For those of us who formed our opinions of New York City through Sex and the City, Manhattan was a metropolis crawling with the hottest restaurants, most lively clubs and, of course, Carrie Bradshaw’s brownstone. For Candace Bushnell, this wasn’t always the case. When she moved to New York at the age of 19, the city was technically broke. It was a dangerous and, often, scary place, characterized by drug-fueled indulgence. Nightlife (think Studio 54) ruled the town, and the streets were littered with illicit activities … prostitution, drug dealers, junkies. But it was also, and perhaps more importantly, characterized by excitement, creativity and intelligence. Bushnell remembers it as the most fun and free place. Everything was over the top, and no one had any money, but it was the time when her creativity was taking off, and she was not alone. Before New York became the gentrified city it is today, the likes of Cynthia Rowley, The Talking Heads and the cast of “Saturday Night Live” were getting their start in tiny apartments.
“The biggest misconception about me and New York City is that there is instant success,” explains Bushnell, “and that is not true. There is a lot of competition, and you have to pay your dues one way or another.” So, although she moved there with nothing and knew no one, she was quick to learn the tricks of survival, and 18 years later, Sex and the City, a culmination of 15 years of work, hit the stands.
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originally publish on styleblueprint.com
