High Buildings And Low Morals – Dancing The Night Away In 1970s New York City

It's club night in 1970s Manhattan - the room smells of smoke, sex and electricity

Dancing NYC 1970s

 

It was club night in 1970s New York City. The glitter was not all gold and there was enough white powder to send a ski bunny racing uphill.  Meryl Meisler was there to see and show us the dancers, punters, moochers and lovers exercising their constitutional right to self expression in a runway city

The club was the escape from looking your shoulder in 1970s NYC. In clubs in downtown Manhattan like Studio 54, Danceteria, Area, and Palladium, you looked up, down and all around, hanging out and sharing body fluids with strangers in places designed to look like a decent living room with sofas, favourable lighting and cushions.

 

“Silver Kiss” (Xenon, New York; June, 1977).

Dancing NYC 1970s

Meryl Meisler – Women Embrace on Floor Near JudiJupiter’s Legs Les Mouches, NY, NY June 1978,

“Turn Around with Drink in Hand” (GG’s Barnum Room, New York; December, 1978).

“Holding Head as Hair Flies While Dancing” with Judi Jupiter (Studio 54, New York; July, 1977).

Dancing NYC 1970s

“Elbows at Angles” (Infinity, New York; August, 1977).

Wild Wild West Kiss” (Hurrah, New York; March, 1978).

“Sex with a Proper Stranger” (Studio 54, New York; June, 1977).

My Mom, Sunny Schulman Meisler, Dancing At A Bar Mitzvah

COYOTE Hookers Ball, The Copacabana, NY, NY February 1977

 

Dancing NYC 1970s

Paradise Garage, NY, NY April 1978

Dancing NYC 1970s

Fast Dancing at the COYOTE Hookers Masquerade Ball NY, NY February 1977

Heat, NY, NY, APril 1979

Les Mouche, NY, NY, June 1978

Dancing NYC 1970s

Hurrah, NY, NY, March 1978

Les Mouche, NY, NY, June 1978

GG Barnum’s Room, NY, NY, December 1978

Dancing NYC 1970s

“Arleen Gottfried Sees Me as Judi Jupiter Makes Out at White Party” – 
Les Mouches, NY, NY, April 1978

Dancing NYC 1970s

Studio 54, NYC 1977

Dancing NYC 1970s

Meryl Meisler Man in a 3 Piece Suit Dancing Within the Circle at a Wedding, Rockville Centre, NY, March 1976

Dancing NYC 1970s

Hurrah, NY, NY, January, 1978

Dance Trio with JudiJupiter – Studio 54, NY, NY, July 1977

New York New York, NY, NY
August 1977

The End (Meryl’s Writing on JudiJupiter), Les Mouches, NY, NY 1978

Lead Image: Opening The Mirrored Door on Opening Night (with JudiJupiter), La Farfalle, NY, NY, June 1978

You can revisit the gritty, glory of 1970s and 1980s NYC through Meryl’s beautiful books, all available on her website.

For more high buildings and low morals see Rob Baker’s terrific book here.

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