On my way to Greenwich Village in New York in 1964 to listen to some poetry I needed to save some money for the trip. I took my poetry books and rented a cheap room in a tall skinny house on Yorkville Street in Toronto. The house was close to some Yorkville's clubs, The Riverboat and The Purple Onion that featured mostly folk singers. My room had a small patio that looked out into an alley and the back doors of the cafe's were were often left open. I could hear the music sour into the night along with the smoke, everyone smoked in clubs back then. I could not afford the cover charges and I did not smoke so I sat on the patio with my Canadian and listen to Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, Neil Young and Joni Mitchel bless the sound of the alley.
I did sit outside at the Penny Farthing drinking coffee and pretending to be a laid back intellectual reading Howl. I never made it to Greenwich because I felt Yorkville was just as cool and the West was calling with Height Ashbury just down the coast from next destination Vancouver and the summer of love with the Doors and the Velvet Underground. You can visit my blog at www.winding-roads.ca for more.
Please click on the Video link and like it if you do, and subscribe if you care
17 сен 2023
