Nelson found Lady Bunny and and DJ Dmitry sitting on a bench in Thompkins Square Park during this ramble around the East Village in 1986. Video by Nelson Sullivan
Omg I agree, I've been watching for two days. I want a time machine. I watched Glory Daze the other night, and that lead me to watching all of these videos now I can't stop
When you first start watching these videos, you are amazed with the footage of the 80's and Nelson being so ahead for his times. After a while, you become more amazed at how talented and artistic Nelson was. The way he does 360 degree shots and then ends with a close up of a flyer on the wall. The way he starts a shot with a close up zoom, then zooms out until you recognize what it is. Everyone comments how he was ahead of his time for vid-blogging in the 80's, but even for today Nelson is ahead of the times. His filmography is true art. And side note, he also seems like he was a very cool person to have known and chilled with. I hope you can look down from somewhere and see all you have done, Mr. Nelson. Thanks.
Also interesting how he uses windows to reflect things, like the way he captures that building in the window of a passing car and a girl walking by reflected in a storefront.
I'm writing a fantasy novel involving at one point time travel to NYC back in the day, and Nelson Sullivan has single-handedly saved my ass. I love these videos so much.
Wow, this brings me back. I grew up next door to the Pyramid bar, at 103 Avenue A, and worked at Ray's candy for a short time. My brother worked at Sal & Tony's pizza. What I wouldn't give to go back to 1986 for a day....
Me to, I met my wife in the summer of 86' i was 17 she was 18. We got married in 1991, she passed away Feb 2016 Would give anything to be able to go back
This is like walking into a time machine and going back in time. Whitney Houston just made her first hit songs a year before. in 1985. Thanks for uploading.
I use to live on this block, and remember seeing these neighbors all the time. It was a very creative time in the arts and music world. It was a great time to be living in the E Village.
Thank You. I lived on 1st Ave between St Marks and 7th above the bagel shop. Was an amazing time to be a rebellious youth in NY. Strombolie's Pizza and the Pyramid Club, St Marks Bar and Grille,.Trash and Vaudeville, Industrial Hair, selling found objects at Cooper Union for an extra buck. What a blast this time was.
Scott444 yeah exactly, technology is a curse because a lot of people now do not have conversations with people but they stare at their phone screen for hours
So true. And yes, I'm aware of the sickening irony that I'm writing this on youtube (possibly the greatest invention of the 21st century). I often find myself overly nostalgic for the pre-computer/smartphone age.
It's not just sickening irony, People definitley use the internet wrong. Sure, People are allowed to be online alot, But they need to at least have personalities, Alot of the people I meet are either sociopaths, empty husks of people, depressed people, People who have absolutley no trust for me and don't care to listen to what I have to say (And want to keep it that way), People who don't want any friends, Or extremists/radicals of some kind or malicouis people. That can change a person in negative ways.
So glad I found this channel. I lived in NYC from 1985 to the end of 1988. Spent a lot of time walking around Manhattan. Mostly the Village and downtown. I walked through the Meatpacking district a bunch of times and was fascinated by how rundown and seedy it looked back then. I miss that version of New York.
EV in the 80's was an incredible decade - so much creativity and opportunity, along with danger, hardship and outrageous goings on ....Glad to be seeing this for the first time!
When i see Nelson videos i recognise the New-York i lived in in the 90 s . When i see videos of New-York today i barely recognise it , it look like any other city in the world..
absolutely love this channel and all of Nelson's videos,what a genius he was, his videos are like the genesis of real TV, Snapchat, video bloggers, way ahead of his time, and to travel back in time to a kind of NYC that is no more and never will be it's priceless! Thank your for uploading
Wow so crazy looking at that bar on the corner right next to Thomkins square park. That is where Niagra is now. Love that those guys kept that vibe going when they opened it many years ago. Of course a very different crowd hangs out there today.
It’s really cool seeing this awesome videos and I’m very thankful to have RU-vid to view them. My mom was probably around 20 years old when this was filmed. I found that so crazy! But these videos really do assure me that daily life really wasn’t all that different back then. At least for me. I see a lot of negative comments about people saying nobody talks anymore and that nobody has social skills. Well I find that to be false. I mean speaking from my own experience, I have conversations daily with my family and I can talk to a new person without seeming antisocial and rude. I’m pretty shy but just because I have phone doesn’t mean I don’t know how to communicate... and when I’m with my friends, we only use our phones to watch something funny or to switch the music on our playlists in the car. I’m really sure what you all endure in your daily lives but I don’t feel totally weighed down and depressed by technology. Yeah it’s a bit discouraging seeing people nose deep in their phones when they’re around people they know but that’s their choice so doesn’t really affect me. Technology is huge and it is more of a blessing than a curse I think. Social media is just the problem though. And I’m aware RU-vid IS a type of social media but I don’t find it to be as toxic as Instagram in my own perspective. What do you think?
It was a VERY VERY different time. Infact it was fantastic!!!!! No social media, no idiots walking around staring into their hands. You just KNEW a where to find your friends. So much happened in empty spaces. Galleries were truly wherever for that night, an old gas station was a great music venue. Great stuff happened eveyday
It's to my understanding that he was collecting it for Randy and Fenton of world of wonder so that he could pitch it like a documentary about his friends and New York City nightlife.
I am so,so blessed to have come across Nelsons VIDEOS.. God made me want to see these. I know I was born in the wrong decade!!! I love everything about the 80s and If I had one wish I would wish that my parents had me in the 70s so that I can experience myself in the 80s.Everyone now are attached to social media and have NO social skills and it's just sad!!! because it will never be like this again!!! But I will continue to be myself and dress like I was born in the 80s!!!!
I grew up about 20 blocks North on 27th Street. I was very young when this was shot.. Very nice to see. I have NY stuff on my channel if you want to see what it is like today.
I always thought how people are complaining about the quality of life in the city, they never seen the full picture or live in the city for many years to experience like myself. I've seen a lot of crazy stuff with a lot of graffiti, stickers on pole, murals, etc...... over the years.
NYC was raw and real back in the 1980's before a lot of the places either became gentrified or just rotted to a dump. Yeah, the city might've been dirtier than it is today but it had soul and character.
3:10 OMG IT'S DEELITE the groove is in the heart motherfuckers!! omg the fucking nyc 80s was amazeballs. Too bad I was just an awkward adhd tomboy in catholic long island middle school at this time it SO sucked for me!!!!!
I remember the bandshell. my roommate who was a bit of a Dandy brought a fine collection of clothes over to the guys sleeping on it. One large guy pushed through and grab the bag from him. The others too lazy to get up just asked if there was any wine in it. When he said no they started yelling, fagot get him. My roommate came home cursing.
Hey, is there any way to contact you? I emailed the address on the website. It's about using Sullivan's video recordings for an exhibition. Urgent matter.
Man I would've loved to be there. Hang out with Nelson and those guys and pick up chicks since I'm not gay. Go see the Ramones, write graffiti, be into hip-hop, and then also still go on Grateful Dead tour since the 80s were a great era for that band
I miss all the cool people of the 80s. Especially women. They looked so cool and different. Women and girls look like 50s housewives now, but even worse. 😐
I love how naturally thin everyone was is the eighties. You don’t ever see any fatties walking around in any of Nelson’s videos. I was a kid in the eighties and I don’t remember as many fat people as you see today. Thank u Nelson for leaving the world theses glimpses into the past. 💋
nelson want is the deal with the pole??I got so dizzy u going around that and u interview everybody by it like whats the deal?I didn't care much for this video because of it and I love all his videos usually not this one thought.Outta be called my love for the pole.
