Walking around Greenwich Village today, it seems to be a very different place from what it was in the early 20th century. Today there are expensive condos and walk-ups, “hip” coffee shops where everyone has a latte and a macbook, bookstores, restaurants with hard-to-pronounce names, and boutiques with clothing that most of us wouldn’t dream of spending so much money on. Though it appears to be a center of culture and commerce, it does not have the bustle and diversity of minds and people that it seemed to have in the teens. Christine Stansell’s book expresses an amazing array of small biographies of people who were right in the middle of bohemian New York City.

One bio that I found particularly compelling was that of Emma Goldman, a Jewish “new woman” who emigrated from her oppressive home in Russia. She hated the conservative expectations of women and their roles in society as well as personal roles in marriage. I am so inspired by her will to resist societal norms and hold such extreme, anarchist views that frightened those around her. It may be hard to imagine what such oppression could feel like, but at this time, women were not expected to do anything beyond what they were taught. She came to New York City to find greater opportunities, but for more than just money–she wanted political freedom as a woman. She was able to immediately find other women and likeminded people to discuss (at the time) radical ideas. I’m actually amazed that I had never heard of her before. She was such a persistent, intelligent woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. She was a forerunner of feminism, and I wish I could go back in time and discuss feminism and politics over a cup of coffee with her. Even her photograph makes her look like the most intimidating and amazingly intelligent woman you could ever meet.

This book got me thinking a lot about what New York City is today in contrast with what it was 100 years ago. People came to the city with ideas, with ambition, and with high hopes for a future rich with culture and intellectual stimulation. And at the time, all of this was readily available for those who strived for it. In a way, New York is still this way–people come here with hopes of making it as artists, musicians, writers, etc. But with such high costs of living, it seems to be much more difficult to thrive as an intellectual or an artist today. While the city may still be considered a center of culture, diversity, and art, I think it is quite clear that living a “bohemian” lifestyle is not as accessible as it was 100 years ago.