Although it is physically separated from Washington Square Park, St. Marks Place is often seen as NYU’s unofficial haven for food, culture and of course, nightlife. At the same time, many view the rowdy street as a far cry from its former glory — what was once a hotbed for alternative and radical culture is now more of a commercial, albeit grungy, center that caters to the surrounding student population.
In the mid-1800s, St. Marks was home to a large German immigrant population, most of whom lived in tenement housing. Later, these tenements became available to artists and creatives looking to live near the center of the East Village’s art scene while still being able to afford their rent. Iconic mid-20th century residents, like artist Andy Warhol and filmmaker Paul Morrissey, who reimagined the Electric Circus nightclub, fostered some of the earliest forms of punk rock. In a similar sense, many NYU students now look to St. Marks for apartments that are both close to campus and relatively affordable.
Now, the street’s ever-changing reputation is shaped by the pressures of high rent, corporate competition and the demands of a growing student body.
“If you want good art to happen, you need low rent,” Damian Bielak, an employee of the Village Works bookstore, said in an interview with WSN. “The punk movement came out of low rent. [There was no] pressure to make stuff to survive.”…