New York City Nightlife History - Jesse Keyes

The historical transformations and disruptions of New York Citynightlife are contextually instructive. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, which brought hundreds of thousands of low wage low skill laborers streaming into the city, nightlife became an integral part of New York’s cultural fabric. From vaudeville acts that pushed the limits of social propriety, to operettas that harkened back to the homelands of Italy and Germany, nightlife activitieswere entrenched in New York’s economic structure.

I willexplore Prohibition, which spurred an explosion in the number and cultural impact of speakeasies that followed. Longstanding local bars were made illegal; that change, combined with an increasing social openness to broad female participation in nightlife activities, created an opening for illegal drinking establishments to both put on entertainment--particularly in the form of that uniquely American musical tradition, Jazz--and to encourage the social comingling of men and women. Jesse Keyes said the Following WWII, the supperclub, made famous by the likes of the Stork Club and the Latin Quarter, became a dominant form of night time activity, offering sophisticated dining, high concept entertainment and a place to do every kind of business imaginable. The historical trajectory reveals yet another stageprior to the currentcomplex variabletypology of nightlife--the often lawless, drug-infused but artistically supportive milieus of the discos, massive nightclubs and underground music scenes--typified by Studio 54, the Tunnel and CBGB’s, respectively--that blossomed during the City’s economic decline of the 70’s and 80’s.

Planning and Nightlife

Jesse Keyes share The thesis will also examine the history of the interaction between planning authorities and the nightlife industry in New York City. Of particular interest will be four elements of conflict and question that derive from nightlife and make their way into the public sphere: alcohol, noise, dancing and crime. The City, using its public powers, has dealt variably with these issues over time through the following planning bodies: the New York State Liquor Authority, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs and the New York Police Department, respectively. The thesis will explore these agencies and their policy approaches to the regulation of nightlife.