More on New York’s secret past.

I came across another article on the area, really fascinating stuff considering what the area looks like today:

Far from being a desirable destination, the Far West Village, as it was known back then, was unknown territory to most New Yorkers except for butchers, neighborhood residents, and the select group of queer and kinky people who roamed the streets and filled the clubs there in the late-night hours and staggered home in the early morning as the sun was rising and most New Yorkers were heading off to work. During the day, strongmen dragged animal carcasses through the garbage-filled streets. It was a site reserved only for those with strong stomachs, given the stench of dead flesh and rotting trash that characterized the area.