Priced Out

I paid a $7.50 toll to drive across the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge in New York City.

     Is New York City losing its creative edge?
     I've been visiting there all my life. From the 1960's through the 1980's, the streets were gritty and culturally vibrant. Mom and pop stores were commonplace. Struggling artists could afford rents.
     Once during the 1980's, I strolled down a street in Manhattan. A middle aged man somersaulted on a sidewalk. It happened in front of me. His friend stood beside him and laughed. I did a double take. The laughing man was pop artist Andy Warhol. He looked at me, gauging my reaction.
     The city is changing. It's cleaner and safer. But there's a downside. The street level diversity is fading. It's no longer a supportive place for struggling artists.
     I sensed the change during recent visits. My last trip took me into three of the city's boroughs. Brooklyn seems gentrified. Manhattan feels even more corporate. The Bronx retains something of a vibe, but the Grand Concourse isn't hopping like it was when I was a child.
    Artists are leaving New York. They're moving to other cities where rents are affordable.
    Even famous artists have hit the road. The songwriter Moby moved out. He wrote: 'I was so accustomed to the city's absurd cult of money that it took me years to notice I didn't have any artist friends left in Manhattan.'
      As the future unfolds, new Andy Warhols will emerge from the woodwork of America. But I don't envision them coming from the Big Apple. 
     Is New York City becoming a city where art is showcased but not created?