A conference was held this week to look at how “the city is facing new threats to its longtime dominance in the creative fields" as artists are pushed out. What did they discover? [CNY]
Take a field trip to "one of New York City’s best-kept secrets,"Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Materials Store. [TC]
Television ads are being installed on subway cars. Another assault for the senses. [RS]
"It's not every night you see Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker hanging out in the back room of a dimly lit bar on lower Avenue C." [Grub]
Aces & 8s tries rebranding strategy to quell E. Villagers' ire. [EVG]
The Bowery's Billy Leroy cleared of charges for selling subway signage. [WSJ]
Fashionista shoppers. Waiting in line. In their underpants. [Racked]
And in case you didn't notice: Stupid Is Spreading. Here is what The Idiocracy looks like:
If memory serves, Ohlinger's was originally located on W. 3rd St, above a comic book shop called the Bat Cave
ReplyDelete(pretty awesome combination), both next door to Bleecker Bob's.
Today, you can buy a cupcake and have your palm read at the same location.
Yeah, I definitely remember when Jerry Ohlinger's was on W. 3rd--it was right next to the Bat Cave, below street level, on the other side of that stoop that went up to the building above. Bleecker Bob's was actually over on the other side of the park at that time (on MacDougal, I think?).
ReplyDeleteAnd I remember when JO's was on 14th St. too. I once got in an accident with a taxicab right out front!
If the city really cares about its artistic culture, it could stop treating artists who sell their work in public as criminals. I urge everyone to take a walk down W Broadway on a Saturday afternoon and enjoy a scene that is truly unique to NYC, and one that we're losing because artists can no longer afford to live and work here.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that a " conference " on the disappearing arts scene in NYC was held in the offices of an Ad agency should tell you all you need to know about what New York has become.
ReplyDeleteSorry folks, but the show is officially OVER.
The picture of Patti and Mapplethorpe in the 70's shines with the grimy, decadent vitality that New York exuded from every pore back then.
And as much as it breaks my heart, it's all long gone.
The G-
ReplyDeleteTook a spin past 120 W. 3rd today, and you're right, the Bat Cave and Ohlinger's were both 'downstairs.' No memory of what was then above those shops in the 1st floor retail spaces.
Bleecker Bob's apparently moved into its current spot in 1984, replacing a poster shop/arcade run by the owner of the Night Owl cafe (which had been there previously):
http://streetsyoucrossed.blogspot.com/2005/08/give-hoot.html
Grand St.--
ReplyDeleteYES! That place where Bleecker Bob's is now was a head shop and was still called Night Owl... I have a very VAGUE memory of that eventually moving to the spot that is now McDonald's, but I may be mixing things up a little...
The Night Owl had the underground comix (Freak Bros., Mr. Natural et al), and comics was my original reason for taking the train into the city from Brooklyn, age 12 (the music came a little after). Would get off the subway at W.4th which would let out right at that corner, hence my memories of such minutiae. Village days ground ZERO!
--the G (can't remember my password!)
The G-
ReplyDeleteThere was another comic place that I frequented in those days on the west side of 6th Ave, just below the 3rd St. subway entrance, called the Village Comic Art Shop (I believe). A more spiffy, typical street-level retail atmosphere. Always preferred the grungy feel of heading down into the 'Cave.'
Bought all my records in those days at the Record Factory on W. 8th, which had a pretty awesome selection. Still miss that place...
As I recall, Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Material Store was upstairs, directly above the Batcave, but maybe early on it was downstairs next to the comic store. They were all pals more or less, and would trade employees regularly. When the building was sold around 1986, Jerry moved to 14th street and Frank Verzyl (Batcave owner) took his store to Long Island, where it still is. Night Owl was directly east and sold head shop supplies and underground comix, and had a video game arcade in the back popular with young hooligans like myself in the late 70s. (Sometime in the early 80s it closed and Bonaparte Records opened there, which eventually was replaced by Bleeker Bob’s (previously on McDougal just south of W.8th st). But a better selection of underground comics (and back issues) was to be found at Village Comic Art on 6th ave just south of the Waverly Movie Theater. That place had a few different managers, including Bill Morse and a nice guy with long hair and a beard named Dave who opened a comics shop on Carmine Street 1/2 a block SW of Bleeker around 1978-79, though I’ve been wracking my mind to remember what it was called. Anyone remember?
ReplyDelete