Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Has New York City Lost Its Edge?

By

Jen Carlson

Published Jan 24, 2011

Modified Jan 24, 2011

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

"In this July 1971 file photo, two members of the newly created Pimp Squad of the New York Police Department escort an alleged prostitute across Broadway in Times Square shortly after 4 o'clock one recent morning."

 

Gothamist

View all 5

By

Jen Carlson

Published Jan 24, 2011

Modified Jan 24, 2011

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Seems like no matter where you look in New York City these days, you can't find a hooker being carted off by the NYPD's Pimp Squad. Heck, is there even a Pimp Squad arm of the Finest anymore? The AP reports that New York City's edge-factor is disappearing, noting the deaths of CBGBs, Coney Island's Shoot the Freak, and Off-Track Betting as some of the big losses. Are we doomed to become a metropolis filled with Starbucks and big box stores? The once seedy Times Square has now literally become Disney-fied, and the AP notes: "the weird, unexpected, edgy, grimy New York—the town that so many looked to for so long as a relief from cookie-cutter America—has evolved into something else entirely: tamed, prepackaged, even predictable."

The director of the Gotham Center says, "What draws people to New York is its uniqueness. So when something goes, people feel sad about it. I think that's also part of the New York character, that 'Things were better when...'" Indeed, not long ago we looked back at a video from 16 years ago documenting the changing landscape of the city, where many of the same fears were expressed (though one man welcome a Wal-Mart take over).

What some see as progress, many see as lost uniqueness—but as one tourist says, "what I've always liked about New York is the New Yorker, and that's always pretty much going to be the same."

Tagged

edge

edgy

history

legendary

nyc

unique

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE arts-entertainment

The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace

Published Oct 8, 2026

Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?

If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.

By

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?

If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.

By

James Ramsay

What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.

By

Jayson Greene

Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City

By

Sonia Rao

Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries

By

Alec Hamilton

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .