Queens Man in Trouble

Classic Mr NYC

It's hard to believe but it's already been two years since the COVID-19 vaccine began rolling out en masse. The world was still reeling although beginning, slowly but surely, to recover as millions of needles jabbed millions of arms.

This was before the dark anti-vax forces began to wield their disinformation weapons, aiming squarely at the ignorant. 

No, in this period of time two years ago, brief though it was, most (sane) people were scrambling to get an appointment to get the vaccine. This included, here in NYC, a mass vaccination site at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

Beth Fertig, then a reporter for WNYC radio, got her shot there and filed a radio story putting the vaccine and the vaccination effort into historical context, and what a great achievement it was. It was a simple but powerful story, and I blogged about it at the time -- and now, two years since the vaccination rollout and three years since the pandemic hit, it's amazing to see how right she was.  

Zoning Wars

Last week I blogged about the idea, proposed by Mayor Adams and others, that vacant office buildings in NYC that have lost tenants due to the rise of pandemic-related work-from-home be turned into apartments.

The cost of housing in NYC is still far too high, and the biggest reason is that for all of our city's density, it's actually not dense enough. People might think NYC is a place full of tall buildings  but most people don't live in them -- most people live in buildings less than 10 stories high or in single or two-family homes. NYC is highly "downzoned." 

So the other part of addressing the housing crises is "up-zoning" -- allowing for higher density housing development (especially near transit hubs). Governor Hochul has a proposal, as do others in the state legislature, that would include the building of more multi-family homes, apartment buildings, capping/reducing lot sizes, and just generally allowing more homes to be built (up to 3% every three years). This means that the NYC suburbs (and areas outside the city) could be dramatically changed over time, making this urban oasis even more urban.

It's a political minefield.  

The Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) folks believe up-zoning would reduce their property values, strain local services, schools, and transportation, and "change the character" of their neighborhoods (i.e. more non-white people). But the cost of housing in NYC is sky-high, it's out of control, and the city has built less housing in the last twenty years than Detroit (Detroit!). We've also built less than cities like Boston and Washington DC, other really expensive places. 

In NYC, everyone agrees we need more housing -- just not in their neighborhoods.

I doubt Hochul's plan will come to pass -- her proposals are modest but her critics are violently against it. And it just goes to show how and why it's nearly impossible to create more housing in this town. 

Farewell "Succession"!

 

Work@Home vs. Home@Work

The mayoralty of Eric Adams has been a rather odd affair so far. I won't go into all of it here but my main complaint is that Mr Adams seems to have no vision for, or direction that he wants to take, NYC.

But something that Adams talked about recently is intriguing and, if pursued seriously and smartly, could become a transformative policy, and an important legacy, of his time in office.

Long story short -- since the COVID-19 pandemic started three years ago, more people than ever are working from home. This has led to vast amounts of office space around the city laying empty, or mostly empty, at the very same time that the amount and cost of housing in NYC has reached crises levels. There are enormous skyscrapers and office buildings all over town that are basically shells while, at the same time, regular housing is scarcer than ever. 

So the solution is obvious and simple -- convert a lot of that empty office space that will probably never be occupied by into apartments are, as Adams indicates, into SROs. Such a policy would be a game change and transform not only housing policy in NYC but the entire economy. 

Such a policy would require huge changes in the zoning laws of the city -- simple solutions are very complex when actually implemented. But Adams should run with this, think it through, put together a comprehensive plan that consults with the governments of New York City, New York State, the Fed as well as labor union, business and real estate interests, and everyone who would stand to benefit for this. 

Part of what makes this city great is how we constantly reimagine it, constantly change it, and repurpose something old into something new. Such a housing plan would be a huge and important part of this great legacy. 

Old NYC Club Commercials

 

St. Patrick's Day in NYC

Little Island NYC

In May 2021, as NYC and the world were "opening up" from COVID-19, a new waterfront structure called Little Island opened up in the Hudson River Park.

Built over the old pilings of an old abandoned pier, and financed by the super power couple Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenburg, it's a very 21-century "repurposed" public square -- much like the Highline -- that takes something old and gross and turns it into something new and exciting. 

You enter Little Island at the crosswalk on the West Side Highway and go up a hilly entrance that leads to several paths and staircases that provide lovely views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan. There's a little outdoor theater that, in the summer, hosts events for families or also a big open space with rolling spheres that kids can play in. 

Little Island is a modest place, pleasant if not gorgeous, but it's a nice place to hang with friends and families if you're ever walking around the Meatpacking district and need to get some space. 

Memo from NYC

If you were a teenager in the early 1990s like moi, you remember the 1992 "classic" movie Encino Man. It was one of those very stupid movies about stupid people doing stupid things that were popular at the time, and all of them seemed to end with lots of people dancing en masse. 

Anyway, thirty-one years later, two of its stars have just won Oscars, so it's a good time to remember one of its other big stars, the brilliant comedian Pauly Shore.

Obviously, I'm joking; Pauly Shore's "comedy" was less than brilliant -- then or now -- but, in the early 1990s, Shore had a movie career and his brand of creepy weirdo humor had a moment -- although today it would get you "cancelled" much like Shore's movie career has been since roughly 1996.    

And what would REALLY get you cancelled today is this interview Pauly Shore gave with a now-defunct movie magazine in 1994, at the height of his brief stardom. I found it courtesy of previous Mr NYC interviewee Lebeau's Le Blog -- and some of the stuff Shore says in this interview makes you wonder why every women alive isn't a radical militant feminist who wants to kill all men. After reading this interview I wanted to become such a person!

Here are some of Mr Shore's lovely gems about the fairer gender in this interview:

“Girls, basically, run this town because they have the pussy. Especially the hot chicks."

“Now, at a club or something, you’re just gonna meet girls that you fuck … You give them your number, they come over late, they blow you. You fuck them. Whatever. Girls are not gonna be attracted to me necessarily by my looks, but because I’m smart, nice, and sensitive to them. Ninety-nine percent of guys are assholes who treat women very mean.”

“Every girl that I have gone out with has come from a very similar background: all from shitty homes, who don’t know what they want out of life. I keep ’em up, take care of ’em. Kind of a father figure, but these girls are so fucked up. And then, I’m stuck with this baggage on my shoulders.” 

“See, guys just like to fuck and get sucked off by hot chicks.”

I told my wife about this and she, quite rightly, said that it was a shtick that was popular at the time (she's the same age as me) but that obviously doesn't hold up today. But for some reason, seeing two of Pauly Shore's co-stars triumph on Oscar night, I couldn't help wondering about their other former co-star who will probably never win an Oscar and what they'd think about his "comedy."

Interview: Claire Lower, Senior Food Editor @ Lifehacker & Host of the"You Like That?" Podcast on Good Food, Old Porn, and Portland vs. NYC

Food and porn -- we Americans consume lots of both. These days you can easily get food delivered to your house or dialup billions of porn videos on your computer. But just because food and porn are so easily accessible doesn't mean that writing and commenting about them intelligently is easy. It's a real skill requiring lots of hard (pun intended) work.

Someone who does that hard work and writes and comments quite smartly on both food and porn is Claire Lower -- the Senior Food Editor at Lifehacker.com and co-host of the "You Like That?" podcast about the Golden Age of Porn. In both her food writing and on her podcast, Claire makes observations and provides insights that are funny, smart, sweet, and -- like food and porn -- simply irresistible.

Claire was kind enough of answers some of Mr NYC's questions about her writing and podcast. A resident of Portland, OR she also answers some of my questions about how her city -- like mine -- has changed over the years, and how both seem to be at risk of becoming less sexy and fun. 

Tell us a little bit about your background and your work as a food editor. What’s the best part about being a food editor? Do you get to eat all the time?

I’ve been writing about food for almost a decade, and a full-time staffer at Lifehacker for 6 years, where I’m currently the senior food editor. I do get to eat all the time, but it’s not always what I want to eat in that moment. It’s nice when I get to develop an egg recipe in the morning, but this morning I ended up wrapping a pickle spear in fried cheese. Still good, just a little weird at 10 a.m.

I do love my job though. I’m able to talk about food in what I hope is a very accessible and fun way, and help people eat better.

What inspired you to create the “You Like That Podcast?”

I actually made a slideshow of Golden Age films for Lifehacker, and then I realized I actually had a lot to say, and a lot of love for these movies. I just think they’re so interesting from a historical perspective, and I’ve always been a slut for the 70s.

What’s your favorite thing about doing the podcast and the most challenging?

I really love finding interesting historical tidbits and anecdotes to share with Catie [her co-host] and our listeners, and I really like watching porn with a more critical eye. It can be challenging to watch THAT much porn, however. I watched Taboo five times to prepare for our most recent episode, because I wanted to listen to all of the commentaries.

What’s your favorite era for “Golden Age” adult films – the 1970s, 1980s, or another?

Late 70s and early 80s are great, but I really like the early Golden Age, right after loops kinda started to fade out and make way for capital-F films.

What makes a “good” adult film?

Jamie Gillis. Just kidding. I think a good adult film doesn’t have to be super serious, but I like a bit of plot, well shot sex scenes, and sets and locations. Give me something to look at! I don’t care is the story is goofy, I want to believe these two people have a reason for having sex with each other. Doesn’t even have to be a good reason.

Has there really ever been an adult movie where the story or the performances were compelling beyond the sex?

Oh, absolutely. Immediately, Mascara by Henri Pachard comes to mind. The sex in it is really interesting and inclusive, but the story about the relationship between the two women is so well told and acted. Both Lisa De Leeuw and Lee Carrol give these incredibly nuanced performances that are heartbreaking in moments, but they’re also very funny. It’s also got a great score, and a consistent mood.

Who are some of your favorite adult films and performers, past or present, and why?

Oh my gosh, so many. Jamie Gillis, R. Bola, Lisa DeLeew, Kay Parker, Herschel Savage (who I’m actually pretty good friends with), Richard Pacheco, Seka, Veronica Hart, Christy Canyon, Ginger Lynn, Andrea True (who also put out some great disco and rock records), Mike Horner. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone and going to kick myself later. A lot of my favorites were either actors who started doing porn for easy money, particularly Gillis, Bola, and Savage. I do think Gillis was the ultimate male porn star. A true pervert and artist. I always feel like Gillis is subtly mocking the audience, which I like. But it’s also not that deep. Some people are just fun to watch fuck.

Who would be your dream guest on the podcast?

We’ve actually got a lot of my dream guests lined up to be on here. We already released our Christy Canyon episode, we got to interview Lisa Cintrice about Mascara, and we’re currently editing our Howie Gordon/Richard Pacheco interview. Herschel Savage and Veronica Hart will probably be on at some point. I guess a dream guest would be Gillis, because that is obviously impossible and could only take place in a dream.

Are you a fan of the movie Boogie Nights?

I am, haha. I love PTA, and I love the 70s, and I love that pool party scene with that Three Dog Night song, even though Herschel told me that’s all a fairytale. They didn’t really all hang out in cliques and throw pool parties.

I do like the limo scene, which is based on Gillis’ On the Prowl Series. Tom Byron has told a great story about how Jamie wasn’t thrilled with it; he thought they took this beautiful thing he made and made it sad and tawdry, whereas On the Prowl is tawdry, but still kind of light and fun. But I think you have to be a real pervert to see the difference in the two.

What would you say is the biggest difference between “Golden Age” porn and today’s Internet stuff?

Lisa Cintrice said something in her interview that really stuck with me. She said “it’s all loops again.” And she’s right. There’s barely any plot, no real production value, and I just think digital looks so much worse than film. I know there is good porn being made, and I’m glad that women seem to have more control over their money, but the porn film is very hard to find.

Moving on: how long have you lived and Portland and what do you love about the city?

I’ve been here eight or nine years. I actually really like the weather. I like my house. I like that there are record stores everywhere and a good food and beverage scene. I also hunt and fish so it’s nice to have all that stuff nearby.

Are you a fan of the show “Portlandia” and was that an accurate or out-of-date parody of the city?

It’s barely a parody. I liked it before I moved here, but it’s hard to watch if you’ve lived here a while. You can still find “death to Fred and Carrie” graffiti in dive bar bathrooms. How has the city changed in the time you’ve lived there? Yeah, it’s just more sterile. More condos and little shops with Notorious RBG mugs.

I’m a New Yorker and it feels like NYC has become a less sexy, less wild, city than it used to be, thanks to gentrification. Portland strikes me as another sexy, wild city that has undergone a lot of change. Is it still wild and sexy or is it getting more boring?

We still have more strip clubs per capita than any other city, and several sex clubs of varying repute. They did shut down Hawthorne Theater though, and that was like the last seedy porn theater. I never got to go and I regret it.

Do you have a favorite adult film set in NYC – or Portland? Mascara is my favorite movie set in NYC. It’s so moody and pretty. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a porn set in Portland. (I never go to Hump or anything like that.)

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I really think it’s important to watch these old fuck films. We forget that porn was illegal and dangerous to make, and I really do consider those early actors and directors to be free speech heroes. They really are stars to me.

Thanks Claire! You can follow her on Twitter at @Clairelizzie. 

Bad & Beautiful Perspectives of Penn Station

 

Mr NYC in the Poconos

Recently the family and I took an overnight trip to a resort in the Poconos, the beautiful mountain range in Northern Pennsylvania overlooking the Delaware River.

Despite being only a two-hour drive from NYC, this was the first time yours truly ever ventured there. Like the Catskills or the Berkshires, the Poconos is a place where people like to ski in the winter and swim in the summers, getting a literal and figurative breath of fresh air from the stresses of city life.

Since we really aren't skiers, we spent almost all of our time there in a massive indoor water park with slides and running rivers and hot tubs that we really loved. Outdoors the views were beautiful (if not quite as stunning as the Sierra Nevada ranges) and the air was very frigid -- you never realize how high up you are until that cold mountain air hits you in the face. The thing about the Poconos is that its heyday is long past -- before frequent air travel and rising incomes, families from NYC and Philly would go to places like this for vacations. It was a booming time of big resorts, vaudeville shows, and whole transient communities. Nowadays, that's a thing of the past, most of the resorts are gone or abandoned -- but the skiing and rivers still attract some tourists.

We had a few interesting and weird experiences during our 36 hours in the Poconos.

In addition to the water fun, my family and I did an "escape room" where a whole family gets trapped in a series of rooms and has to do a bunch of stunts to get out. The first room was so impossible to get out of that someone had to come in and help us but then I shot a bunch of fake rats (don't ask) that got us out of the second room (this made me a hero to the wife and kids) and then in the third room we didn't have to do much to do. While I'm glad we did the escape room, I can't imagine it's an experience we'll ever repeat.

The people working at the resort were very nice if a little eccentric. One of the guys who served us at the pool was from the Bronx and, when we decided to order pizza, he told us: "Remember, it's not New York pizza, it's Poconos pizza, best for kids and drunks."

We also did something called a "silent disco" where people congregate and are given headphones with pre-programmed music and they can dance to different songs. My family danced (I didn't) and it was a weird if lighthearted thing to experience. 

Then another time I ordered a cocktail off the bar menu called "On the Slopes" -- basically a White Russian except that it substituted Grand Marnier for Vodka. When I ordered the drink, the old lady bartender said: "That's a good choice!"

Me: "Thanks."

Bartender: "It's my drink, I invented it."

Me: "Oh, I see."

Bartender: "It's actually called 'Sex on the Slopes' but they wouldn't let me put 'sex' on the menu."

Me (unsure how to reply): "Well, this is a family establishment."

Bartender: "Kids don't look at the menu!"

She had a point but I still don't understand why you'd called a drink "Sex on the Slopes" since, unlike "Sex on the Beach", sex on skiing slopes isn't something people really do. Anyhoo ...

I liked the Poconos, it was very nice, and you should check it out if you'd like a brief respite from the crazy life of NYC.

Classic Mr NYC

Recently I went to see the special Edward Hopper exhibit at the Whitney Museum that just closed. Entitled "Edward Hopper's New York", the exhibit displayed Hopper's classic portraits of the the city as seen from the perspective of the common man and woman.

Hopper's NYC was not one of the skyscrapers, the famous tourists sites, the gorgeous parks or any kind of stereotypical cityscape. His city was the city of street corners and every day New Yorkers living their lives, of deserted streets as seen at night or first thing in the morning, of its beauty and loneliness, of people simply working to survive. Hopper's New York was the one we all live in but rarely see reflected back to us in art.

One of the paintings that was not in this exhibit, but that is probably his most famous, is "Nighthawks" that he painted in 1941. In 2018 I did a whole blog post about it and you can read it here.

In many way, this blog aspires to be what Hopper's paintings were -- an attempt to captures the city's emotional core, it's every day psychology, it's spirit and psyche, its underground existence. While Hopper certainly was a lot more talented than I'll ever be, he remains an inspiration to me.

The Hispanic Society of America

In a city with some of the world's most famous museums, perhaps the least known but most impressive is the Hispanic Society of America in Washington Heights.

I went to this museum several years ago, and recently read a new article about an exhibition that it's putting on in London, the first of its kind (the museum itself is currently closed for extensive renovations).

Founded at the turn of the 20th century, the Hispanic Society is not really so much of a traditional "society" or organization but a museum and research library focusing on the arts, culture, and history of Spain, Portugal, Latin America, the Spanish East Indies, and Portuguese India. There are extensive and gorgeous historical paintings, along with books and other cultural artifacts rom these parts of the world. The building itself is a stunning, palatial, Beaux Arts stone masterpiece that is even more jaw-droppingly beautiful inside than out. 

The reason, I'm sure, that this amazing museum is not better known is because it's located so far uptown and, let's face it, concentrates on peoples and parts of the world that White America and White NYC cares little about. But going there, and reading about this museum and the history it records, is a reminder that there is a whole other continent-spanning world (worlds, really), a whole other history, a whole other culturally-rich and fascinating immersive culture that most non-Hispanic peoples know nothing but can easily learn about. 

And that's what's so great about NYC -- you can literally go somewhere and enter another world, learn another history, and get immersed in another culture that is so far from your own but that enriches your spirit and expands your world.