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Reply to "Farewell Charming Old New York: Part 2"

I've just been reading all of the entries here, and I find some comfort in the laments herein, knowing that at least we all see what is happening. It's true that it's happening all over but that doesn't make New York any less heartbreaking. It seems to me that the tearing down of everything that is old, small, full of character, and the replacing of them all with those big ugly bland expensive buildings has reached a frenzy. Yesterday I took a big walk and saw it everywhere, on 18th and 8th a lovely Federal era building had just been demolished--it was always very well kept and beautiful, always had flower pots on the sills, not at all what we used to think of as something that would be knocked down--but ah, it was only two stories tall. Then 3rd Ave and about 10th Street, another pit, another one on Orchard Street, and then of course the poor Bowery, and poor Liz Christy garden and all its lush beauty sitting there so vulnerable. And I didn't even realize until looking at what Daddy wrote, about the old Variety. This makes me cry, actually, and I remember the old ruin of Luchow's and the feeling that I would have as I looked at it. Beautiful old creatures, those places. I remember sometime in the 80s, standing on Bleecker Street with my friend Liza Stelle and she said, Look, isn't that Grampa? I very rarely approach a famous person, but Grampa Munster was standing there and I just couldn't believe how tall he was and I went and said, "Grampa!" I ended up standing there talking with him for a long time on the sidewalk. Grampa gave me a little picture of himself and he told me all about his beginnings in Vaudeville, over at the old Variety Theater. Then soon after he opened a restaurant there on Bleecker Street. Remember Grampa's? Well, it's gone now, along with the whole building that it occupied, and so is the old Variety.

I feel ill at the thought of Terrence pushed out. We are going to go over and interview her for Goodie this week. Which reminds me. Daddy, we MUST finish the one with you and the Empress. Can we make a date? Now is more important than ever.
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