POTUS Comes to Town

Center of the World

Memo from NYC

One of my heroes is the great 13th century traveller and chronicler Marco Polo.

A native of Venice, a man of his city, he ventured far away from his hometown, with his father and uncle in 1271, into the vast rich world of Asia. He travelled to China, served in the court of the great Kublai Khan, worked as a representative for him in modern day India and Vietnam and other places, accumulated wealth and myriad experiences, and then returned to Venice in 1295.

Marco subsequently dictated his story to a writer named Rustichello and soon after published history's first bestseller, The Travels of Marco Polo. This book changed history -- Europeans learned about the mindblowing civilizations of the East, their huge cities, their sophistications in money and printing, and so much more. Eventually it inspired other Europeans to travel far and wide -- including Christopher Columbus 200 years later. 

Yours truly, Mr NYC, has actually read this book, probably one of the few people alive who has. 

But first and last, Marco was a Venetian, and for hundreds of years before and after Marco Polo's life, it was the NYC of its time -- an exciting city of islands where "things happened" and fortunes were made -- Venice was the original Crossroads of the World. This BBC article makes the case plainly:  

"Venice at the time was the New York of the world," explained historian Pieralvise Zorzi, whose family traces its roots back to Polo's time and beyond. It was an openminded and multicultural metropolis, a vibrant centre for trade between the East and the West, where the only true religion was business – and the Polo family excelled at it.

Marco Polo died in January, 1324, approximately 700 years ago. But his legend and his city persists. Today there are celebrations in Venice commerating one of their favorite sons. But the Venice of his time no longer exists. As this other article states:

As with all great centers of wealth like London and New York today, Venice glowed even as it slid into political and economic senescence; its residual riches continued to finance art, architecture, music and, though evanescent, a sense of authority and grandeur. Still, at the very end, Venice was becoming little more than a souvenir … the ghosts of the city persist — in Shakespeare’s Othello and The Merchant of Venice, in Thomas Mann’s novella [Death in Venice], J.M.W. Turner’s paintings, in the canals and piazzas clogged with tourists, each looking for a personal Venice.

And so it is today in NYC -- we are a great city of wealth and excitement, people travel here far and wide to find their NYCs, but we risk sliding into being a souvenoir if we don't keep this a city where people can afford to live and work. 

This city must preserve what's great about it -- and not become its own legend.

Marco Polo remains one of my heroes because he experienced a great life, loved his city, and shared it with the world. That is what this blog, in many ways, is all about. 

Remembering "79 Park Avenue" (1977)

The 1970s and '80s was the Golden Age of the TV mini-series, as I recently blogged about. In many ways, it started specifically in 1977 with the historic mini-series Roots, a powerful saga about the history of slavery in America. Later on there would be other big historical TV epics like North & South, AD, The Winds of War, and others.

Then there was stuff like 79 Park Avenue.

Debuting the same year as Roots, 79 Park Avenue does not get the same kind of cultural respect. It's about a young woman trying to "make it" in NYC and decides to do so by becoming a Madam. It's a trashy story based on a trashy book. SEX! REAL ESTATE! NYC! SOFT-FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY! 

All the feels. 

What's actually interesting about the series is that it was produced in the '70s but based on a novel published in the '50s about a story set in the '30s. It's a nostalgic-look at a nostalgic-look about a nostalgic-look of NYC.

It also stars the character actress Lesley Ann Warren and even Raymond Burr in a non-Perry Mason role. 

What's also fascinating to realize is that, even though this series is totally forgotten today, it scored an audience of between 16-20 million people on the nights in October, 1977 is was broadcast. Today a show that gets half that many viewers is considered a huge success -- so, by today's standard, this would be a blockbuster.

Chita Rivera RIP

Broadway legend.

Starred in the original runs of West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdy, Sweet Charity, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, amongst many others. Kept working late into her life, seemingly indestructable. Sadly gone at age 91. 

A one of a kind, trailblazing, NYC icon. We won't see her likes again.

Rest in Peace -- although I hope you'll keep singing and dancing in eternity. 

Gotta Love New Yorkers

A professional dogwalker leading multiple mutts down the street while speaking on her phone headset:

"Her dress had all booty, and it was pokin' out, it was really pokin' out."

Flying Over NYC

Classic Mr NYC

In 2021 I did a short tribute to the great singer, Astoria-native, and one of only three solo women to perform at Woodstock in 1969, Melanie Safka.

Melanie has sadly passed away at the age of 76. 

RIP.

Satchmo in Eternity (in Queens)

You can see it here ...

... and find it here. 

Capote is Coming!

The fall from grace of the late great writer Truman Capote from NYC high society is the subject of a new miniseries. Back in the 1970s he decided that it was a great idea to write nasty short stories about his wealthy and powerful friends.

Naturally, it pissed them off, and they extracted revenge. 

I blogged about this story back in 2012 and now it's the stuff of trashy-fun drama, featuring, amongst others, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Demi Moore and even Molly Ringwald! 

Basically this miniseries is all about how Capote got "cancelled" -- to use that egreious phrase. I can't wait to see it (don't tell anyone).