New York Needs an Arts District

By Roger and Anthony Paradiso

We first heard of Roberto Monticello years ago but we had never met. One thing we have in common, then and today, is a love for Manhattan and the desire to save the Village by bringing subsidized housing like the Manhattan Plaza buildings here. If we can create Manhattan Plaza 2 in the Meatpacking District, we will be resurrecting the entire area (including the nearby Bleecker Street area) into one of the great arts centers in the country. We met Roberto on a chilly spring day at Hector’s Café, his favorite place—and the Paradiso’s fave too. Here’s what Roberto had to say.

What was the Meatpacking neighborhood like when you first came here?
It was nothing like it is today. The area was very decayed and the only ones around were the meatpackers. There was a lot of what you call ‘crime.’ Right over on the corner, that’s where the Mafia was hanging out. And when they put up the new floor, they found five bodies.

There were always gangs running around. Their meeting place was the Village Idiot, a bar on 14th and Ninth, where they would argue for territory. Another hangout, Florent at 69 Gansevoort, was open 24 hours. It was infamous for everything illegal and that’s where everybody went to hang out.

I did OK because I was a young, tough kid. I had my little [group of friends]—mostly artists’ kids from Westbeth. We weren’t touched, but everything illegal was going on around us.

You pictured yourself as one of the good guys?
I tried to help people. I was the only who would call the ambulance when somebody got hurt. People would say “oh, somebody got knifed over there, OK” and keep walking. Some people respected me for that and some of the thugs would not bother me. You know, I would talk to them in a respectful way.

How did the old gang treat you as the unofficial Mayor of the neighborhood?
I was seen as somebody who was a little different. I wanted to help. The “trannies” used to make fun of me because I was the only straight guy. They would go, ‘You never been with a man? See a psychiatrist, something is very wrong with you.”

How about the artists back then?
There used to be artists everywhere around 15th Street, now everybody has gone—except ones who have rent-controlled apartments. Westbeth is the only survivor. If you lose the arts, what do you have?

Why not create an arts district here? It’s the only place in New York—if you do it in Chelsea, you’re going to compete with housing everywhere, but here you do not have that, so do it here. Go across the street. That building has been empty for three years. Make it artists’ studios or galleries or performance spaces or even offices.

I want to save New York because I’ve been here 50 years and I plan to be here another…whatever I live to.

All the way to 14th is Community Board 2. This is part of the Village. It used to be called the Northwest corner of the Village. This is the Village! Have an artist district in the Village—Hello!

Have you talked to other residents of this district?
Not many. I’ve been doing a documentary about human trafficking of children. I’ve also been going to Ukraine and to Gaza bringing relief and humanitarian aid. That takes like 90 percent of my time. I can’t do it alone. I’m not part of an organization. I’m a freelance artist.

Even the Governor of New York State is talking about housing. We want to keep artists in Manhattan in a place where some of them can live. We’re near Westbeth, the only place like that—along with 42nd street, Manhattan Plaza.

That would be so easy because everybody wants to be here—between the Village and Chelsea. If you create an artist neighborhood, an artist district, they will come. It will be great for tourism. Many cities have it already. Miami is brain dead; the whole city, the whole state ofFlorida is brain dead. They have an artist district in Miami and everybody goes there. New York—the center of the art world—doesn’t have it.

As Roberto knows, the Paradisos will continue talking about subsidized artist’s housing in Greenwich Village. We love the idea of the Meatpacking Arts District linking with Bleecker Street. It will be one of the great arts districts in the world. We will send this article to the Governor’s and Mayor’s Office and we hope they will see it too.