The street / Jimmy Ryan (part 1 of 3)

A discussion about the history and present-day of Christopher Street in New York’s Greenwich Village, including its centrality to gay life, with guest Jimmy Ryan, street peddler and publisher of the Warehouse Newsletter. Ryan discusses what Christopher Street was like before the Stonewall riots, the increasing openness of its gay residents after the start of the gay liberation movement, and the kinds of communities that exist in and around the area. The guests and host talk about Christopher Street’s carnivalesque atmosphere and its reputation for attracting “undesirable” types. Ryan describes the dangers of the piers at the end of Christopher Street, relating a tale of his own mugging and stabbing. Contains recorded music: “Village People” by The Village People.