So yeah, I know disco, Farrah Fawcett, That '70s Show, rollerskating, etc.  But I've never been really clued onto what the '70s like. 

Were they kind of like a pre-information age '90s?

The 70's were great.  Granted, I was just a baby, but nonetheless, I had a good time ;D

Aren't you a '77er, WhistleDog?

Aren't you a '77er, WhistleDog?


Yep

The '70s ended 10 years and 16 days before I was born  ;D

The '70s ended 10 years and 16 days before I was born  ;D


U missed the 70's and the 80's

[quote author=whis

In some ways, I consider the '70s to be like an updated '60s (well, mostly the era before 1976) -- i.e. it was certainly pretty far removed from the segregated, racist attitudes still held by some in the '60s, and felt more modern, but the lifestyle was basically like a toned-down 1968, if you know what I mean?

On the other hand, I consider it to be very modern (i.e. compare the pre-rock era in 1953 to 1973, they're a world apart) and, in a way, a VERY primitive version of the digital age we're in today. I think the very first VCR's were made in the mid '70s, pinball machines were like a precursor to videogames, kids had alot more toys/cool stuff, sitcoms became really popular. Teenage high school life was kinda like an earlier version of the 80s/90s/00s too.

I think the modern mindset began in the '70s, but modern technology began in the '80s. 

I've always seen the '70s as the first "new decade" though.  Even today, they're not exactly old.

The 70's were great because Donnie Darko was not in them ;D ;D

Just razzin ya again ;D

I think the modern mindset began in the '70s, but modern technology began in the '80s. 

I've always seen the '70s as the first "new decade" though.  Even today, they're not exactly old.


Yeah. Just to go by pairs of thirty years:

Back to the Future 1 went from 1955 to 1985, which in many ways, of course, were a world apart (even if the basic premise of the movie, IMO, was to show things were more common among generations than it seems on the surface. Both were -- barely for '55 but still -- a "rock" culture, for instance).

Austin Powers 2 was from 1969 to 1999. There were some funny/observational differences here too. Not as much as '55 and '85, but still.

Yet if there was a movie out today with 1976 to 2006, it'd be like What's the big deal? There's just more disco and less computers then! ;D

You want to know a good way to get a feel for pop culture from past decades? Go to your library or video store and check out or rent some tapes or DVD's of the old Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Watch in amazement as throughout the 1970's, Johnny's lapels start magically growing closer and closer to his shoulders, his ties get fatter, his hair gets longer, and the pattern on his sportjackets gets louder and louder!
  But seriously, no one had their finger on the pulse of the nation quite like Johnny Carson, and as you watch those old episodes you can begin to really get a feel on what things were like. Plus, Johnny was a funny f**ker.
  I myself was born in 1970, so I was but a small child during that decade, but I still have quite a few vivid memories of the 70's.  Two movies I recommend: Miracle, which was actually about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team but also puts their upset victory over the Soviets in the context of the times and captures the mood of the nation during that time. During the late '70s, America was in a deep recession, the Iranian hostage crisis was in full swing, and the nation as a whole was in an overall national funk, and the reason that people were so excited about Olympic hockey was it gave them something to feel good about.
  Also, if you've never seen it, I recommend Dazed and Confused. This movie was set in 1976, and I really felt that it was an accurate recreation of the 70's.

Yet if there was a movie out today with 1976 to 2006, it'd be like What's the big deal? There's just more disco and less computers then! ;D
Oh, I wouldn't say that. I think you'd be surprised as to how much more people could get away with back then.

You want to know a good way to get a feel for pop culture from past decades? Go to your library or video store and check out or rent some tapes or DVD's of the old Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Watch in amazement as throughout the 1970's, Johnny's lapels start magically growing closer and closer to his shoulders, his ties get fatter, his hair gets longer, and the pattern on his sportjackets gets louder and louder!
  But seriously, no one had their finger on the pulse of the nation quite like Johnny Carson, and as you watch those old episodes you can begin to really get a feel on what things were like. Plus, Johnny was a funny f**ker.
  I myself was born in 1970, so I was but a small child during that decade, but I still have quite a few vivid memories of the 70's.  Two movies I recommend: Miracle, which was actually about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team but also puts their upset victory over the Soviets in the context of the times and captures the mood of the nation during that time. During the late '70s, America was in a deep recession, the Iranian hostage crisis was in full swing, and the nation as a whole was in an overall national funk, and the reason that people were so excited about Olympic hockey was it gave them something to feel good about.
  Also, if you've never seen it, I recommend Dazed and Confused. This movie was set in 1976, and I really felt that it was an accurate recreation of the 70's.


Basically I agree

Oh, I love watching old TV shows in a "present" sense. Carson was a cool guy. I also loved Dazed & Confused, but wouldn't you say it seems a little more "early 70s" than "disco 70s". It felt far enough from the '60s, but based on what I know, the feel was more 1973 or '74 than 1976.

BTW, I was born in September 1981 and I recall mid 1986 and up perfectly. By that logic, wouldn't you remember, like '75+ pretty well? Certainly by the time you started Elementary school a year or two later.

I too am fascinated by the 1970s as a decade (perhaps only the 1960s interests me more in terms of 20th century decades); from the fashion, the music, but most of all the architecture...just can't enough of those groovy 70s shopping malls.etc. The greatest change, I think, occured in the mid-70s (around 1974-76) from the post hippie world to a grittier, more cynical world. I often hear the 70s were a pretty 'dark' decade in many respects. Turmoil abroad (esp. Vietnam in early years), recession, oil shortages.etc.etc. But from what we see portrayed, it seems like quite an upbeat and almost decadent decade (second only to the 80s). Funnily enough, 70s TV shows hardly reflect the decade (IMHO). For instance, M.A.S.H. was set in the Korean War, the Brady Bunch portrayed a more 50sish middle suburbia (less so the Partridge Family)...although there were quite a few 70s TV shows. I also find the archive section of the state library an interesting source of 70s stuff (in my area at least). I know, not most peoples idea of a pastime, but I've always been a little weird.

I turned 10 in 1973 and it was great, although I'll have to admit the latter part of the decade was somewhat of a blurr if ya know what I mean, well it was the 70s.

In the 60s, the people who were most affected by politics were the young people (18-21). Those were the people who were drafted so they were the ones doing the protesting. In the 70s, however, when Watergate broke, the entire country (not just the young, like in the 60s, but the old, too) became disillusioned by the Government.

The babyboomers were coming of age who were tired of the status quo and wanted to change the world. They did for a bit-but IMO, they didn't go far enough.

Women's lib made a lot of advencements (but women STILL don't have equal pay for equal work  >:( ). I was able to wear jeans (or just pants) to school when my older sisters couldn't years earlier.

Technology was making a break-through-we had a wonderful thing call the 8-track tape.  ::) ;D  Ok, ok, so it wasn't that wonderful but it was NEW!!!  We started seeing more than 4 channels on tv. (ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS). HBO made its debut. Space travel was no longer science fiction.

There was also the energy crisis-long lines for gas with "odd and even" days. The Cold War was in full swing and the thread of Nuclear war was always present. However, I didn't experience the air raid drills like my older siblings.


Yeah, it was exciting but also scary-but not as scary as it is today.




Cat

The babyboomers were coming of age who were tired of the status quo and wanted to change the world. They did for a bit-but IMO, they didn't go far enough.


That was in the 60s. By the 70s people had stopped tyring to change the world and were just trying to grab anything they could get their hands on. The watchward of the 70s was conspicuous consumption. Sex, drugs and rock and roll - the wilder, the better. Gimme it - it's mine! America was riding a wave of prosperity, everyone had money, gas was cheap, cars were fast, clothes were flashy, and everyone lived in a cozy cocoon of self-indulgent security. The industrial revolution had not yet ended, jobs were plentiful and the future seemd bright. Everybody was selfish, narcissistic and spoiled.

Then came the 80s - factories moved to third world countries, jobs vanished, the ecomony crashed, oil prices skyrocketed and the hubris vanished....

Oh yes, in the 70s kids had a mom and a dad in the same house and mom was always at home with the kids. Warm hands, hugs, fresh apple pie. Nowadays they get shoved into some stranger's house with a bunch of other screaming brats by age 1 and a half and survive on timeouts and fast food... ::)

Oh yes, in the 70s kids had a mom and a dad in the same house and mom was always at home with the kids. Warm hands, hugs, fresh apple pie. Nowadays they get shoved into some stranger's house with a bunch of other screaming brats by age 1 and a half and survive on timeouts and fast food... ::)



Not in my house.  :-\\  My parents split in 1971(?) and my mom worked. So, I guess you could say that I was first generation "latchkey" kid. I also remember being home alone A LOT before I was 14-sometimes for days on end. Today, I'm sure my parents (both of them) would have up on charges for abandonment.



Cat

Well, I'll throw a couple more things out...  ;)

To bring up a real delicate topic: around '79 or '80, we started hearing about Herpes.   :o   That was the big scare - until of course AIDS became known around '81 or '82.   :\'(  And of course, birth control was pretty darn modernized by the 70's.  So you can put 2 and 2 together...   :-[

It seems that in the early 70's, the ecology was on people's lips a lot.  We worried about whether we'd have air to breathe or water to drink in the coming years.  Not that enough was done about it - but I recall there were some steps taken then.

In the 70's, the draft was eliminated, and young men no longer had to register.  I recall that being a HUGE relief in my family, having brothers.  It was eventually reinstated - but of course, by then the military was all-volunteer.  Still there was uneasiness about draft registration, because of that history.

In urban areas, crime was horrendous, especially poorer areas.  But street gangs, which seemed to get started in the late 60's, were quieted by the 70's.  Most of the crime was lone rangers, a lot of it drug related, and organized crime seemed to be in the picture.  By contrast, suburban areas were smaller, with almost no crime or overcrowding, kind of Brady Bunch like.  Small towns were like, well, small towns.

On the personal front - it was during the 70's that blow dryers came into substantial use.  Who among us doesn't appreciate that personal appliance?   ::)   Dentistry seemed to make major strides forward in the 70's, too - so we have better teeth than our parents.

Microwave ovens were invented in the 70's, but a lot of people didn't get Microwaves until the 80's - can you believe, some folks were scared of them because they thought they'd get radiation?   ;D  

And this may be the most obvious - bright colors and bold patterns were WAY IN!

Not in my house.  :-\\  My parents split in 1971(?) and my mom worked. So, I guess you could say that I was first generation "latchkey" kid. I also remember being home alone A LOT before I was 14-sometimes for days on end. Today, I'm sure my parents (both of them) would have up on charges for abandonment.



Cat


True, true - I had friends who lived up the street who were latchkey kids and the three of us used to spend hours upon hours at their house alone. The younger girl was 6; I was 8 and the older sister 'looking after us' was 12 and was slightly mentally challenged. No one ever worried or seemed to think we needed additional supervison. We lit candles under blankets for seances, dug up and ate flower bulbs 'cus we thought they were chives, made a game of jumping down from the roof of the house, cooked Incredible Edibles using goop that had been laying open in their filthy toybox in the basement for a year.... ;D

Kids today are so coddled and over-protected they can't have any fun like we used to... :(

I must note tho' that of all the kids I knew back then, only one had divorced parents...

True, true - I had friends who lived up the street who were latchkey kids and the three of us used to spend hours upon hours at their house alone. The younger girl was 6; I was 8 and the older sister 'looking after us' was 12 and was slightly mentally challenged. No one ever worried or seemed to think we needed additional supervison. We lit candles under blankets for seances, dug up and ate flower bulbs 'cus we thought they were chives, made a game of jumping down from the roof of the house, cooked Incredible Edibles using goop that had been laying open in their filthy toybox in the basement for a year.... ;D

Kids today are so coddled and over-protected they can't have any fun like we used to... :(

I must note tho' that of all the kids I knew back then, only one had divorced parents...



Yeah, I remember those Incredible Edibles.  :P  I also remember riding my bike without a helmet or knee/elbow pads. I also remember sitting on the top of the back seat of my dad's convertible as he was driving down the street. It is amazing that any of us survived.



Cat

In the 70s people were actually allowed to burn their own trash in a big metal can in their backyards... :)

In the 70s people were actually allowed to burn their own trash in a big metal can in their backyards... :)


I knew there was something missing these past few years. That big metal can's fire could really warm your bones on a cold winter's day.

My parents were never "burners" but a neighbor was.

What exactly was everyone burning anyway ?

;D

Wouldn't that cause some...unpleasant smells? Probably a better idea to take all the trash to some remote place and burn it.

What exactly was everyone burning anyway ?

;D




Their draft card? (at least prior to '73)
Their bras?  ;D ;D ;D



Cat

Their draft card? (at least prior to '73)
Their bras?  ;D ;D ;D



Cat

We had a fireplace in our house and I remember they used to throw newspapers, cardboard food boxes etc. in there to burn.  :-\\ 

Were the '70s all one vibe, or were they a mixed bag?

Their draft card? (at least prior to '73)
Their bras?  ;D ;D ;D

Cat


That's a mess of draft card and bras.  ;)

Actually, from what I've heard, latchkey kids were becoming common among the generation that would become Generation X, and the divorce rate was VERY high then, at it's peak. I think that Generation X was known for having a ton of latchkey kids, that was the big trend then, who were raised by TV. Maybe that's part of the reason for the teen homelessness problem later in the late '80s-early '90s.

The '70s were the decade when the inner city really sucked and everybody living there left. The '70s and '80s were highly suburban. Crime in New York City was awful...the subway trains were covered in graffitti, prostitutes by the thousands walked Times Square, and the whole decade was infused with open sex and drugs (according to my parents, everywhere.) Kids were dropping acid in the bathrooms at school in the early '70s...it was when the cultural revolution of the '60s really reached white, mainstream America, and so people started taking advantage of their new freedom to dress anyway they like, f*ck whoever they wanted, and do whatever drug they wanted. Politics were really horrendous, I think.

But nobody seemed to care in the mid-late '70s, it was like a time for forgetting all the turmoil of the late '60s and early '70s and partying...or trying to. People in the '70s were ashamed to admit they had abandoned '60s ideals, but largely had, and were "me people" who later became conspicuous consumption boomers in the '80s. According to my parents, everybody roughly their age, who all had been hippieish, started going to business school and getting more conservative politically, and wanting to make alot of money. Protestors were walked right by, the '70s was one of the prime "me" decades of the "me" baby boom generation. The economy was very good in the early-mid '70s, as I recall, before doing badly in the late '70s. But there was a dark side to the '70s, with the steel and auto and other basic industries suffering heavily.

Discos were "sleazy", according to my mom, and the ones she went to in NYC were full of married men having sex. Israeli men with chais and isfros went there to look for Jewish guys in tight bellbottoms and high platforms...it was very unattractive, chest hair and sweat were hot.

People dressed OUTRAGEOUSLY back then. Pimps had live goldfish in their shoes...my dad saw people with these back around 1976 or 1977 or 1978...too much polyester and hair for anybody's sake...

People dressed OUTRAGEOUSLY back then. Pimps had live goldfish in their shoes...my dad saw people with these back around 1976 or 1977 or 1978...
For real? Back in the late 80's there was a movie called "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka," which was a parody of 70's blaxploitation films, and there was a scene in it where this 70's pimp daddy type, who had just been released from prison after about 10 years, was walking through his old 'hood while wearing platform shoes with goldfish in them (and other garish late '70s pimp attire), strutting around and thinking he was all bad, and the whole neighborhood was falling down laughing at him.  But I didn't know people really wore those. That's too funny!  ;D

For real? Back in the late 80's there was a movie called "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka," which was a parody of 70's blaxploitation films, and there was a scene in it where this 70's pimp daddy type, who had just been released from prison after about 10 years, was walking through his old 'hood while wearing platform shoes with goldfish in them (and other garish late '70s pimp attire), strutting around and thinking he was all bad, and the whole neighborhood was falling down laughing at him.  But I didn't know people really wore those. That's too funny!  ;D


It was a very NYC thing to do...NYC was the national capitol of the '70s, and pimps. People there wore pink and green monkey fur coats while they pushed around Talula and Tiffany with their ivory canes. According to my dad, anyway, who lived there at the time.

The 1970s, for me, was like this:


1978 - being born, crying alot, drinking milk...alot, eating Gerber, crying some more, and pooping alot.

1979 - more of the same.

That's it for that decade. ;D

I did research some neat facts about the 70s being a concept to the 80s, 90s, and now.  Here are a few things that we should thank that decade for.

COMPACT DISC
1970 At Philips, Compaan and Pete Kramer complete a glass disc prototype and determine that a laser will be needed to read the information.

1971 Microprocessor produced by Intel
Digital Delay line used by BBC's studios (first digital audio device).

1972 Compaan and Kramer produce color prototype of this new compact disc technology

1973 BBC and other broadcast companies start installing digital recorders for master recordings.

1977 Mitsubishi, Hitachi & Sony show digital audio disc prototypes at the Tokyo Audio Fair.
JVC Develops Digital Audio Process

1978 Philips releases the video disc player
Sony sells the PCM-1600 and PCM-1 (digital audio processors)
"Digital Audio Disc Convention" Held in Tokyo, Japan with 35 different manufacturers.
Philips proposes that a worldwide standard be set.
Polygram (division of Philips) determined that polycarbonate would be the best material for the CD.
Decision made for data on a CD to start on the inside and spiral towards the outer edge.
Disc diameter originally set at 115mm.
Type of laser selected for CD Players.

1979 Prototype CD System demonstrated in Europe and Japan.
Sony agrees to join in collaboration.
Sony & Philips compromise on the standard sampling rate of a CD -- 44.1 kHz (44,100 samples per second)
Philips accepts Sony's proposal for 16-bit audio.
Reed-Solomon code adopted after Sony's suggestion.
Maximum playing time decided to be slighty more that 74 minutes.
Disc diameter changed to 120mm to allow for 74 minutes of 16-bit stereo sound with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz
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MEDICINE
On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first successful "test-tube" baby was born in Great Britain. Though the technology that made her conception possible was heralded as a triumph in medicine and science, it also caused many to consider the possibilities of future ill-use.
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COMPUTERS
The Apple II was introduced on April 16, 1977 at the first West Coast Computer Faire. The Apple II was one of three personal computers launched in 1977. Despite its higher price, it quickly pulled away from the other two, the TRS-80 and Commodore PET, to lead the pack in the late 70s and to become the symbol of the personal computing phenomenon. Unlike the TRS-80, the Apple II was of high quality and featured a number of technical advantages. It had an open architecture, used color graphics, and most importantly, had an elegantly designed interface to a floppy disk drive, something only mainframes and minis had used for storage until then.

1978: Computing history: Electronics companies, mostly Japanese, gather to consider standards for encoding sound digitally, with Sony and Phillips leading, resulting in the CD (Part of the effort was the need to find a way to make video disks as an alternative to video cassettes.) The use of the laser beam as suggested by Phillips won the technical battle. An early computer CD disc drive is developed by Mitsumi. The Soundblaster Card later becomes an industry standard for multimedia computers.
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INTERNET AND COMMUNICATION
In 1977, in what is regarded by many as the first true Internet communication, SRI International sent the first inter-networked transmission between three networks, from its mobile packet radio net van in Menlo Park to a host computer at the University of Southern California by way of London, England.

1977: Fiber Optic Communication in introduced
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TELEVISION & EDUCATION
1972- Home Box Office (HBO), the first commercial cable network, is transmitted by Time, inc. 

1972- The Surgeon General of the United States and the National Institute of Mental Health issue a report stating that television violence is harmful to children.

1973- The National Instructional Television Center is incorporated as the Agency for Instructional Television.

1978- Satellite distribution for television begins.
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Most of these were thought up long before they actually were concieved and prototyped, but I find alot of this technology we use today to be very interesting from a decade full of troubles, laxness, and very immoral and cynical values. 8)

What I remember about the 70's was it was a time when parents could let their kids play outside without worrying about them.  At least in our neighborhood it was that way.  I grew up about an hour from San Francisco and we played every type of sports game we could out in the street and throughout the neighborhood and our parents never had to worry about us.  We were allowed to walk home from school and feel safe.  Of course their were "Block Parent" signs at every other house so you would know where to go if you were in danger.  I remember it being a carefree and fun time.

What I remember about the 70's was it was a time when parents could let their kids play outside without worrying about them.  At least in our neighborhood it was that way.  I grew up about an hour from San Francisco and we played every type of sports game we could out in the street and throughout the neighborhood and our parents never had to worry about us.  We were allowed to walk home from school and feel safe.  Of course their were "Block Parent" signs at every other house so you would know where to go if you were in danger.   I remember it being a carefree and fun time.


I remember it that way too.  But maybe it's an age thing.  I was 11 in 1970....21 when the decade ended.  How can my perspective be anything but great?  I think most people appreciate the decade when they "came of age" so to speak.  But then again, I don't tend time into decades...I like to take it in smaller chunks.

Fashion changed throughout the 70s.  In the early years, we girls wore both very short mini-skirts and long floor-length peasant dresses.  By 74 or 75 midi-skirts came in style, and those stretch blouses with various patterns....but also the tops that tied behind the back....you had disco styles, and big-hair rockers.  And then there were bunches of us in the summer by the late 70s just wearing cut-off levi's and button shirts tied above the belly-button.  How about tube tops and halters?  That was mid 70s I guess.

I think, as teens in the 70s, we felt like life was pretty darn good.  Despite Son of Sam and such (I grew up in NYC) we were mostly optimistic.

It was a very NYC thing to do...NYC was the national capitol of the '70s, and pimps. People there wore pink and green monkey fur coats while they pushed around Talula and Tiffany with their ivory canes. According to my dad, anyway, who lived there at the time.


Speaking of New York in the 70s, everyone interested in 70s history should watch Taxi Driver - a real 70s time capsule. It really captured the dark, depressed feel of the time, and gave you some idea of life in that period, and the gritty urban atittudes that emerged thereof.

I remember it that way too.  But maybe it's an age thing.  I was 11 in 1970....21 when the decade ended.  How can my perspective be anything but great?  I think most people appreciate the decade when they "came of age" so to speak.  But then again, I don't tend time into decades...I like to take it in smaller chunks.

Fashion changed throughout the 70s.  In the early years, we girls wore both very short mini-skirts and long floor-length peasant dresses.  By 74 or 75 midi-skirts came in style, and those stretch blouses with various patterns....but also the tops that tied behind the back....you had disco styles, and big-hair rockers.  And then there were bunches of us in the summer by the late 70s just wearing cut-off levi's and button shirts tied above the belly-button.  How about tube tops and halters?  That was mid 70s I guess.

I think, as teens in the 70s, we felt like life was pretty darn good.  Despite Son of Sam and such (I grew up in NYC) we were mostly optimistic.


I remember the peasant dresses and the tops that tied in the back.  I also remember the button shirts tied above the belly button and tube tops and halters.    Back in NYC did you have "Ditto" pants?  They had that "U" shaped line that ran up the back leg over the butt and down the other leg.  You tried to wear them as tight as you could without cutting off circulation.  That was the big trend out here in my part of California.  Everybody had to wear "Dittos" - tight "Dittos"  :)

I remember the peasant dresses and the tops that tied in the back.  I also remember the button shirts tied above the belly button and tube tops and halters.    Back in NYC did you have "Ditto" pants?  They had that "U" shaped line that ran up the back leg over the butt and down the other leg.  You tried to wear them as tight as you could without cutting off circulation.  That was the big trend out here in my part of California.  Everybody had to wear "Dittos" - tight "Dittos"  :)


I don't remember calling them that but I remember the style.  I surely remember how tight we wore our jeans though!  You'd have to lay down and suck in your belly to zip them up!  LOL!  ;D  All styles were tight but the disco fashion went extreme on that.  How funny.

Speaking of New York in the 70s, everyone interested in 70s history should watch Taxi Driver - a real 70s time capsule. It really captured the dark, depressed feel of the time, and gave you some idea of life in that period, and the gritty urban atittudes that emerged thereof.

I was just tlaking to someone about how horrible times square is now that it's all Disney-fied...NO ONE wants a family friendly 42nd Street.

I miss hookers and vets and drug addicts.
Taxi driver showed you Times Square in ti's hey day.

Now it's got a Nike store.
So you can travel the world and buy something on vacation that you could buy at home and say "I got this Shania CD in New York!!"  when you should be bringing home VD.

I was just tlaking to someone about how horrible times square is now that it's all Disney-fied...NO ONE wants a family friendly 42nd Street.

I miss hookers and vets and drug addicts.
Taxi driver showed you Times Square in ti's hey day.

Now it's got a Nike store.
So you can travel the world and buy something on vacation that you could buy at home and say "I got this Shania CD in New York!!"  when you should be bringing home VD.



EXACTLY. My parents experienced NYC when it was still the real NYC, not some commercialized place like everywhere else. Nobody who's a real New Yorker wanted the family-friendly 42nd Street, without the porn shops and hookers. Now, they're just further back.

EXACTLY. My parents experienced NYC when it was still the real NYC, not some commercialized place like everywhere else. Nobody who's a real New Yorker wanted the family-friendly 42nd Street, without the porn shops and hookers. Now, they're just further back.


Yes, New York in the 70s was not the prettiest place, but it sure had character. Don't know how much of that remains now. Perhaps I'll never get to see the 'real' New York.

It's interesting to watch 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'Taxi Driver' and compare how New York changed over a mere 7 years: it's quite amazing; Midnight Cowboy seems almost like another era, while the New York of 1975-76 seems not that far off from modern.

I was just tlaking to someone about how horrible times square is now that it's all Disney-fied...NO ONE wants a family friendly 42nd Street.

I miss hookers and vets and drug addicts.
Taxi driver showed you Times Square in ti's hey day.

Now it's got a Nike store.
So you can travel the world and buy something on vacation that you could buy at home and say "I got this Shania CD in New York!!"  when you should be bringing home VD.

she's right, you know.

same thing happened to piccadilly circus in london. it's completely useless now, just another mall.