How to Live Without Irony

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Even in Detroit. The problem is that so many of these "hipsters" are just dope head party animals that really don't contribute much after Mom and Dad cut off the cash flow. Any positive effect they have on a blighted community is temporary at best. Remember; They are there because they think it's "hip" to live in a blighted shithole. They're slumming. And when they leave, they pretty much leave it the way they found it, or even worse.

Dave

SoHo and Harlem in New York, the Mission District and The Castro in San Francisco, Federal Hill, Bolton Hill and Fells Point in Baltimore would tend to contradict your argument.

John

[nailer]

Originally Posted by Boreas

SoHo and Harlem in New York, the Mission District and The Castro in San Francisco, Federal Hill, Bolton Hill and Fells Point in Baltimore would tend to contradict your argument.

John

I shared the third floor of a Bolton Hill townhouse for two years with my brother, a MICA student, in the late 70s. When he graduated I moved to Temple Gardens on Reservoir Hill. Bagger Bob - urban pioneer.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by nailer

I shared the third floor of a Bolton Hill townhouse for two years with my brother, a MICA student, in the late 70s. When he graduated I moved to Temple Gardens on Reservoir Hill. Bagger Bob - urban pioneer.

I lived on Bolton Street at the same time. Before that in Seton Hill. (I was a bartender at No Fish Today.) Right now there's some serious gentrification going on in Canton, the other side of Eastern Avenue from Patterson Park. I'd sorta like to get back to Baltimore and check all that stuff out.

As I recall, before it fell on hard times, Reservoir Hill was Baltimore's upscale Jewish neighborhood. Gertrude Stein grew up there as did the Cone Sisters, who amassed one of the most important collections of Impressionist art in the world.

John

[nailer]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I lived on Bolton Street at the same time. Before that in Seton Hill. (I was a bartender at No Fish Today.) Right now there's some serious gentrification going on in Canton, the other side of Eastern Avenue from Patterson Park. I'd sorta like to get back to Baltimore and check all that stuff out.

As I recall, before it fell on hard times, Reservoir Hill was Baltimore's upscale Jewish neighborhood. Gertrude Stein grew up there as did the Cone Sisters, who amassed one of the most important collections of Impressionist art in the world.

John

There's a good chance I bought more than a few drinks from you. Remember the blizzard? BTW, I road the Temple Garden elevators a few times with John Waters and his entourage and attended the premiere of Desperate Living at the UoB law library auditorium.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by nailer

There's a good chance I bought more than a few drinks from you. Remember the blizzard? BTW, I road the Temple Garden elevators a few times with John Waters and his entourage and attended the premiere of Desperate Living at the UoB law library auditorium.

Did you leave me a tip?

Like Waters, I grew up in Towson and we had mutual friends. One day these friends and I went over to John's house (on La Paix Lane next door the the house F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in while Zelda was in Sheppard Pratt). I suppose I was maybe 15 or so and Waters is about my age. (I thought a year or two older but his bio says he's a year younger.)

Anyway, he was already making movies and that day he was editing some footage he'd shot earlier. Suddenly gifted with a "cast", he quit editing, grabbed his camera and led us all up to the Towson courthouse (the one in "Serial Mom"). There he set about directing us all in some scenes he wanted to shoot. My scene was to be gunned down as I stepped off the #8 streetcar outside the courthouse.

Years later, I ended up going out with a woman who had been part of his entourage and I related this story to her. "Oh!" she said, "That's 'Hag in a Black Leather Jacket!'" I've never been able to see this very obscure short film so I don't know whether the scene in the film is with me or whether Waters re-shot the scene later with a different (real) actor.

John