Moving to New York in 1969

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by Donald Marino

NYC in the 1960s--credit

I always wanted to live in New York City and decided in 1969 that it was time, and so did my cousins Christopher and Anatol. So we packed our belongings into Anatol's '62 Chevy Convertible, and on a warm September morning, we hit the road leaving Syracuse forever. My Sicilian grandmother was sitting on the porch and waved goodbye after packing our meatball sandwiches.   

On the way, the radio was playing the theme song from Midnight Cowboy, which was a big influence on my decision to move to New York and become an actor. "Everybody's Talkin' At Me," "The Who's Tommy," and "How Can People Be So Heartless" from Hair, were all playing as we passed mountains, lakes, and rivers. 

Katz's Deli on Houston Street, by surlygirl courtesy of Flickr

I found an apartment on Houston Street near Katz's deli for $89 a month -- a  sixth-floor rat-infested walkup tenement. On our first day, we drove past the Empire State Building, parked the car, got out, and looked up, acting out scenes from Midnight Cowboy. 

No one, least of all me, could have predicted the influence and enormous change that New York brought about in our lives. The East Village was dangerous, dirty and more fun than I could have possibly imagined. Everything happened that first year, and out of the three of us, I was the only one who survived and stayed in New York, and yes, I did become an actor. It was the time of my life.

"The East Village was dangerous, dirty and more fun than I could have possibly imagined."

Donald Marino is an actor living in Los Angeles. He misses New York and hopes to return home to the Village, where his heart beats faster and he feels happier than in any other place.

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This page is dedicated to all New Yorkers---past, present, future and those at heart. If you currently live, have lived, will live, or dream of living in NYC, tell us what your first day was like, how you got to the Big Apple, or the reasons why you love New York and imagine living here. 

Or maybe you've lived here your entire life, we'd love to know why you're still here. Even if you have a great NYC moment and you like telling the story, we'll listen to that too.

Want to share your NYC story on Tracy's New York Life? Please send an email to info at tracy kaler dot com.