Manhattan’s East Village: Three Decades of Madness

From the 1960s through the 1980s the East Village of Manhattan experienced changes that no one could have envisioned. The tumultuous years brought about stark contrasts. Crime, poverty, drugs, arson, displacement, anarchy, and AIDS tore through the heart of the area. But throughout much of that time an artistic community evolved and flourished attracting thousands of artists, musicians, writers, poets, and filmmakers. From hippies to radicals and revolutionaries the historic melting pot simmered and often boiled over.