There’s nothing timely about this in the slightest, but given that the tenor of the times is so rife with the unthinkable (Trump, gun violence, racism, police brutality, terrorism, global unrest, Brexit fallout, “Pokemon Go!,” etc.), maybe being out of step with what’s timely is perfectly okay.
Moreover, when I do speak my mind about current events (like, say, the very real possibility of an impending Trump administration), I tend to get a bit frothy at the mouth. I’ve been informed by some that making declarative statements on, say, Facebook about my zero tolerance for Trump supporters might rub some people the wrong way. Too bad. Put simply, if you even tacitly support the perspectives and “policies” (such as they are) that Trump’s espousing, I don’t want to spend any time with you. You wouldn’t stay friends with a David Duke supporter, would you? It’s pretty much the same thing. Think about it, and vote wisely.
See? I’ve digressed with bug-eyed fervor already.
Anyway, to get back to that which isn’t even remotely timely, I stumbled upon the pair of images below on Flickr, courtesy of one Anthony Rau, in a folder titled “Greenwich Village and Downtown NYC.” I’ve spoken about the place several times here before (notably here, here, here, here, here, here and most recently here), but this is, of course, the intimately appointed interior of Subterranean Records on Cornelia Street.
I’ve said it before that stepping down into Subterranean felt like entering a chapel. It was cramped and dank and a bit musty, but I loved it.
It’s gone now, of course … seemingly replaced by nothing.
Subterranean was one of my all-time favorites, possibly BECAUSE it was was "cramped and dank and a bit musty." I felt the same way about a "curio" (aka someone's old junk) shop on Lex and E29th that if memory serves was called "Ye Olde Things." Like Subterranean, you never knew what you'd find. And of course now it's gone, replaced b y some nondescript faceless tower. It was the diametric opposite of what's considered a viable business today. I really don't give a shit if the goodies people are after today were actually "baked my Melissa": I won't buy that crap.
Posted by: David George | July 27, 2016 at 05:43 PM
I meant "baked by... ."
Posted by: David George | July 27, 2016 at 05:44 PM
Subterranean was one of the all time best New York record stores and looking at those pictures makes me miss it even more. David George, I hear you on Ye Olde Things and I remember that place well. I've been in NYC for 30 years now and back in the day there were plenty of the Ye Olde Things types places around. Places that were just magnificent unorganized piles of random old junk. The experience of going through that stuff was amazing on many levels. Years ago there was one such place on 14th St., I think between 2nd and 3rd. As I recall a decrepit old dude ran the place. Anybody remember Garbo Garb on East 3rd or Live, Shop, Die on Avenue A? It's a shame that places like that are now an endangered species in New York City.I have better luck going outside of the city to browse in stores like that. Occasionally I'll unearth a gem of some kind.
Posted by: URLBrenner | July 28, 2016 at 02:40 AM
I share your disdain for Trump but why none for Hillary?
Posted by: William Score | July 28, 2016 at 01:20 PM
Ah just read a bit of the linked article, got to the "smarts, professional experience, etc. etc." and had to stop...
Even worse than a Trump or Hillary are the easily duped/willingly enslaved.
Posted by: William Score | July 28, 2016 at 01:26 PM
I take it you're implying me there, given my branding of Hillary as such. Do you deny that she's smart? Do you deny her professional experience, or do you take that to be a hoax or some sort of window-dressing? Let me say once again, I'm not a huge fan of Hillary at all, but I'll take her over Trump.
Posted by: Alex in NYC | July 28, 2016 at 02:46 PM
How can you not post the Jam song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1ct5yEuVY
Posted by: Lefty | July 28, 2016 at 07:43 PM
>>Let me say once again, I'm not a huge fan of Hillary at all, but I'll take her over Trump.
Here, here. Exactly. If by some freak of nature Trump got in the U.S. would be the laughing stock of the West.
Posted by: David George | July 28, 2016 at 09:52 PM
Interesting take as Trump is ASSUMED an idiot, incompetent, etc. while Hillary is a PROVEN one as well as a felon, liar, traitor and more. I'd take the former over the latter easily as with her you know what you'll get and it ain't good at all. And no she is not smart, she is simply cagey, and her experience is more of a police blotter than something to be proud of....
Posted by: Was Proxy | August 25, 2016 at 04:55 PM
I'd say the assumption that Trump is an idiot is a pretty solid one, given the stupefying crap that routinely sprays out of his mouth. While, once again, I'm not a fervent Hillary supporter, I don't think she's stupid. You don't spend virtually your entire life in the public eye under intense scrutiny and rabid investigation and largely sail through it unscathed by being an idiot.
I respect your disdain for Hillary, but Trump is, for my money, by far the more disastrous choice.
Posted by: Alex in NYC | August 25, 2016 at 05:13 PM