BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  I recently finished reading a book called “The Mammoth Book of Tough Guys,” by Robin Barratt. In Barratt’s world the tough guy is a man whose livelihood is connected to his fighting ability, his knowledge of fighting techniques and the respect he has earned using his physical abilities. His tough guys read more here »

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  One lesson I learned from living on the Lower East Side is that there is no heaven on earth, no utopia, no perfect solution to all of life’s problems, which means life is about dealing with the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, the rational and the insane. read more here »

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  The Lower East Side was a magical cauldron. The brew that percolated in this pot nourished a number creative individuals who went on and made a creative contribution to the world. Magic and mysticism are subjects of interest that have always found a place in the hearts of some fringe niche read more here »

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  Documenting the streets and the people of New York City, in my case, mostly the Lower East Side, can yield rewards as well as have its drawbacks. Most of the negative incidents happen because people are high on drugs or drunk, or have something to hide, or because the people are read more here »

[media-credit name=”Photos by Clayton Patterson ” align=”aligncenter” width=”600″][/media-credit] Steven Tyler performing at RIFF 313, with RIFF designer Charles Andrew (without hat) on guitar. BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  There are hopes and rumors and thoughts of possibilities centered around the idea of CBGB & OMFUG (Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers), better known read more here »

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  By the end of the 1980s the Lower East Side felt like it had suffered more than its fair share of failed government politics. The homeless crisis was reaching a critical mass. In 1990 there were 70,000 to 80,000 homeless in New York, and 250,000 people were at risk of losing read more here »

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  In the mid-1980s I discovered a very active and vital Lower East Side independent underground film scene. In 1985, Leslie Lowe and Jack Waters, both filmmakers, produced a screening series called “Naked Eye Cinema” that concentrated on showing these far-out filmmakers. “Naked Eye Cinema”’s home base was ABC No Rio. I read more here »

By CLAYTON PATTERSON  |  Up until Aug. 6 to 7, 1988, my main focus was making art, Clayton Caps and documenting different Lower East Side cultural scenes and people who interested me. The night of Aug 6. into the morning of Aug. 7 dramatically shifted the direction of my concentration and my life. The 3-hour-33-minute read more here »