New York, New York

This page is intended to give you an insight to New York, specifically. The 1980s were a time of radical change for the city with new leadership, an influx of immigrants, and a fight for economic power.

  • The 1970s were unkind to New York
    • Economic turmoil caused from population loss and businesses leaving
  • Drag Magazine, first published in the early 1970s, became a queer counterpublic for the drag scene
  • The new mayor, Edward I. Koch balanced the budget and invested in housing, the arts,  and public parks
  • Broadway and Off-Broadway entered a flourishing period
  • There was a surge of immigrants that also caused a surge in new music development
    • This is especially true for Hip Hop, which has remained popular since this time
  • This also caused a surge in the food scene - causing global influence in New York’s developing restaurants
  • Koch attempted to pare down the night life, such as club dancing and graffiti
  • Art often moved between the street and galleries
  • New York, especially Manhattan, saw rapid expansion in real estate thanks to Donald Trump
  • The Transportation Workers went on strike after Koch pulled funding for public services, causing many New Yorkers to lose their jobs
  • In 1989, the city elected their first Black mayor, David Dinkins
    • Dinkins served one term and is responsible for a Safe Streets initiative, which expanded the police department
    • Dinkins is also responsible for beginning the Times Square clean up. However, this is often mis-attributed to Rudy Giuliani
  • Overall, the 1980s in New York should be characterized by economic and cultural growth, with many caveats. While music, theatre, film, and food all saw rapid expansion and flourished, many policies nonetheless shunned the people who gave New York its unique character and energy. It is very much a “both and” scenario in which the exponential growth of the city helped and harmed many of its inhabitants.
  • Themes of Renaissance and Resilience