Urban Townie - by Richie Weiss (Paperback)

About the Book

As a native New Yorker, I am often asked to characterize my experience growing up in the Greenwich Village of the 1970s. The Village was larger than life, an alternative consciousness, a global ideal. An iconic piece of New York City history wrapped in contradictions.

But it ain't that simple. Intolerant voices chose not to embrace the burgeoning social progress, resulting in a troubling dichotomy among many of the neighborhood youth. Alas, we were just kids, caught between cultural upheaval and the day-to-day absurdities of adolescence.

My objective is to set the record straight, as only a few of us are left to tell the story.

"Urban Townie: Vignettes from a Forgotten Neighborhood" is a satirical, coming-of-age memoir told through a series of humorous, self-contained short stories. This anthology of growing up in Manhattan delivers the triumphs and traumas of boyhood with raw honesty and a distinctly New York sense of humor. Each sketch offers a window into a different moment of urban adolescence, exploring identity, masculinity, sexual confidence, and self-discovery in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.

Join me, my friends, and my family as we navigate parental warfare, street-level chaos, sexual drama, and the unrelenting pursuit of acceptance and friendship in the ever-complex neighborhood of Greenwich Village. It's funny, edgy, and at times uncomfortable. But above all, it's real.

We were Urban Townies.

A memoir of culture, growth, and paradox. This book is ultimately a catharsis. A plea for forgiveness. A punchline delivered with compassion.

Book Synopsis

As a native New Yorker, I am often asked to characterize my experience growing up in the eccentric Greenwich Village of the 1970s. The Village was larger-than-life, an alternative universe, a progressive ideal for a new generation.

But it ain't that simple. A lesser-known dark side existed in the neighborhood. Intolerant voices chose not to embrace the burgeoning progress, resulting in social paradox and dubious choices amongst many of the neighborhood youth.

We were just kids however, no different from anywhere else, experiencing the triumphs and traumas of boyhood, albeit in a world of complicated dualities.

We were Urban Townies.

"Urban Townie: Vignettes from a Forgotten Neighborhood" is a satirical, coming-of-age memoir told through a series of humorous, self-contained short stories. This anthology of growing up in Manhattan delivers the triumphs and traumas of boyhood with raw honesty and a distinctly New York sense of humor. Each sketch offers a window into a different moment of urban adolescence, exploring identity, masculinity, sexual confidence, and self-discovery in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.

These accounts offer a fresh and honest perspective of the New York story, with a playful and distinctive cadence. The storytelling is suspenseful and compelling. The message is both laughable and profound.

I invite the reader to join my friends and family through the misadventures of our youth. We battle fear, insecurity, parental warfare, sexual drama and anger, albeit with levity, satire and a self-effacing style. An important theme I explore is the struggle for sexual confidence and certainty in an abruptly transforming environment of choices and lifestyles, without the explanations available to us today.

"Urban Townie" is a progressive experience, but also edgy and complex. It's a journey of discovery and catharsis in a setting that was equal parts wonderful and onerous. The Woke Generation might have to step outside its comfort zone to embrace parts of it, but Urban Townie is ultimately a plea for forgiveness and compassion. In today's polarized sociopolitical climate, we must find the space for constructive fence mending.

About the Author

Born and raised on the gritty yet colorful streets of 1970s Greenwich Village, Weiss is pure New York. In his debut work, "Urban Townie: Vignettes from a Forgotten Neighborhood," he explores the confusing and zany social incongruities of coming of age in America's original bohemian rhapsody.

His education spans the full New York spectrum -- from the raw edges of inner-city public schools to the progressive halls of a Riverdale prep, and ultimately to NYU Business School. Professionally, he's worn many hats: shmata purveyor in the Garment Center, taxi driver, construction worker, and for 25 years, a player in the high-stress, high-stakes world of Manhattan commercial real estate. Now, Weiss has turned to storytelling, discovering his true calling as a fresh literary voice for New York.

Weiss draws upon a unique linguistic cadence to breathe new life into a once-glorious past with messaging that remains relevant today. He's playful yet provocative, evoking a style and substance reminiscent of the Chazz Palminteri classic "A Bronx Tale."