Gothamist: Boho New York

Shin-pei

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 09:36:18 -0500

I loved the chapter on Bohemians in Luc Sante's Low Life book. The entire book itself is a fun read, and makes you appreciate the city's history of regular folks (hardly any trust funds), as well as your tiny apartment and the wonders of modern plumbing.

la depressionada

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 23:41:57 -0500

I like the twist the New Bohemians have put on the lifestyle -- trust funds. Although the lack of heat and hot water or money for food did give people an attractive scruffy pallor in the bad old days, the same can be achieved by the young scions with sufficient amounts of cocaine and heroin. But vraiment, the true Bohemians are named Rudolfo and Mimi. Right?

Tim N.

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 18:35:24 -0500

Though he started off cranky, Our Lord and Savior (he he) makes some very good points. The various boho enclaves relied on geography and economics as much as anything... you went where the like minded spirits were finding cheap rents. A new boho may still spring up, but in fact the current boho is less of a particular place. Other things are linking us. In a way, anything seems possible today, as it did in the 20s or 50s.

Tim N.

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 18:30:25 -0500

Though he started off cranky, Our Lord and Savior (he he) makes some very good points. The various boho enclaves relied on geography and economics as much as anything... you went where the likeminded spirits were finding cheap rents. A new boho may still spring up, but in fact the current boho is less a place. Other things are linking the bohos. In a way, anything seems possible today, as it did in the 20s or 50s.

fiona

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 17:24:45 -0500

The "Republic of Dreams" book is excellent, and if there is a complaint that I have with it, it's that it is too short. It really captures the spirit of an age when anything seemed possible.

jesus h. christ

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 17:21:01 -0500

Addendum: we're in an age where borders are blurred, art and music can be easily transmitted to the masses, and, ahem, WEBLOGS.... NYC is changing before our eyes. Little things like craigslist, friendster, cell phones, digital cameras, DV filmmakers, computers and mp3s have turned our artistic and interpersonal culture upside-down in new and interesting ways. We have yet to truly understand how much the early 2000s will have an impact, but trust me, it does, weblog readers.

jesus h. christ

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 17:15:31 -0500

I'm so goddamn sick of old timers complaining about this. History has repeated itself over and over and over again on this very topic. In the 50s, old time villagers were complaining about how NYC wasnt the same as their roaring avant-garde jazz days. In the 60s, beatniks were complaining about how NYC just wasnt the same. In the late 70s/early 80s, hippies were complaining about how NYC just wasn't the same. In the early 90s, punks and garage rockers were complaining about how NYC just wasn't the same. Now, we have people complaining about how the current times arent as good as the early 90s heyday of Williamsburg. History has shown that it takes about 15 years for people to realize that "their time" was actually not that bad. Get back to me in 2015 and you'll be an old timer saying how great the early 2000s were, and how things just aren't as good in 2015.

David

Thu, 03 Feb 2005 16:32:59 -0500

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention. I had jotted down this title---"Republic of Dreams: Greenwich Village: The American Bohemia" by Ross Wetzsteon---several years ago, based on a Times review. Amazon lists it as a good companion piece.