Mercer Street, November 2, 2012. It could almost be 1972.
Sorry, folks, to be so brief this week. I am actually writing this in the dark and hoping to do a driveby posting a Starbucks. No telephone, no heat, no electricity. Reminds me of the old SoHo days, actually. We’ve been trudging up and down the stairs, walking what seems like miles to get groceries, and schlepping everything in the dark. No streetlights, no cars, not a soul around. This used to be a typical evening on Mercer Street, but I’m certainly not used to it anymore. It’s very Escape from New York around here after sundown. Quite unsettling.
You’ve got to admire the resiliency of New Yorkers, though, in times of crisis. A power outage sure brings out the McGuyver in everyone. I saw someone charging her cell phone from a work light on a scaffold. That’s what old SoHo was all about, wasn’t it? Making due with what we had. Didn’t we used to pirate electricity, phone service, and then later cable, through a maze of wires hanging out our back windows held together by tape? The difference now is that we know what we’re missing. When we were kids, sleeping under a mound of blankets in a cold loft was life as usual. Today, my daughter is wondering why she has to wear her fleece jacket to sleep. She’s wondering why she can’t watch Feist and the Muppets on YouTube.
They say that we’ll finally get power back Saturday night at 11 pm. And none too soon. It’s one thing to be nostalgic about the good ol’ days. It’s a whole other thing to have to relive them…
Tags: History of SoHo, Loft Living, New York 1970's, New York Childhood, SoHo 1970's
November 3, 2012 at 8:39 am |
Exactly the way I remember it!
November 3, 2012 at 10:19 am |
Yes! I took a similar photo of Greenwich Street here in Tribeca this week. Empty streets, just like the old days.
November 3, 2012 at 11:52 am |
Thanks for the update, Yukie! I was happy to hear the power will be restored sometime today. I love the photo you posted, takes me right back. Hang in there!
November 12, 2012 at 9:33 pm |
You will love watching this video about the resourcefulness of New Yorkers on Ave. C during the Sandy loss of power:
http://youtu.be/cGJtavDMP48
This is a short video by Liza Bear. Liza is a very strong part of early SoHo, frequented FOOD, attended every social event, co-piloted the magazine Avalanche, and is a permanent part of the history of SoHo in the ’70s.
My sympathies to all during the Sandy aftermath. Not fun.
November 12, 2012 at 9:36 pm |
This is so great, Carol! Thanks for sharing it.