We had lunch with Lorenzo's old friend Judy Mortlock. Afterwards she took us to her favorite view of the city- from the 5th floor of Filene's Basement on Union Square. (What is Filene's Basement doing- oh never mind.)
Note to Jas: no watch vendors here, not even any fake Vuitton bags. The brand police must be out.
Walked over to Nena's old house in the village. It's been renovated on the Barrow St. side. The 7th Ave. side is just as it was, minus the huge tree.
Maybe 15-20 years ago chatting with Jim Jackson in the El Rio, he mentions how in his 20s, New Jersey boy, he and some other friends used to travel to this bar in the Village, 17 Barrow St.
ReplyDeleteSo this one night in July, 1969 they came up out of the Christopher St station and as they approach the place see cop cars, flashing lights, paddy wagons, guys being led out handcuffed, a routine bust of a fag bar.
They figure what the hell, we'll go to Stonewall, they didn't like the place because "it was always full of drag queens" but what can you do?
They turn the corner and Jim says, "it looked like all hell had broken loose, fires, people throwing things at the cops, people smashing things, breaking windows, screaming." Stonewall, July, 1969.
They said to themselves, screw this, and went back to the subway and New Jersey.