Party Like It's 1977: Why There's Never Been a Better Time To Live in New York City

MARCH 3, 2009

Economic adjustment may well give the city a new lease on life.

New York City had slid into fiscal turmoil by 1977. But the confusion of the '70s fueled an internationally explosive energy in the arts: The DIY aesthetic encouraged underground clubs, collectives and a world under the mainstream radar to flourish off the grid of commercial scrutiny. While the '80s may have pumped big bucks into the art world and the attendant industry, there was, perhaps, something lost as the promise of rockstar status eclipsed the satisfaction of creativity and community. The city became a place where it was hard enough to survive, never mind make art.

In this still-new century, there's certainly a financial crisis on but we're hoping the folks in charge will be more sensitive than Gerald Ford when he reportedly told the city to take a hike. Well-paid city employees, low crime, and more attention to resources give the city plenty of wiggle room. We've even survived a kinder, gentler blackout.

New plans for community-building abound. With organizations like Third Ward Brooklyn encouraging the arts, and even professional organizations like the employment agency Hired Guns sponsoring "think tanks" and a "book salon," we may find that the less-than-boom times make it a lot more interesting to stick around.

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Party Like It's 1977: Why There's Never Been a Better Time To Live in New York City

MARCH 3, 2009

ALSO IN NEW YORK CITY INSIDER

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