THE ELOIZATION OF NEW YORK

by Kevin Walsh

The old New York Pavilion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which has been allowed to rust and fall apart for 47 years, reminds me of the various Time Machine movies in which H.G. Wells, sitting in his time machine watching the years go by, sees Man’s great projects rise, prosper and then deteriorate over the centuries.

I half expect to see groups of Eloi lounging in the shade, passively waiting for the Morlocks to come and grab them for dinner. Dinner at which the Eloi are the main course.

You can do that anyway. Go down to the riverside areas, where the great docks and shipping areas that formerly employed thousands are now occupied by unheeding Eloi, lounging in the sun.

7/14/12

13 comments

david russell July 15, 2012 - 8:47 am

Yes, waiting for the Chinese and Japanese and Koreans to polish them off.

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Roger_the_Shrubber July 16, 2012 - 2:58 am

Back in the early 80’s I remember going in there at night and walking on the NY State map. The cables up above made the creepiest noises in the wind.

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Elwood July 16, 2012 - 8:01 am

The Eloi had been my name for that crowd for the longest time. Then I finally gave into the hype, read the Hunger Games, really enjoyed it, and now I call them “Capitol People”.

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Dave July 16, 2012 - 1:11 pm

Saw Led Zeppelin there in1970. Great show.

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Kevin July 16, 2012 - 4:14 pm

Will Rod Taylor and Weena come running over the field now?

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april January 14, 2013 - 2:43 am

Saw Yvette inside a restaurant in the East 60s or Upper 50s around Third or Lex circa 1982. One of many celebs I met in Manhattan and never bothered. She looked exactly as one sees her here – plain, sweet, perfect figure and skin … a woman who took care of herself. How totally unlike the City of New York, which took next-to-no care of the remarkable ’64-’65 World’s Fair other than the grounds. I used to bike ride there in the summer to Jewel Ave., thus taking in the 1939 World’s Fair grounds as well. Sitting beneath trees viewing the latter, I so wished I could revive the event that my parents so revered. And then I’d light a cigarette and pedal on. Those were the days.

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Steve July 17, 2012 - 8:18 am

The “Eloi”– that’s a really obscure reference. I’ve always had a “Planet of the Apes” vision for the ruins in Flushing Meadows. The best example– now gone– was the US Pavilion. Walk up into that in 1975, and you were transported to another time.

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M August 9, 2013 - 10:26 pm

I was in there once around that time and your description is so spot on. By then that place reeked of urine, escalators totally wrecked, broken glass everywhere and parts that were burned out. A truly creepy feeling in there-especially when you imagine how wonderous that building must have seemed just 10 years earlier.

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Bill July 17, 2012 - 9:59 am

I could be wrong, but I think Cheap Trick used two photos of themselves in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the front and back of their second album, In Color and In Black and White. The distinctive towers are visible in at least one of the photos. The night photo looked best.

Another NYC night photo that looks real good on an album is from the Dictators’ Bloodbrothers, which shows them hanging out menacingly in a Bronx playground.

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Mitch July 17, 2012 - 12:32 pm

Wasn’t the NYS Pavilion used in Spider Man 3?

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Harry July 17, 2012 - 6:00 pm

I went to my high school prom dinner there in 1970. What memories.

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Joseph Ciolino July 23, 2012 - 3:10 pm

The Eloization is not confined to this wretched spot. All of society has been “dumbed-down.” Men and women look and act the same, and heroism is mocked. But I’m ranting. . .

Great memories of the World’s Fair. Thanks for reminding me.

Books? We have books. . .

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