Shantytown

An old friend, poet, performance artist, film maker Elmer Lang made a film, life Never Begins Life Never Ends, about his departed friend, Gerald Loomis. Loomis was great musician songwriter and all around strange human. This is a song Loomis wrote.  I lived in this building in the East Village of Manhattan, on the top floor for over 25 years and saw it go from decaying slum to highly desirable expensive real estate. When I moved there, the rent was about 100 bucks a month, but the landlord let me live there for 2 months free because I said I had to fix the place up a bit. The last time I looked, 2012, it was renting for over $2,000 a month with very chic eateries on the ground floor.  The street action was five floors below me on Ave. B. Yes, it's depressing, but all too real. Check out Elmer Langs other videos on his YouTube channel. I even play bass guitar and scream in some of them.