Hanging Out on Avenue A in 1986

[@lynnethermann1912]

amazing to see myself & 2 friends talking on the corner .. one evening in 1986.

[@kenpoe3114]

lynne its ken from 85 -95 and some..some time ha-...

[@KayInMaine]

I graduated high school in 1986. This video is a nice trip back to how those days were! Loving the pay phones, people talking to each other, and listening to the conversation about Nelson's new technology. :D

[@inmatejason]

This is so cool, it's like time machine in a way.

[@YourTubeVideoss]

Takes Me Back To BETTER - TIMES .. 80's FOREVER in My Heart

[@blobcity3591]

@mediiskit umadfornoreason

[@Costa998]

It is

[@rogernma]

Seeing this brings back so many memories. Lived on 6 St btw 1st and A. This was my neighborhood. So many people I recognize.

[@danavipuzzles7308]

Such nostalgia. I was born in the end of 1985, so I was less than a year old when this was filmed and obviously don't remember that year, but it has the same vibes that I remember from the 90's. Time sure flies.

[@macmiles278]

WOW!! An era gone by. So sad I miss our America.

[@CherryCokeNixon]

Seems like a lot of people here don’t get that these videos are of a very specific subculture. This isn’t really a cross-section of New York in the 80s

[@TexasNewsOwL]

Nelson had a eye for detail and was out in public filming. Thats what seperates someone filimng there dog pooping at home or showing the backyard swing. He really documented this era.

[@JustinLHopkins]

Strange to see people without cell phones. It's nice actually.

[@JustinLHopkins]

***** That's awesome lol.

[@JustinLHopkins]

***** It is nice to see people actually looking at the world though instead of staring at a phone.

[@mikekaraoke]

Well in some of my home videos from the 80's in the UK, There are a few every now and again with the brick mobile phones but nowhere near as people now as everyone has them

[@garyenwards1608]

isnt it refreshing

[@rogernma]

Great to have discovered Nelson's videos here. At this time I lived around the corner on 6 St ( between 1st and Ave A) paying $300 for a 2 bedroom apt. Leshkos Coffee Shop had the best food and 7A cafe had good food and great views. Thank you for uploading these bits of EV history!

[@pedallinraw]

Could watch for hours no phones no problem! Wow!

[@alanalvarez6501]

The first Vloger of the world.

[@billlombard9911]

Love the GBH flyers , I graduated from la salle academy very close by in 1984, I remember Keith Harings drawings all over the subway walls on 2nd avenue

[@YeahNah100]

Splendid. Oh how I wish I could thank this man to his face.

[@auntemmyd1604]

Ughhh omg these times were Golden! Best years by far!

[@SmithMrCorona]

I come for the videos, and linger for the same comments: Wow- people aren't on their phones! Nelson seems like a nice guy. RIP I wish I had a time machine! People interacted more back then. He was the first vlogger!

[@davidhagadorn9023]

I lived on ave A -houston-rent control 89 a month -what a blast -Lizmar bar -downtown beruit 2 -my best friend was a bar tender over on 2nd at a place called nightingales -we got down with the get down -had to tone it down a bit over the years but damm that was a good time to be living up there

[@OrangeYTT]

00:19 - That flyer's show happened on June 7th 1986 at The Ritz, and the recording is on KZbin! This must've been taped around then!

[@Wondah007]

Thank you for providing this video

[@friendlier]

I know that corner very well. And I love cruising all the cute guys with Nelson!

[@qwerty6801]

Back when people actually talked to each other and strangers in social settings

[@sillygoose420]

people always say that on these videos but you can do that anytime you want. people act like it's gone forever but if you want that kind of interaction, you can bring it back! i do it all the time even though i'm introverted and its scary lol

[@9622paige]

I’m a 23 yo girl and I still do that.....it’s the way I was raised. My dad was born in 62 though and was a bit of a rock scene/hippie scene type guy so maybe that’s why. I’ve found a lot of people give me weird looks when I start up conversations in the checkout line or wherever unless they’re older and then they’re happy to talk.....some people are really rude and just ignore you. I always smile and hold doors for people behind me and you’d be surprised at how many time I don’t get a smile back or a thank you and since it’s all second nature to me the way that I was raised, I’ve been super surprised and a little ticked off when I went to grab a quickly closing door and instead of the person in front of me holding it they just let it slam in my face. Idk don’t much care for this era.

[@9622paige]

kat I’m also an introvert who does that as well lol it’s scary but so is being walking zombies on cellphones all the time. I miss my childhood so much.

[@fluffyhead6377]

The only barrier to socialising is yourself.

[@katierose6715]

This makes me so sad for the world we live in now. I know is better to make the best of the situation but I’m finding that really difficult right now. 😣It’s so hard to meet genuine people anymore. If I had a time machine I’d go back in second!

[@johnwright2911]

1986, I lived on 7th between C & D. It's all a blur...thanks for the footage.

[@mikekaraoke]

All a blur how?

[@johnwright2911]

My memory is shot. Some things I remember clearly, some I don't. Full life, many cities, almost 60! Ugh.....

[@mikekaraoke]

John Wright Oh ok, I'm 34 and remember everything since the age of my first memory at the age of 3- I hope by the time I'm nearly 60 that I don't have some things I remember and some things I don't So your 59 then

[@johnwright2911]

Wish I remembered more! Treasure it!

[@mikekaraoke]

John Wright I will indeed John, Where you from?

[@nymike06]

Avenue A was nice, affordable and edgy in 1986. Fast forward to 2020 and it's a cesspool. Nelson did a good job with this video from 1986. Brings back memories from the landmarks and nightlife scene of that time period.

[@j-a-k9585]

you know i just remembered and im not kidding ok year 2019 i celebrated my 51 BIRTHDAY at the Pyrimd before covid which happen a few months after my bday , and i had the best BIRTHDAY ever i was dancing with Goths and ran onto an old old club Frieand Erika Granten , then came Covid yuck and then Pyrimd closed I'm sitting here now watching Nellson Sullivan AMAZING tapes and remembering how that night in Dec 2019 was i can't believe how lucky I was best BIRTHDAY with sweet fun people life is SO strange the gotg kid i was dancing with that night came running out of the club as me and my sister were getting a cab , he said JK happy birthday i gave him a kiss on his cheek and then the whole city change . I hope the kids never stop dancing DJ play that music

[@uverpro3598]

People present. In the moment. Going somewhere and paying attention. Subcultures gathering, spontaneity and artistic expression oozing out of people. Giving and no just feeding off of energy. Not a phone in sight. Freedom.

[@Talentedtadpole]

Privacy too.

[@ericlopez8622]

Would be interesting to see that very same corner/ intersection in the year 2021!!

[@redadamearth]

Before cell phones and the internet made the world insane.

[@Charlesbjtown]

His editing prowess is legendary.

[@thisisthebeginning4425]

I was at that Charged G.B.H. concert at the Ritz. I was 16 yrs old. What a time to be teen, esp. in NYC.

[@BOWS3R]

I love seeing the way people in my dressed back then. I feel that people had a lot more personal style and originality. Maybe the internet has made us all dress in a few certain acceptable ways now.

[@merdal9329]

RIP Nelson :(

[@JasonFlorida]

I love watching Nelson's videos. Its so funny when he gets bored he's saying oh no my batteries about dead. The lady runs off. Next shot Nelson's recording some hot twink walking across the street and later him walking back. Lol. He knew how to use his tape and batteries wisely

[@mjg239]

LOL, yes! I totally noticing his camera was (let's say) "Gazing" at the barefooted guy with the well shaped legs.

[@friendlier]

At 02:54 that's Raven-O walking barefoot across Ave. A. And that's Brian Butterick (Hattie) at 03:23 in the plaid shirt on the right.

[@Talentedtadpole]

You missed Cookie.

[@dellee6723]

I think this spot is a MEXICAN restaurant now. Oh the 80s on Ave A .I love the G B H poster. 📺📺📺🎥🎥🎥🎥

[@noyb7214]

That’s looks like what became 7a. Hung out there many times and across the street at Yuca during the 2000s. Great footage. It’s pretty lively even in 86.

[@Talentedtadpole]

Cookie Mueller near the end of the video!!!

[@Bishopspipes]

....before terrorism and threats to our national safety both home and abroad. When life was....a bit simpler. What's scary is that this was not that long ago. Its not like we're watching footage from the 1950's. Crazy how the world has changed in such a short period of time.

[@winterlynn9012]

So true! In the grand scheme of things this really wasn't that long ago and it's sad how much things and people have changed. In the early to mid 90s as a child I would visit this area with my father and it was filled with a wide variety of people with colorful hair,unique clothing and they were extremely friendly. I went in 2010 to revisit and it was mostly just soccer mom's pushing kids in strollers and people with their faces glued to cell phones. Just a very boring place. Nobody was friendly at all..

[@oDTRT]

Ever heard of war? Yeah because the world peace existed before 2001

[@eb7446]

Power in the hands of a few will do that. Your biggest national safety threats rest in the economic system, not terrorism. It's the chaos that breeds mass shootings and the like.

[@johnwright2911]

But many times the park was clear, I lived down the street from it. I also remember the heroin lines of people waiting on (4th st) I believe.

[@nyc8802]

I loved the 80s. If you survived Alphabet City in the 80s, more likely you lived to tell...so here we are.

[@YourTubeVideoss]

No Cell Phones ... I REMEMBER ..Lol ( although Im Glad I Have One NOW .. still its Nice to See NONE .. then , 80's FOREVER )

[@55chh]

Ah yes, the summer of the Mets...I was living on 10th and A then.

[@kenpoe3114]

that right in oct.i went around with this pocket radio i just brought 20 bucks. listen to the games into the summer weee late hours..it wasnt until sept went folks took notice of the mets..keith was def something..

[@geckoenthusiast]

people used to speak so different... like a national 80s accent

[@Mylo12321]

Only been to NY once and it may be just me but I didn’t see any of the same socializing out in front of restaurants or coffee shops where people were sitting and enjoying conversations. I did google earth and looked at the street view where this coffee shop is and it’s just so strange to see no one at all there looking so boring and sterile. I know that was 100 years ago but this video just makes it seem so real now. So sad. I was o my 18 at the time.

[@ZnenTitan]

Sorry Mel, but that New York is a world gone away.

[@jamesfrench7299]

How did you preserve the tape so well. Video of this age normally deteriorates badly. This is so wonderfully vivid. The cars, can't take my eyes of the cars!

[@twinpeaks9354]

Same here...U cant find any American cars these days in NYC ,they are all japanese and korean….

[@1369vmsmith]

It was an early digital camera.

[@brentaudi9354]

Very cool!

[@alanhowitzer]

They tore down wher STP Grocery is and are building condos in 2015.

[@way2muchNFO]

its so real

[@kenpoe3114]

wow that was you..i def remember that area..from 85 -96 and some...

[@MarsMellow84]

Back in a time where people didnt have cell phones and read the newspaper for information. Those were the days 😢

[@isabella-nitebloom]

awww it's cookie mueller at 4:55 !!!

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

I remember it well.

[@Remo1147]

I was three months old during the time of this video

[@cherrygarcia1]

OMG real people actually talking with each other..

[@jameslaumand3686]

No evil I phones,I pads,no evil Facebook at time,things where real back then things are evil now

[@YourTubeVideoss]

In The 1980's I Worked Full Time ( 40 Hours Week ) Even At That CAMERAS ( camcorders ) Were EXPENSIVE .. but Now I Wish I Had Bought One ( Camera ) And Recorded My MEMORIES on VIDEO (s) .. HindSight Is 20 / 20 ...

[@jiggareactmilitant]

the coffee shop still looks the same.

[@rogernma]

Miss the 7A and Leshko’s coffee shop. Odessa up the block and Hawaii 5-O, Stromboli Pizza (the best).

[@bizznatch1478]

People were still weird back then. Some similarities but that was a totally different world.

[@eb7446]

I know so many middles aged and older people and you can see that they are scared and angry at what our society has become. Us youngins are, in a way, at advantage because we have much less reason to believe the elites when they tell us what's for our own good. But in times that felt simpler and prosperity was much better - people had less reason to question things.

[@Mylo12321]

Rosalina 90 Every generation pretty much says the same about their generation and the older generation. Each new generation thinks that they are more informed and are moving towards progress. Which in some ways is true. That’s how society works. But each generation can only learn and go by what happened in the previous ones because the future hasn’t happened yet. 35+ years from now those kids will be saying the same about this current young generation.

[@jmb1666]

@@eb7446 Just curious if you feel the same way now. I hardly think you 'youngins' are at an advantage. Especially when the democrats are turning every city they run into a liberal shit hole. Your freedoms are slowly being taken away...you'll never know how great those days were, and the whole vibe of the 80's will never be replicated.

[@jahwangful]

Movie 9 1/2 week came out in 1986

[@jmb1666]

It's funny when you see all these really cool, chill people in these videos...the very same ones that today's KZbin millennial trolls are calling 'boomer' and being disrespectful to. Today's punks have no clue... glad I was part of Nelson's generation, wouldn't want to be growing up in today's world. Bunch of shallow, rude and narcissistic jerks.

[@Talentedtadpole]

Gen X not boomer. You get nice and nasty people always.

[@gregoryallenbernard4322]

No phones no Twitter no KZbin no nothing my goodness what a world this is!!! how do you people do it I mean at 1 point in my life I did too growing up until I got my 1st nokia and played the snake game and I thought that was pretty cool but now phones can do everything now a days but it's amazing how times change⏰⌚⌛⏳📺

[@alyssaburgers6622]

It’s so refreshing to see no cell phones, I feel as if they corrupted everyone

[@Moonstone115]

Who's watching 2024 because of the youtube rabbit hole 😅❤❤

[@ryankenyon5010]

G.B.H. poster on the light pole. Haven't thought of them in 30 years.

[@magamaga1827]

GBH, the poster you see, was a pretty famous punk rock band in the mid/late 80s. Saw them a few times as a teen at CBGBs. There was nothing as cool or fun as being a "normal" teenager in outer Queens and coming into Manhattan's lower east side to see the freaks n geeks on display. NYC was exhilirating.

[@OrangeYTT]

The opening band for that concert was taped and is available on KZbin. June 7th 1986

[@thebomb78]

I was 8 years old. Living in Ireland.

[@Trini190]

The year I was born 😌

[@MrWolfSnack]

Most importantly, you could film people and places like this in NYC WITHOUT NEEDING A FUCKING PERMIT AND COURT DOCUMENTS GIVING YOU THE RIGHT TO FILM STRANGERS!

[@crashtonian]

..is 4:57 Cookie Mueller..(??) ..or is that impossible?

[@mistofoles]

I guess it's possible since she didn't die till 1989. She made films with Divine, and other assorted weirdos, right?

[@gabrielsteiger5465]

If you listen to her as she walks by....she is talking about a studio. I think she says "Does he have a studio to do that? Studio? He has a studio?"

[@alanhowitzer]

Where's all the punks?

[@aldofhister6859]

The scattered all over the place

[@martdavid84]

What exact corner is that?

[@OrangeYTT]

109 On Ave A in the East Village. They walked to the Pyramid Club which was at 101 Ave A

[@Gregarious78999]

There's no audio.

[@Ficus_blue]

Wear headphones.... it'll all in be in your right ear.

[@LORD-kg4sl]

0:08 voices reminds me of grand theft auto

[@Bates1960]

ALIENS came out in 86.

[@Skaterbun]

Is this miss lily's ?

[@EM-ii5gv]

Yessssssss before was 7A coffee

[@fabiano1970]

Hwo is the female Cop ??

[@garbage854]

cool :)

[@maritzacardona8540]

People talk and people watch. No cells

[@jameskim892]

Strange how he kept focusing on the "G.B.H." sign...

[@zakur0hako]

he mush have known a thing or two about punk

[@theeyeinthesky3854]

behold the celphones will be no longer in use in case of a satellite failure !!!

[@TheJesseVail]

0:43 Barb from Stranger Things.

[@smokindagreen7]

I wonder where the young female cop is now and if a cop today would so freely and openly speak to someone on camera about police activity completely unrelated to the person shes telling it to.

[@ADT2695]

You actually believe she was/is a real police officer?

[@commentcopbadge6665]

lol. Come on, you couldn't have really thought she was a real cop? How many cops have you heard of that sang, danced and put streamers on a criminal accused of giving alcohol to multiple minors and knocking up one instead of actually oh....... I don't know, arresting them? Also, she walked a little too sexy for a real cop, no? lol

[@commentcopbadge6665]

Oh yeah, and the heels. Not department issued I'm sure

[@Mylo12321]

Bitchney Nicole I’m thinking she was a stripper. Lol.

[@lg316]

Bitchney Nicole Oh honey. You sound like you just fell off the turnip truck ;)

[@mrboone2451]

I like how no one cares if there on camera

[@Costa998]

They say that people from harlem where afraid to come to Alphabet city in the 80 s but it don't look so dangerous..

[@mjg239]

Alphabet City was gentrifying rapidly in the mid-late 80s. Alphabet City and L.E.S. was the "Brooklyn/Williamsburg/Bushwick" bohemian/hipster" hotspot of its time back in the 1980s. Now the NY bohemian/hipster scene is mostly in Brooklyn & Queens and not alphabet city as its too expensive.

[@jameslaumand3686]

I’m jealous of him

[@mjg239]

Why?

[@leightodd9431]

The girl walking with the 2 guys looks/acts like Courtney Love.

[@fionahelmsley3168]

I think it's Cookie Mueller at the 4:58 mark.

[@EM-ii5gv]

How you will define a real New Yorker?

[@orestebertolirossel4914]

todo se ve lento....

[@suicidalpepsi]

G.B.H!