgusted that Williamsburg and Green Point look more like Tel-Aviv these days with those awful glass buildings everywhere. I'm not against construction, but does every building that goes up have to be in direct contrast to what's already in the neighborhood? Does every architect think he's the new Howard Roark? Peter Keating is more like it.

So does this mean I'm against progress? I'm not sure how we define progress. If a city losing its character and color is progress, then yeah, I'm against it. I'm against turning Willets Point into a strip mall. I was against the westside stadium.

Am I one of those hypocrites who bemoans gentrification after they've gentrified? Probably. After college I made a beeline for Alphabet City and lived on 5th Street and Avenue B. This was 1986. Tompkins Square was full of tents, etc. I loved it. Not the apartment. That was an overpriced room ($520 a month, which was a lot back then)with a floor that you could skateboard on.

Now I look at the East Village and I literally do not recognize it. I dare say my Manhattan Valley hood (not the UES Xmastime, come on!) has more cred. But I played a part in all that by moving there when I did.

I want to see Danny Hoch's one man show on gentrification even though obviously some of that shit applies to me. That said, I won't be buying in Washington Heights or Hamilton Heights.

So what? Is no one supposed to move to New York? That makes no sense. Of course, it doesn't. What's changed is who moves to New York and why. New York used to be a creative and cultural hub as well as the financial center of the world. Now, more often than not, the ones who can come here and stay here are in it for the money. The rest can't make it here anymore.

I don't know where the hell this post is going. I'm sure my views have only become more muddled and I've set myself up for a verbal beat down.

But I'll still smile the empty apartments and retail space inside the two twin monsters on Broadway and 100th everyday on my way to work until the inevitable Whole Foods arrives.

And yes, I'm a hypocrite. I'm saying it now so in a few years when I buy some one bedroom in Hamilton Heights I've covered my tracks here.

But I sure will feel guilty about it.