Documentary on NYC Club Edelweiss

[Stavros]

Thank you Stavros, I have had a great response locally and I hope to get more people involved. Edelweiss was a wonderful place and it is a shame that the 'gentrification' of New York in the 90's (especially the West Side) ended up closing so many fabulous places. I will have to look up the Hockney documentary, I have not seen it. Thanks so much!

There is an imdb link here although it doesn't reveal much

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4008606/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

Trailer on youtube

[Stavros]

Hi Starvos, been awhile, hope you're well.

Thanks for your thoughts Yvonne, I am getting older and apparently not much wiser. I can't remember if I ever recommended a novel you might want to read, or maybe you have -A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. It revolves around some characters who were in the punk club scene on the lower East Side in that era and how their lives panned out. I didn't actually like it although it was very well received at the time and won several awards.

[Yvonne183]

what was ever fabulous about it? it hosted illegal and under aged prostitution, dozens of state liquor law violations,illegal drug transactions, and all this in the backdrop of an AIDS epidemic that claimed thousands of lives. I'm not particularly proud to have been a regular patron every time my tranny fix overwhelmed me. But Im baffled that you find something intriguing or worth resurrecting about a very dark side of New York's past.

I can agree with you that Edelweiss might not have been a fabulous place. But this doesn't mean a doc shouldn't be made. There are doc's on all sorts of dark and nasty subjects. I feel it would be good to know the why's, why the girls worked there, why people like you sort of knowing it was nasty still went there anyways. I think a doc about all tgirl types of hangouts and their lives from the 80's would make a good documentary.

I am not writing against what you say Flabby, maybe the OP could have used better terminology but I feel that learning what others went through in the past would make others understand how we got to where we are today. Even if the stories are nasty, disgusting and sad.

Starvos, I'll check out that book.
PS-Starvos, I'm getting older too. lol

[tslvr]

I started going to Edelweiss back when it first moved near The Times building and followed over to near the diner. You could meet many of the porn stars of the time or just regular girls. Used to have a few Asian girls that would take me to their home in Woodside and we would have plenty of fun til the sun came up. Would take a fews days to walk straight after spending nights with 2-3 girls.

[StatenIsland321]

As a 30 year old native NY'er it would be awesome to hear some of the stories and accounts from everyone associated with that time period. I know NY has changed a lot, but is there anything that comes close to the scene/atmosphere? I remember talking to, then eventually meeting ladies from a NYC chat room on AOL, and I was in my late teens then.

[phillip]

Fabulous... yes, agreed that it is the wrong word to describe it for most. I want to make this Doc so Edelweiss is not forgotten and so the stories may live on. Edelweiss was a place that so many went to and felt comfortable there... a place that welcomed you for who who are. Yes Flabby, there were many illegal things that went on within its walls (what club during the 80's and 90's wasn't indulging in illegal activities?) Thank you Yvonne, you hit the nail on the head with your response:

"There are doc's on all sorts of dark and nasty subjects. I feel it would be good to know the why's, why the girls worked there, why people like you sort of knowing it was nasty still went there anyways. I think a doc about all tgirl types of hangouts and their lives from the 80's would make a good documentary."

I spoke to girls that have friends that sold themselves into prostitution to pay for MTF reassignment surgery. Are they proud of what they did, probably not. Breast augmentation, phalloplasty and metoidioplasty are expensive procedures. Was this the only way to pay for these surgeries? I think it is important to hear stories, wether good, bad, disgusting, sad, happy, funny, etc. What can and did we learn? I am not making this to exploit anyone, I want Edelweiss (the good and the bad) to be remembered and not forgotten. I truly appreciate everyone's input, posts and messages. Thank you so much!

[housekeeper]

what was ever fabulous about it? it hosted illegal and under aged prostitution, dozens of state liquor law violations,illegal drug transactions, and all this in the backdrop of an AIDS epidemic that claimed thousands of lives. I'm not particularly proud to have been a regular patron every time my tranny fix overwhelmed me. But Im baffled that you find something intriguing or worth resurrecting about a very dark side of New York's past.

lol, I was thinking the same thing before I read your post Flabby. I did used to like the dance floor in the basement, took me back to the disco era, I liked watching those queens dance and vogue. I almost preferred going to 'Sally's Hideaway' a little better during that era, but there were a bunch of different hangouts, clubs, and tranny coves then and even further back.

[Looking 4 Now]

Edelweiss was the best....I tell the new York crew nothing compares to Edelweiss
The clubs today are tame compared to Edelweiss. They used to call it the
mother of all tranny clubs and I doubt if any thing will ever come close
two floors, four bars and passage ways all over the place down stairs where
everything imaginable went on. Something for everyone there , working girls,
nonworking girls, CDs and every ethnic group was well represented. On the weekends
100 girls there and 20 to 40 working the streets....what a joint

[Butterfinger]

Met my first ts gf there........what a great place

[zerrrr]

what was ever fabulous about it? it hosted illegal and under aged prostitution, dozens of state liquor law violations,illegal drug transactions, and all this in the backdrop of an AIDS epidemic that claimed thousands of lives. I'm not particularly proud to have been a regular patron every time my tranny fix overwhelmed me. But Im baffled that you find something intriguing or worth resurrecting about a very dark side of New York's past.

Compare it with now where the parties are full of anger and hatred between the girls and customers. A lot of girls I talk to in NYC miss the old days where friends could go and hang out and laugh. Now it is all about fighting and I do mean the current parties being hosted in New York.

I remember in the old days in the West Village where you could go in, talk, laugh, have a conversation, disagree, make up, and leave as friends.

There was a dark underside but compared to today Edelweiss was a nice place to hang out.

Like it or hate it, Edelweiss is an important part of Transgender history in New York City.