Farewell, Ed Koch

As someone born in 1983, I obviously don't remember anything about Ed Koch's 12 years as New York's mayor. By the time he left office, I was six years old and my family had decamped to the suburbs. Nevertheless, I've found his death last week to be quite affecting. As many have written, he was a true representation of the city -- opinionated, outspoken, ethnic and accomplished, with his personality intertwined in all of those accomplishments. Much of the Times' appraisal of Koch's time as mayor describes it as a mixed success. He stopped the city from sliding deeper into irrelevance in the immediate aftermath of its near bankruptcy, led a huge charge on housing, and promoted equal treatment of gay city workers, but he wasn't much of a visionary, the paper wrote. He loved the city very deeply, which may be what a mayor needs more than any other quality to succeed. (It's probably what has kept Tom Menino as Boston's mayor for the past two decades.)

What I find most memorable about Koch's death is that he was the last mayor of New York when the city was still a wayward, slightly scary place. The Times' obituary mentions an idea Koch had to stop graffiti on the subway cars. No one would ever dare do such a thing now. In the early 21st century, New York's path as the wealthiest, most exciting city in the country is very secure, even if local conservative pundits suggest otherwise as they object to electing a Democrat in this year's election. But the idea that New York would return to such a pinnacle was far-fetched in the early '80s. Crime was high, streets were dirty, jobs weren't abundant, disinvestment was rampant, the Bronx was bombed out. If I'd told you in 1989 that I'd go to Bushwick for a weekend of recording music (as I did recently), because that's where all the cool kids live now, you'd look at me like I was absolutely crazy. But it's as natural as downing a glass of artisanal whiskey with a plate of locally raised duck terrine.

Maybe David Dinkins, Koch's successor, who's still alive, is the last link to this era. Crown Heights rioted when he was mayor. But there's a real passing of an era with Koch's death.