What was NYC like in the early 2000s?
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Anonymous
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I would walk from the theatre district (after a last minute decision to meet a friend for a show) and walk home to my Murray Hill neighborhood after a show without thinking twice. And we weren’t the only people out either. Low crime, and it didn’t hurt that I was in my 20’s either. It was such an amazing time.
I still do this day though remember the flyers hung up after 9/11. Some were up for so long. It was so sad. And that smell. But people were kind. |
Anonymous
Yeah I didn't think twice about walking everywhere. |
Anonymous
Crime was really gone by 1996. The city was gorgeous and fun then. The retail apocalypse might bring the fun back, but now it’s really a city of coffee places, delis and faux gourmet burger places. |
Anonymous
| It was a lot more interesting with different generations living there and different socio-economic groups. I remember all the little antique shops run by tiny old ladies down in the village, fondly. |
Anonymous
I agree. I moved there when I was 18f and took the train at all hours everywhere around the city with friends. It was just amazing. |
Anonymous
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NYC died 12-31-1999. 2020 to present is not NYC.
I say 12-31-1999 as huge bull market of 1990s and Y2K consulting projects had people loaded up on cash. The Y2K consulting bubble popped 12-31-1999, stock market crashed March 2000 and then 9/11. I worked in NYC from 1986 to 2016. But I grew up in NYC. I did new years in 1980 was wild being in Times Square back in wilding days, Bernie Getz, Son of Sam, John Gotti days where drinking age was 18 and we had High School bars. Yes I went club hopping in Manhattan in the 1970s! I loved 1986 when I was making a boat load in the stock market and coke and cash were king! Many a night waking up suit pants around ankles in some girl from happy hour. No cell phones you just leave. I loved the Dinken era NYC hookers on the street, crack heads, three card monte, after hours clubs. My friend owned a massive club in NYC open to 10am!! Partying China Club till 430 am on a Monday. I loved no chain restaurant places. No Starbucks, target, all local bodegas. And diners and bars I loved the cheap rent and wild times. Heck once at Webster Hall totally wacked out of my mind at 1am from drinking since 5 pm still in business suit I casually walked on stage in middle of naughty by nature doing OPP and took a Mike and did the song!! Partied once with Joe Montana, Lee Majors, John Travolta in a Monday night at 3 am in a hot club. NYC used to be wild. I was out once the Head of a department at Morgan Stanley at two amand wacked out he challenged the two bouncers to a fight. These dudes get a third bouncer then grab him. He kicked all their asses, dude was a black belt and ex Marine. 50 year old white guy in suit going full nuts in a bar with no cops called. I worked in Manhattan post 199 2000-2016 but although 2004-2007 pretty good the crash of 2008 and 2009 along with HR clampdown and political correctness and Me Too and chains restaurants killed off NYC. I also think post 9/11 security killed off a lot I love NY. But me getting hammered at 17 and club hopping, hanging out after hour bars not coming back. My good buddy had 20,000 people at his illegal after hours Club each week with a full casino, dance floor and people doing coke in 1992. Was so crazy married walls street brokers in surburbs take early train to work and on way to work stop in and party 7-9am. Can you imagine showing up to work 9 am after having a few shots and lines of coke. NYC was great! |
Anonymous
| Wow, this is all so interesting to read. I lived on the UES from 2000 to 2005. So many familiar names, specifically Tin Lizzie's and Veselka. Someone mentioned Chowhound. What about the Zagat's Guide. I remember buying a paper copy of that book and using it to pick restaurants. Eating out was definitely a thing, I spent more money on food than I should have. Going out (wearing a going out top) was also a major activity. What about Tasti Delite (sp?)? That was dinner some nights. Lol. I'm starting to forget the names of places.... But I'll try to name some -- The Barking Dog, McFadden's, shopping at Century 21. Ugh, my memory is terrible. |
Anonymous
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I grew up NYC and lived there 1962 to 2017.
One funny thing I remember my dad drove for a limo company. A new play on Broadway back in 1968 hit and my Dad work pick up customers who could not stop talking about it. He decided to take Mom. It was Hair. In original run cast comes out totally nude into audience whole cast. One even sat in audience member lap in front of his wife My mom came home white as a ghost!! |
Anonymous
| Sooo much better pre-covid and pre911 The 80s were kind of bad but once Giuliani got into office it improved. Was good under Bloomberg also, now it has gone to crap under DeCrapio and this new guy whatever his name is. |
Anonymous
Pre-9/11 many people I knew had been held up at knife or gun point or burgled. It was just considered normal, not necessarily dangerous. Men catcalled women on every single street corner. Most of us considered it fairly safe. Also, people yelled. A lot. If you got in someone's way they were going to tell you off till they were blue in the face. Post-9/11 there were military with automatic weapons everywhere, and we were told there were cameras everywhere watching our every move, so everybody started behaving and it became what most people today would consider safe. Then bloomberg came to power and illegally stayed 3 terms and pushed out all the poor people and brought in white UMC people and it got even safer and people stopped yelling at each other because those demographics consider that behavior unbecoming. Basically, it stopped being ny. |
Anonymous
This is pretty good Jay McInerney fan fic but no way you ever got into China Club on a Monday night. |
Anonymous
It was good for a lot of people while those two were in office, but it was not good for everyone. And those two set the wheels in motion for NYC to become a (boring) playground (and investment center) for the rich. |
Anonymous
Not that poster but you'd be surprised. As a 16 yr old in 1985 I was "chosen" from the crowd outside several clubs in the LES to go inside and was served when I ordered drinks, without any ID. It was fantastic, I'll remember it forever. |
Anonymous
So true. 90s NYC was so fun. Clubs everywhere. No one cool went clubbing on weekends. Tuesdays were the night. And no one ever went out before 11pm. And early 90s, there were 16 and up places. And bars were 21 drinking, but enter at 18. No ID required so as long as you had on enough makeup, you could get in and get served , even if under 18, which I did coming in as B&T during my HS days, before I moved here. Doing E at the fun clubs. Late 90s great time to be a 20something. Money everywhere. The roaring 90s. And everybody smoked! INSIDE establishments! And in the 80s, you could drive down 14th street to see the rows of hookers lined up in plain sight. And the people who insisted on washing your windhsields for money when you went through the tunnel, and broke your wipers if you refused. |
Anonymous
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Late 90s Manhattanite here- what a great time to be in the city! Low crime, great restaurants, so much to see. Walked everywhere and never felt unsafe. Saw so many great shows at Roseland (Sex Pistols, Duran Duran) and then John Taylor solo at Life in the Village.
People were starting to cautiously buy apartments in Harlem..near 126th St. Times Square had the new Virgin Megastore that brought a ton of shoppers there night and day (I lived off 48th and 8th, so practically my backyard.) So grateful I was able to spend some quality time in that fantastic city especially at that moment. |