Another Summer in the City
On Monday, July 29th, GVSHP, along with our friends at Two Boots, unveils our latest historic plaque, this one commemorating the San Remo Café, which was a favorite Village hangout for writers, musicians and other artists from the 1940’s to around 1970. Regulars included Allen Ginsberg, Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Miles Davis, Frank O’Hara, Judith Malina, Jackson Pollock, James Baldwin, and Gore Vidal. Several of these eminent figures first met here, and many immortalized the San Remo in their writings. You can read more about the San Remo HERE.
Recently we heard from our friend Mark Sebastian, who co-wrote the lyrics for the 1966 Lovin’ Spoonful’s #1 hit song, “Summer in the City”, which was featured in “Off the Grid” two years ago. Mark heard about the plaque, and it reminded him of his friend Fred Neil’s 1965 album cover for “Bleecker and MacDougal.”
Thank you, Mark, for sharing this with us. And congratulations on your new album, “The Real Story.”
We’re honoring the legacy of the San Remo Café because it reminds us of how Greenwich Village is such an important part of the collective American cultural identity. The people who came to the Village, who lived and worked here, who performed and created here, informed the arts and American popular culture to such a tremendous degree, influencing countless others who followed them. And so that legacy continues.
My friends and I love reading about the city and all of the amazing musicians and artists that have lived and worked here. I used to hang out as a teenager in Greenwich Village. Bleeker street and Macdougal were hopping back then. Good to reminisce. Keep the nostalgia going.
Thank you Ted, this was so fun to read.