Eight Million Stories In The Naked City

Port cities are more permissive than inland cities. After all, if looking the other way is what it takes to bring the traders to town, we'll pretend not to notice. Rudy Giuliani became "America's Mayor" after September 11th, but his stubborn puritanism put him at odds with the city's core values. He wasn't at all popular in the final months of his time in office.

Giuliani had this notion that the city needed to be "cleaned up" so he launched a crusade against peep shows and adult theaters. Their disappearance was mostly a function of techonological changes within the adult entertainment industry, not the result of Giuliani's efforts. He did manage to pass a law making it illegal for adult theater movie-goers to hold hands.

New Yorkers are mostly indifferent about the private sex lives of politicians. Anyone who thinks Anthony Weiner can't be elected Mayor doesn't really know New York all that well. The tougher he stands against the charges against him, the more popular he's likely to be. That's a consequence of being a port city, a New York tradition since the place was called New Amsterdam. People who think Weiner will just quit without a fight are going to be surprised when he goes on the Letterman show more popular than ever. There's something about a guy who makes jokes about cock-sucking that New Yorkers like.



Port of New York (1949)

The old poster. Never saw that one.
I liked your observation about port cities versus inland cities. Born in San Francisco.