In this two-part interview, Bill Bailey (b. March 19, 1939) and Laurie Eichengreen (b. July 7, 1943) discuss their early lives and tell the story of Mythology, an eclectic store formerly located at 370 Columbus Avenue. They describe how the space evolved from Bailey's art studio in 1970 to a store where they sold a variety of books, art, toys, masks, and myriad unusual things. Bailey discusses being inspired by professor of literature Joseph Campbell, and how he came to name the store for Campbell's theories of mythology. Bailey and Eichengreen recall some of the businesses that opened on Columbus Avenue and reminisce about the friendships they formed with local business owners. Bailey talks about his silk-screening innovations and describes a few of the approximately 500 t-shirts he designed and printed for businesses that were coming to Columbus Avenue in the 1970s and '80s, like The Cultured Seed and Bicycle Renaissance. They describe how they expanded and designed the store's interior and recall some of their innovations such as creative window displays that they changed every night. Bailey and Eichengreen reflect on their role in the neighborhood and on the continuing evolution of the Upper West Side.

Digital audio files: Interview on February 12, 2019 (1:37:12) and interview on July 23, 2019 (1:35:04); Interview transcripts in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Bill Bailey and Laurie Eichengreen.

In this two-part interview, George Beane (b. January 14, 1944) describes New York as he has known it, from his first days in the city chauffeuring people to the 1964 World's Fair to the Upper West Side in 2019. He recalls moving to The Dakota in 1972, where he met neighbor Robert Quinlan (also interviewed for this oral history project), who was becoming a real estate developer on the Upper West Side. In 1976, Beane and Quinlan formed Walker, Malloy & Company to manage Quinlan's growing portfolio of buildings. In 1978, Beane formed A. R. Walker & Company to manage the buildings he was buying. Beane talks about the changes he saw in the neighborhood in the 1970s and '80s, from individual families and small real estate developers like the Brusco family buying and renovating brownstones, to the new shops and restaurants that were opening on Columbus Avenue. He also describes his experience as a hands-on building manager and landlord.

Digital audio files: Interview on February 5, 2019 (1:10:36) and interview on March 7, 2019 (1:12:28); Interview transcripts in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of George Beane; Two digitized photos provided by George Beane: Beane with staff in a building under renovation (82nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, 1979) and a street view of Columbus Avenue at 73rd Street, circa 1976.

In this two-part interview, Ronnie Eldridge (b. January 30, 1931) describes growing up on the Upper West Side, where she attended Public School 166 (132 West 89th Street), Joan of Arc Junior High School (154 West 93rd Street), the High School of Music & Art (443-465 West 135th Street), and Barnard College (3009 Broadway). She describes how she and her first husband (Larry Eldridge), together with a small group of families, bought and renovated seven brownstones on West 93rd and West 94th Streets between Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue. She talks about tensions around urban renewal and protecting affordable housing for low-income people in the neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s. Eldridge discusses representing the Upper West Side as City Council member from 1989 to 2001, as well as her work for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, and as a Special Assistant to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay.

Digital audio files: Interview on February 14, 2019 (1:18:01) and interview on March 8, 2019 (1:17:09); Timestamped interview transcripts in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Ronnie Eldridge.

Huntley Gill (b. October 15, 1952) describes New York City as he experienced it, from regular visits he made as a child and teenager with his family, to his days living in the Village and commuting to Columbia University (Historic Preservation Program, 1975-77), to his eventual move to the Upper West Side. Gill tells stories about his experiences in New York City in the 1970s, shaped by a certain degree of lawlessness and creativity. He discusses the architecture and urban planning of New York City, and what he learned about real estate development while working for developer Harley Baldwin, who advocated for and eventually opened Bridgemarket, a food market beneath the Manhattan end of the Queensborough Bridge. Gill talks about the role Robert Quinlan (also interviewed for this oral history project) played in changing Columbus Avenue and about his own work for Quinlan during the reconstruction of The Endicott. Gill tells the story of the founding of the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District and talks about the resistance to change that he sees as part of the culture of the Upper West Side.

Digital audio files: Interview on February 4, 2019 (1:30:10); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Huntley Gill.

Cassandra Medley (b. August 9, 1949) talks about growing up in a predominantly Black, working-class neighborhood in segregated Detroit when the economy was thriving, and good jobs were abundant. She recalls her early interest in theater and the emergence of the civil rights movement. Medley discusses moving to New York City in 1971, just after graduating from the University of Michigan, to pursue a career in theater. In 1973, Medley moved into the apartment where she still lives, on Columbus Avenue at West 73rd Street. She describes the "funky" Upper West Side neighborhood that she found then, a mix of predominantly Black and Puerto Rican families, white families in renovated brownstones, and young single people attracted to the area by the low rent. She describes her enjoyment of living somewhere racially diverse and describes the area as both "personable" and "dangerous." She describes changes to the neighborhood in the 1980s, as boutiques and cafés filled the retail spaces and more white families moved to the area, making the neighborhood more expensive and less economically and racially diverse. Medley discusses her career, starting as a receptionist and becoming a literary manager at the American Place Theater, and moving on to the Ensemble Studio Theatre where she became a playwright. Having retired as a faculty member in the Theatre Program at Sarah Lawrence College, Medley talks about her future plans and reflects on New York City's pivotal role in her career and life.

Digital audio files: Interview on May 20, 2019 (1:37:30); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Cassandra Medley.

In this two-part interview, Eunsook Pai (b. September 9, 1942) and her daughter Liana Pai (b. December 26, 1966) talk about their women's clothing store, named Liana, located at 324 Columbus Avenue. They tell the story of how Eunsook and her sister, Hyun-sook Lee, came to open the store in 1982 on Columbus Avenue, where the rent was affordable. Eunsook describes setting up the store, opening day, and how she and her sister worked to establish the business. Having worked at the store since she was 15 years old, Liana recalls the small businesses and community of owners on Columbus Avenue in the store's early years. Liana and Eunsook both talk about the challenges of running a small business, the special connection they have with their customers, and the way the business is changing. They talk about having fewer relationships in recent years with fellow store owners due to the increasing number of retail chain stores and empty storefronts on Columbus Avenue. Liana and Eunsook describe the role of Korean culture in how they relate to one another both personally and professionally. They reflect on the significance of winning a WESTY (West Side Spirit Thanks you) Award in 2019 and what the community means to them.

Digital audio files: Interviews on September 25, 2019 (1:16:06) and October 30, 2019 (1:13:54); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Eunsook and Liana Pai.

In this two-part interview, Robert Quinlan (b. December 15, 1932) recalls the experiences that helped educate and shape him, from growing up in the industrial town of New Britain, Connecticut to serving nearly two years in Verona, Italy with the United States Army. He talks about moving to New York City in 1959 to attend graduate school at Columbia University, and then starting work as a real estate consultant, first at Brown Harris Stevens and then at Landauer Associates. Quinlan recalls moving to The Dakota in 1969 and recognizing the redevelopment potential on Columbus Avenue. He describes some of the properties that he bought and renovated on Columbus Avenue in the 1970s, including The Endicott. Quinlan tells the story of founding and naming his property management company, Walker, Malloy & Company. Quinlan shares some of his thinking about retail and reminisces about some of his early tenants on Columbus Avenue, such as DDL Foodshow (lobby of the Endicott Hotel), The Silver Palate (274 Columbus Avenue), and Endicott Booksellers (450 Columbus Ave). In discussing his approach to retail, he also talks about his tenant, Liana (324 Columbus Avenue), a women's clothing store that opened in 1982 and is still in business (the owners, Eunsook and Liana Pai, were interviewed as part of this oral history project). Quinlan tells the story of developing plans in the early 1980s to build above the New-York Historical Society and the neighborhood opposition that defeated the project. Quinlan describes the founding of the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District and reflects on his effect on Columbus Avenue.

Interview transcripts in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Robert Quinlan. The interview transcripts have been edited by Robert Quinlan and are the final documents of record. The audio recordings of these interviews are not available.

In this two-part interview, Bruce Stark (b. July 11, 1957) tells the story of growing up in Commack, Long Island and commuting to the family business located at 371 Amsterdam Avenue (initially named Beacon Paint and Varnish, then Beacon Paint and Wallpaper, and finally Beacon Paint and Hardware). He describes the neighborhood as he first encountered it when his father, Mel, bought the store in 1971 and describes how it changed over the years. Stark talks about the community service that he organized through the store: regular donations to public schools (particularly Public School 87 located at 160 West 78th Street), an annual event for school kids to paint over graffiti on neighborhood mailboxes, a nighttime fundraiser in Central Park for xeroderma pigmentosum (a rare skin disease), and a walkathon for Guiding Eyes for the Blind to honor Stark's sister, Marsha, who was blind and died young. Stark reminisces about the store's successes (including being named NYC Small Business of the Year in 2008 and Paint Dealer of the Year and Hardware Dealer of the Year in 2009), and he talks about the challenges of staying in business. He describes the support that Upper West Siders give to one another and the pride he feels in the neighborhood.

Digital audio files: Interviews on April 10 (1:31:57) and April 24 (1:10:17); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Bruce Stark.

Joseph Velardi (b. June 4, 1933) tells the story of growing up on East 51st Street in New York City before moving in 1958 with his parents to the large, rent-controlled apartment on Columbus Avenue at West 75th Street, where he still lives. Velardi, who was Director of Special Schools for the Department of Social Services in New York City, describes the Upper West Side and Columbus Avenue as he has experienced them over the years.

Digital audio files: Interview on May 15, 2019 (1:25:43); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Joseph Velardi.

Michael Weinstein (b. 1943) tells the story of how he and his friend, Kerry Olsen, came to open the Museum Café (366 Columbus Avenue) in November 1975. Weinstein describes the restaurant's instant success and a vibrant nightly scene that included spontaneous performances by pianist Leonid Hambro, well-known actors getting engaged at the restaurant, and the arrival of the cast of A Chorus Line each night after the show. Weinstein recalls how the area on Columbus Avenue near the restaurant came to thrive and he recounts how cooperative conversions in nearby apartment buildings brought new people to the restaurant. Weinstein talks about finding his love and aptitude for the restaurant business with the Museum Café, and discusses how important restaurants are to creating a sense of community and how that benefits nearby retail stores. He tells stories about several of the restaurants he has owned, including B. Smith (320 West 46th Street), America (9 East 18th Street), and many on the Upper West Side, and talks about shifting his business into larger restaurants and away from the Upper West Side and New York City.

Digital audio files: Interview on April 12, 2019 (1:11:31); Timestamped interview transcript in both print and digital (PDF) format; Digital image of Michael Weinstein.