Interview · moment 28 of 29
What Tim Will Miss: Astoria, Belts, and Old New York
from 158 - Leaving Hell · #158
3 min
Guest
Tim reflects on what he'll miss about New York — the raw diversity of Astoria, a $12 belt from a street vendor — and contrasts it with LA's Disney-fied, faded version of old Hollywood grit.
- Tim will miss restaurants like Rendazzo and walking around Astoria, appreciating the diversity and the raw human experience of people in different stages of pain.
- Astoria has more of the old New York vibe than most of Manhattan or Brooklyn, with authentic character that's disappearing elsewhere.
- He bought a $12 leather belt from a street vendor selling shoes and belts out of bins, the kind of transaction that requires a two-hour Uber in LA.
- Parts of LA that used to have a grimy, authentic vibe now feel like Disney World, sanitized and corporate.
- New York's history is rich and textured while LA's movie history just fades—film doesn't age the way lived experience does.
- The hustlers, street urchins, and morally bankrupt people have moved into corporate offices in suits, where they can do more damage than street-level crime.
QueensLos AngelesAstoriaBrooklynManhattanHollywoodLong IslandBrighton BeachSunset Boulevard