Born in Brooklyn and bred in the Bronx, I’ve watched the New York City “brand” evolve tremendously over the years.  As someone educated through high school solely by the NYC public school system, I experienced first hand – and not from the movies – through boom boxes, subway buskers, graffiti, ice cream trucks, pizzerias and arcades; the sights, smells and personalities of the City.  A short while back, I had the chance to spend time with Rudy Giuliani for a 5W client project.  We sat in his Times Square office, and he pointed down to the streets below, where prostitutes once haunted the corners and drug dealers used to kill.  I listened to his comments on his Disney-fication of the city: MTV and Toys R Us, clean streets and a Naked Cowboy.  Giuliani changed the face and brand of NYC for the better for business, children, residents and many other publics.  The city will never be the same.

I write this as a marketer and a lifelong New Yorker, saddened at the closing of Coney Island’s Astroland.  Until this past weekend, I visited the landmark (along with Brighton Beach, the boardwalk and aquarium) every 6 weeks or so with family and/or friends.   It was a relic to the old days of NYC, which I fondly remember, and it offered something that didn’t exist anywhere else in the city. Astroland was fun, but it had grown outdated.  I understand why it’s no longer wanted.  It’s the reality of business.  But I won’t forget the last time a few weeks ago when a family member had visited for the first time and said, “Wow.  It feels like we’re in a time machine to 20 years ago.”

The brand of NYC will continue to evolve and embrace change.  Onward and upward, but change nevertheless.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR