"Stay with Me Tonight"

Here's a fascinating historical artifact -- a music video from 1983 (back in the days when MTV was riding high and actually showing videos) by the rather forgotten pop singer Jeffrey Osborne from his big hit "Stay with Me Tonight."

It's one of those videos that actually has a little bit of plot -- long story short, Osborne is walking around NYC, singing, then goes to a bar to scope out chicks, still stinging, then meets an Asian-looking woman, sing some more, and hilarity ensues. 

This song is one of those 1980s ditties that you hear today in dentist offices and fast-food joints but the video is fascinating -- it perfectly captures the early '80s NYC nightlife, the Bright Lights Big City scene, with neon and bad hair in abundance. No one snorts any coke but they probably did that off-camera.

Enjoy.

Mr NYC in Germany

This past week I was in Germany for a work BUT I did get to do two side trips -- one to the Rhine River Valley and another to the city of Heidelberg. Both are located in the State of Hesse and are beautiful and fascinating. they gave me a new appreciation for Germanic culture (the good kind, not the obvious scary kind).

One of the first things we saw (after a scary by amazing cable car ride) was this huge statue erected right after the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, a monument to the triumph of Kaiser Wilhelm 1 in that war, uniting Prussian and various German principalities into the mighty German Empire (it lasted until 1918 after World War I, the country then turning into a socialist republic, followed by the Nazi-era Third Reich, followed by the Federal Republic of West Germany/Communist-era German Democratic Republic, followed by the present-day re-united Federal Republic of Germany -- I know, it's exhausting). 

Anyway, this statue is of Germania, the Goddess or Godmother of Germany, dating from the time of the Holy Roman Emperor -- she's Germany's Romulus, its spiritual founding mother and the personification of its people. Beneath her are figurines of Kaiser Wilhem and his generals and information about the great victors that made the Empire. 

Then we trekked around a path that provided amazing vistas of the Rhine River, vineyards, and castles popping out of the trees below. Hesse is the home of Riesling, the wonderful white wine, so vines are everywhere, and our hiking trail even had a small "wine hut" where we stopped for a spritz -- a small glass of Riesling combined with water. It was very refreshing and fortified me to the complete the hike.

We also saw some nice architecture, a funny sign, and a beautiful old church before we took a ski-lift ride back down and had a lovely dinner (I didn't take pictures out of fear of dropping my camera but I've committed the images of the great view to memory).

Next day we went to Heidelberg via the Autobahn -- I was told there's no speed-limit on this infamous highway but the cars didn't go any faster than you'd find on an American one.

When we got to Heidelberg, the first thing we saw was anti-vaxx march which was a little depressing but, hey, it confirms that Germany is a free country (I took a video of it but it's too large to upload here). On a happier note, we took a tram to another cable car that took us to Schloss Heidelberg, a castle with a long, amazing history that connects it to various wars and royals and that has spectacular views of the city of Heidelberg and the Neckar River that flows through it. It was overwhelming -- and it included some interesting signs and modern art on the grounds.

I spent most of my time working but, on my final night, I got to enjoy some delicious Lager in a stein and schnitzel for dinner.

All in all, a great trip, and I hope to visit others part of Germany some day!

NYC Protests the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

If you want to know more about the protection of reproductive freedom in NYC, go to this site run by the city. Not only is there lots of helpful information but it warns you about fake clinics.

As tragic as this evil decision by the Supreme Court is, I've never been more proud of this city and its people.

25 NYC Novels in 100 Years

The New York Times has recently published a list of 25 novels set in NYC, published within the last 100 years, where the city is more than just a backdrop or even a "character" in the story -- it is the story, NYC is intertwined with the plot.

These are books that, simply put, couldn't have taken place anywhere else. 

Believe it or not, some big titles are missing -- no Gatsby, nothing by Edith Wharton. Sadly Slaves of New York was not included either but the author, Tama Janowitz (a previous Mr NYC interviewee) was mentioned (with a photo) since her 1980s Brat Pack colleagues Jay McInery's 1984 novel Bright Lights, Big City was included (my review of the movie version of it can be found here). 

This list is very interesting, and it includes commentary by the various critics who chose the titles. Lists like this are inherently flawed and infuriating, but at least they remind you that there are lots of good books about NYC that you should put on your shelf -- or load onto your Kindle. 

One big inclusion is Don DeLillo's 1997 masterpiece Underworld. That is a great NYC novel but so much more -- its an epic sweep of an Everyman living through the second half of the 20th century while history unfolds around him and occasionally touches him. For me, it's not just a novel, or a great novel, or a great NYC novel -- it's a state of mind, a raising of consciousness, a story that makes you look at the world and history differently. I'm glad to see it on this list but Underworld is sui generis, like all great work. The same way that NYC is a city bigger than its population and its borders, Underworld extends beyond the story on its pages.

Supreme Court to NYC: Drop Dead

Here's to Flatbush

The story of Flatbush is the story of Brooklyn and NYC as a whole -- how a Dutch village turned into a suburban oasis before transforming into an urban hub. 

Flatbush is a city within a city within a city -- and one of the most diverse neighborhoods in NYC.

In recent years, part of the it was renamed Little Caribbean, recognizing its history as a welcoming refuge for Caribbean immigrants. 

The latest episode of the Bowery Boys tells the story of Flatbush and its amazing history. It shows how Flatbush, like the city as a whole, is always changing while keeping its history never vanishes. 

2026 World Cup in NYC

 

Classic Mr NYC

About a year-and-a-half ago I blogged about one of my favorite movies -- Jim Jarmusch's 1991 classic Night On Earth. Set in five taxicabs in five cities around the world on one night, it's a funny and heartwarming look at the interactions and fleeting relationships that cabbies and their passengers develop.

The movies takes place in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki. The NYC story is about a guy trying to get from Manhattan back to Brooklyn and is picked up by a German immigrant -- who can barely drive. Along the way they find the guy's sister-in-law walking the streets, and craziness ensues. The German cabbie was played by the great Armin Mueller Stahl, and his passengers were the brilliant Giancarlo Esposito and Rosie Perez.

Recently Giancarlo and Rosie, who are both in big shows right now, gave a joint interview where they talk about the first movie they did together -- Spike Lee's 1989 classic Do The Right Thing -- and then Night on Earth. 

Nothing better than two great actors reminiscing about two great movies they made more than 30 years ago -- and showing that talent and superior work at truly timeless.

Mr Bookman RIP -- The New York Public Library's Greatest Cop

 

Classic Mr NYC

In the last few years, I interviewed two people who were players in the mid-1980s NYC adult film scene -- on-set photographer Barbara Nitke and Lynn Paula Russell who performed in several films as Paula Meadows.

Like many eras, that time and that business have become somewhat mythic, with shows like The Deuce enshrining it in the gleam of nostalgia -- while also being honest about its dark side.

Recently The Rialto Report republished issues of the Adult Video News magazine from 1987 -- and, if you look at the January 1987 issue (Warning: NSFW), you can see many pictures and reviews of some of the performers and movies that Barbara and Lynn spoke about in their Mr NYC interviews.

It also includes a big, gorgeous picture of Lynn (aka Paula Meadows) in the ad for a movie. (Look at pages 14-15 and 18-19 for these.)

It's one thing to read an interview about a particular time and place ("once upon a time"-like stories), and it's another literally to see it first hand with an original artifact, a primary document, of a world that no longer exists.