I've lived at this hotel on a couple of ocassions, back in the 80s and early 90s. It was formely listed as "The Riverview Hotel", henceforth that it sat right at the corner of Jane street and Westside highway with a view of the Hudson river. But we all called it "The Jane Street hotel." I remember that the interior was pretty much sparse and no frills. But the staff kept it reasonably clean. And the people who were staying there, just as I, were transient. And just as I was, they were all struggling with something, more or less. But everyone seemed to mind their own business, were respectful and would even help others, even if they didn't know you. I remember I was there during Thnksgiving of 1991. I was very much strung out on "Speedball" (Heroin/Cocaine). And I was not so doing good at that time. Out of the kindnest of a good friend of mines, Tom Harris, (May he rest in peace), he'd paid my rent for me, because he'd cared about people and could afford to help me out. But on this Thanksgiving day, I was broke, by myself and starving. I remember walking down the hallway and noticed that this door to one of the rooms was opened. There was a couple, sitting on their bed, eating Spanish food, you know, "chicken, yellow rice, plaintains and red beans." Just as soon as they'd noticed me, they'd waived me down to come and join them. They lady fixed me a plate of a big helping of everything. Then she'd covered it and I'd thanked them profusely! They'd seemed to be pleased to help me. We'd bid our seasonal greetings. And I was off to my room to enjoy my victuals, or rather, "blessings." I'd never seen them again. But wherever they are, may God bless them. I'll never forget them. If my memory serves me right, since then, that place has been renovated, including the interior. And now it really looks nice. I bet the price of staying there's not so nice though. Hell! The rent was steep when I was last there, back in 1991, let alone before when I was first there in the 80s!
I'm officially in a RUclips hole. These videos are gorgeous. Really ahead of its time. Nelson was the OG vlogger. It's great to see Ru's spirit and personality in it's youth. Ru even back then was so loving and thoughtful. Did Nelson ever film that Ru dinner? I loved that Ru saw value in what Nelson was doing back then and offered to buy dinner as a thank you.
That’d be a good idea. It could chronicle his life, of course including the Pyramid years. Icons like John Sex, Ethyl Eichelberger, etc could be side characters. It’d be so cool to see more attention being brought to these people, as a way to make sure they are never forgotten.
I have heard/read Ru indirectly mention these Nelson Sullivan videos. From what I gather, Ru gets depressed by them. Ru even wrote about the time when he was Go-Go dancer at an NY night club describing it as "the lowest point of his life" in his "Workin' It!" book.
I came to NYC from Oklahoma in 1986 to work at Electric Lady Studios. Of course I couldn't find an apartment, so ended up staying at Jane West Hotel for a couple of months. It was quite a shock to my Midwestern sensibilities, but I loved it. This video brings me right back there... thanks for sharing. Historical note: Survivors of the sinking of Titanic were housed at Jane Hotel...
obtuseification thank you for sharing thats an awesome piece of history at the hotel! I loved seeing into this time capsule and feeling the electricity and personality of NYC in the 80s
Samesies...moved in to the Jane in July of '85 a 19yo broke naive gay Texas boy. Incredible memories of those dirty halls...wouldnt trade a thing for them!
Crazy this hotel was still the after hours spot before the pandemy. Literally the room he's at is a bar now and the rooftop is where everyone chills. Bonkers.
So it’s may 2023 and I just watched a tour of Rupauls home for Architectural Digest. From literal rags to riches. From this to a fantastic multi million dollar home in California. Worked his ass off!
Lol As they say the Devil is in the details and they always leave that part out. Once doesn't just become rich and famous without a lot of sacrifice and that's blood baby
Young Ru with his youthful optimism in contrast to the battle hardened and wise Ru of today. When he says it gets better, believe him, he climbed from the bottom.
Yeah, he's seen some very bad times. I don't ever criticize RuPaul. He's built an amazing franchise on his name alone which helped change the lives of the contestants. The queens who gripe later the he "doesn't care about them" are just like the Top Model contestants bitching because Tyra Banks didn't personally bail them out of jail.
Something tells me that building would be unaffordable for a few 20 something broke artists to rent today. To bad.. such energy and opportunity despite the old building , a place to start in a major city that isint a box. A scene ...all gone replaced by gentrified over priced small apartments Starbucks and people staring iPhones.
Give it a few yrs and it'll be affordable again. New York is going to be just like Chicago due to the mayor chasing the rich people out, and keeping the business closed.
But also let’s be real, those places all had roaches and bed bugs. Legit. You can still live like that downtown on welfare cheque in downtown Vancouver. Which is 4000 for an apartment right next door in new buildings.
These guys are fearless... I don't know about you guys watching this video, but my heart just turned like a prune and shrunk with sadness...and Rupaul and the others had a big smile, lots of stories to tell and fearless of the world. One day at a time.... These videos are priceless.
I get the same feeling. I'm so grateful for these videos, but it pains me to think of what they went through...The stigma, the homophobia, losing so many friends
It sounds brutal - but ya get used to it, to a point. It's why long term torture just gives diminishing results. Your body and mind oft goes into siege mode. Not to say suicide, depression, addiction of all kind wasn't RAMPENT or anything of the like - but it just explains why those false smiles happen and how people wake up. I've found it's like a funeral. I live in Ireland so funerals work a lil different - we'd have the body in a casket for like a week, all the friends and family gather round and spend time just laughing and supporting each other. Despite everyone being broken inside. Then the burial takes place, the "Irish wake" and then boom. You wake up the next day with no.... thing to do. You don't have something to fight, something to arrange, something to distract, less people around.
Lived in Chelsea in ‘80’s, just blocks from here. Passed them on the street, went to the same clubs, I was shy but extravagant. Would have been fun to know them. These videos have given my vague memories context and shows the gritty underground NY in the 80’s that I try to describe to people but can’t quite capture. Thank you for posting these. I agree, a doc on Nelson and folks would be amazing.
It’s so crazy to see RuPaul when he wasn’t the professional, super focused business person. He is so human. Haha I know that sounds weird, but Mama Ru is 💯 otherworldly now. It’s really cool to see a glimpse of his roots and it makes him more relatable. ❤️
Ru has always been super-focused and business oriented. Every move he made was deliberate self-promotion. I grew up in Atlanta and knew him from when I was 14 years old, on the scene. He always knew where he was headed and every minute of his life was WORK. It's exactly no surprise he rose as high as he did. His brand is "relatable", he connected to every single human being he met in a genuine and lovely manner, there are few people like him... if any others at all.
You can tell Nelson liked Trade by the amount of screentime he got in this video! The last I heard was Trade was working as a massage therapist in South Lauderdale. Downtown New York has changed so much since this video. It would never be so empty and quiet now! Or be so cheap to live in either...
@@geymseksion Yes he died of a heart attack July 3 1989, you can find his last video on this channel by searching "Nelson's Last Video." He died just a few hours after the video was taken, shame.
@@mwmsjuly19 It's kinda debated, some say he died in a hospital early the 4th but RuPaul says he died in his house on July 3rd. Since died of a sudden heart attack I always believed RuPaul's version.
@@hannathompson7998 yes! The community showers on each floor had platforms! It was awfully dirty but at the time (1985) surviving NYC was the goal...I actually felt lucky to have a place to lay my head.
Love these. Back then you could live on next to nothing and get by. Life seemed so carefree and easy back then. Our biggest concern was what we were going to wear that night and a job was just something that got in the way of having fun.
I lived this lifestyle (albiet straight with a penchant for snorting everything under the sun) in NYC in the late 80's thru the 90's. I stayed at The Jane twice. I'm grateful someone was camcordering the city at that time because it was fricking GLORIOUS!
Watching this video 30 years to the day it was made! It's an amazing record of a time period and a group of amazing talented people that are so often marginalized. Thank you for preserving and uploading these priceless moments!
I love this channel simply because it makes me feel more at home. I was never part of this scene Nelson and his friends were in, I just really miss the late 80s and early 90s and you can really feel the time period aesthetic in these videos from the way they speak and act all the way down to the vhs video quality.
Wow. These videos are very powerful, indeed. With very little effort at all, one is taken back to a point in time, in history, in the past.. Long ago, but then not so. Nothing any of l the great directors, story tellers, could even come close to the impact these have, and especially considering the short timestamp on these particular pieces. I remember these people, as if they were me. I remember, now, knowing that I had forgotten. Thank you.
James Tucker yes these are awesome! I just stumbled across these videos by Nelson! Omg I can’t stop watching! So cool to see life back then as I was a teenager during this time. So very cool to see RU in the raw as a average joe back in the day. And who would of thought as to how far he has come! I wish Nelson was still alive though, who knows how far he would of come through the years with his videos. Maybe a director maybe photos and videos for runways. Maybe working with RU. I don’t even know this person (Nelson) and wished he was still around today. ❤️
Somebody should do a BIO of Nelson Sullivan. Hes a pioneer nd a legend among many. But more people should know he is and what he did for this community nd upcoming legends xx
Can I get an amen here? - Rupaul certainly has wurked her way up and deserves every ounce of her success, wonder where the others are now - Trade is a hottie
@@sw_fit50s Which one of the friends past away and how? I was watching this and when they were up on the ledge and Ru got done, with a bit of fear, I had this eerie feeling about one of the other two passing away. Just an odd feeling I had. But I LOVE RuPaul and seeing him this sweet and humble in his youth, makes me love him even more!
So many of these people have passed away. What we are seeing is the real grit of these people. They lived hard, you can see it. Yes, they were happy but make no mistake the world was kicking them in the teeth every step. I get why RuPaul doesn't like to watch them. Yet, I am glad there here for us to see that gold shines no matter what.
I was born in 85 and let me tell you! I have loved RuPaul since I was super little! Like I have known and Loved him/her since I can remember! You see we had “Gays” in our family since forever and it was down south too, but it was always just normal to us! So we would be even more excited when we would meet or see anyone else whom was like our beloved family members! I was raised by a Cop and the product of immigrants from Poland! My Parents taught us nothing but Love, respect, tolerance, and Understanding! So someone like Ru was always all of our idols! And still is! Nelson Thank You so very much!
Ru had that spirit that just transcends time big personality yet humble ...even as a young kid I think I valued his mother hen nurturing ..always looking after everyone I'm so like that
Manuel Enrique there was a trend a few years ago where people were tattooing freckles and using make up to put on themselves. And if you looked at ads from 2 years ago there were a lot of models with freckles. There an article from vogue about the movement to show your freckles instead of hiding them. So when i posted this two years ago i think i was saying that he was ahead of his time because he embraced something that people would try to hide. www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/vogue-100-freckles-unexpected-beauty-marks-diversity-model-skin-tone
I just started watching all these videos I was around at that time I love these videos I'm so excited I get to revisit a time in life and they made The videos with fun and kindness and beauty in everything that New York is supposed to be
Jennifer S I'm using my hubby phone... he hates when I leave messages under his name.... none the less ... it looks unreal.....omg I can't imagine...looks are n gritty
I'm amazed at the things they found amusing. If time travel were ever possible I think I wouldn't be able to live without Internet. Seriously. Amazing.
What a sweet kid. And to think I was around those places those same days, I was 22 and had just arrived from Cuba, back in 1980. And I was doing drag with a Cuban troupè called The Tutti Frutti Company.
Oh my goodness! I moved to NYC in 1985 a very naive Texas boy into the Jane West until I found my own place. There was an old resident there that hung out and smoked out front that I befriended named Lucy (long white hair). My room was only an 8x6 sleeping room (with my 2 suitcases crammed in a corner) with a shared community bathroom...it was disgusting! However I wouldn't trade the memory for a anything! That is the coolest thing that Ru passed through too!!! So enjoyable watching...thank you!
What annoys me about people is that (especially in the 80s) people treated LGBT people very rudely, giving them hell because they themselves were not yet comfortable with something that was different to them. Yet, look how sweet, kind and loving these people are. I don't get it. Humans are humans, with souls and feelings. Complex beings. It drives me insane how ignorant some people were/are towards others. And now look at this whole group now. They uplifted & inspired each other so much to really go for it, that they all have earned their fame for something they're each special at, despite all the anti-gay hate they were taking on. THIS is a perfect example of not paying those bitches no mind. If you needed a reason to keep going after everyone doubts you, just look at these guys. And surround yourself with people who uplift you too.
Did you know some of these people weren’t even gay? Did you know that a lot of different people were picked on and beat up back then?!?! Being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood got you beat up back then, punks, and even carrying a skateboard. It’s the way the world has always been and it’s the way you are now to “other” groups that you term hateful etc. if EVERYONE wasn’t judgmental it would be a better world. But I’ll bet you one thing, these dudes in the video were really good at letting dumb shit people say roll right off their backs.
I have rewatched this numerous times and You can see at 2:23 why Ru became a world famous superstar of stage and screen. She makes sure, even in the middle of being filmed, to THANK the elevator operator, and not dismissively.
I think they wouldve been very happy to hear abt how much more accepting people are to drag queens, cross dressing, and lgbt people. But sure... the modern era is bad
You know people like the down the modern era of today but things have changed for the better. The LGBT community is much more excepted now, there’s way more representation because of people like Rupaul. We still have a lot to work and things are not perfect by any means. There may be terrible things that are going on in the world and some things have changed for the worse, but I’d like to say that it is a much better place for those who are outside of the norm. There’s more people who are willing to speak out and there’s more support.
This is fierce! The fact that he really came from “the life” especially for the lgbt community ... She’s lived it and has my respect. I ddnt like her at first but this shows ru on a different level. I’m from the 80-90s, being who you are was NOT easy. Ru got every right to be and say as she wishes !💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻
I can't watch Nelson without tearring up. Such a treasure, placed exactly where he was to document lives that would one day be internationally known and admired. Just incredile how the universe works.
Social media has had a major impact on our society. In the past, people hustled and pursued their goals without worrying about what others thought. They didn't feel the need to share every little thing or waste time posting.
RuPul and his eye of the tiger spirit priceless...also priceless when he said to Nelson 'wow, you're in the middle of the beast' referring probably to the Meatpacking district, none wanted to live there in those days. Fantastic! With their pockets filled of dreams instead of bills they somehow owned the city...look at that view now.
![FNAF Into the Pit has A LOT of Unused Graphics | LOST BITS [TetraBitGaming]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6YhZCRdipl4/mqdefault.jpg)
In my opinion, these videos are some of the most important American historical and artistic documents of the 20th century. They are incredible.
Completely agree. 💜
Seeing this after having grown up in that city at that gives an unbelievable nostalgia
100% these are VERY important. The foresight it took for Rupaul and pals to know they needed to be filming is incredible!
I totally agree
It’s def a timestamp. Right up there with Paris Is Burning
I've lived at this hotel on a couple of ocassions, back in the 80s and early 90s. It was formely listed as "The Riverview Hotel", henceforth that it sat right at the corner of Jane street and Westside highway with a view of the Hudson river. But we all called it "The Jane Street hotel." I remember that the interior was pretty much sparse and no frills. But the staff kept it reasonably clean. And the people who were staying there, just as I, were transient. And just as I was, they were all struggling with something, more or less. But everyone seemed to mind their own business, were respectful and would even help others, even if they didn't know you. I remember I was there during Thnksgiving of 1991. I was very much strung out on "Speedball" (Heroin/Cocaine). And I was not so doing good at that time. Out of the kindnest of a good friend of mines, Tom Harris, (May he rest in peace), he'd paid my rent for me, because he'd cared about people and could afford to help me out. But on this Thanksgiving day, I was broke, by myself and starving. I remember walking down the hallway and noticed that this door to one of the rooms was opened. There was a couple, sitting on their bed, eating Spanish food, you know, "chicken, yellow rice, plaintains and red beans." Just as soon as they'd noticed me, they'd waived me down to come and join them. They lady fixed me a plate of a big helping of everything. Then she'd covered it and I'd thanked them profusely! They'd seemed to be pleased to help me. We'd bid our seasonal greetings. And I was off to my room to enjoy my victuals, or rather, "blessings." I'd never seen them again. But wherever they are, may God bless them. I'll never forget them. If my memory serves me right, since then, that place has been renovated, including the interior. And now it really looks nice. I bet the price of staying there's not so nice though. Hell! The rent was steep when I was last there, back in 1991, let alone before when I was first there in the 80s!
thank you so much for sharing ❤️
@@madalenacarvalho1835 the pleasure's all mine!❤
What a lovely story. Thank goodness we all get by with a little help from our friends… and sometimes strangers.
Lovely story Dwayne, thank you for sharing.
I really loved your story! What a sweet couple! I wish everyone treated strangers in this way. ❤️
I'm officially in a RUclips hole. These videos are gorgeous. Really ahead of its time. Nelson was the OG vlogger. It's great to see Ru's spirit and personality in it's youth. Ru even back then was so loving and thoughtful. Did Nelson ever film that Ru dinner? I loved that Ru saw value in what Nelson was doing back then and offered to buy dinner as a thank you.
Same!
his youth not its youth #moron
@@blackbarbie8rua4 small mistake. Stop being a troll.
@@Fox_sSspirit actually FUCK OFF WITH YOUR FACE
@@blackbarbie8rua4 #triggered.
And today RuPaul just got EMMY nominations for Drag Race, NEVER GIVE UP KIDS, EVER 💕
MITCHELL WIGGS right! I love watching these old videos of him. It’s crazy that no one had clue as what he would become one day! Very cool!
Never ever!
There were certain things she had to give up or face the brutal fate that took the life of many of her friends. Never forget that either.
💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞NEVER GIVE UP 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
And today not just nominations. WON Emmy!!
They need to make a movie about him.
Playing his older self. 😍😘🌸💙
That’d be a good idea. It could chronicle his life, of course including the Pyramid years. Icons like John Sex, Ethyl Eichelberger, etc could be side characters. It’d be so cool to see more attention being brought to these people, as a way to make sure they are never forgotten.
Polluting Penguin who would play Ru?
Yes, I wonder who's actor is going to play as 'trade' he is a stud
Yasssss
I want Ru to do a commentary track for these.
Walter PonceCMT great idea.
I would love that 💕
He likes to act like it never happened. He hates watching it he says.
@@SusieSynth Oh, that's so sad.
I have heard/read Ru indirectly mention these Nelson Sullivan videos. From what I gather, Ru gets depressed by them. Ru even wrote about the time when he was Go-Go dancer at an NY night club describing it as "the lowest point of his life" in his "Workin' It!" book.
I came to NYC from Oklahoma in 1986 to work at Electric Lady Studios. Of course I couldn't find an apartment, so ended up staying at Jane West Hotel for a couple of months. It was quite a shock to my Midwestern sensibilities, but I loved it. This video brings me right back there... thanks for sharing. Historical note: Survivors of the sinking of Titanic were housed at Jane Hotel...
obtuseification did you see rupaul?
obtuseification thank you for sharing thats an awesome piece of history at the hotel! I loved seeing into this time capsule and feeling the electricity and personality of NYC in the 80s
Badbitch99
he seen titanic survivors))
Lahoma !!!
Samesies...moved in to the Jane in July of '85 a 19yo broke naive gay Texas boy. Incredible memories of those dirty halls...wouldnt trade a thing for them!
Ru was always a star! He has a positive attitude & good sense of humor & you can see that ambition! Love these old vids.
Crazy this hotel was still the after hours spot before the pandemy. Literally the room he's at is a bar now and the rooftop is where everyone chills. Bonkers.
Beautiful
Yup....tiny affordable rooms
So it’s may 2023 and I just watched a tour of Rupauls home for Architectural Digest. From literal rags to riches. From this to a fantastic multi million dollar home in California. Worked his ass off!
Lol As they say the Devil is in the details and they always leave that part out. Once doesn't just become rich and famous without a lot of sacrifice and that's blood baby
And here we are, 2021 and Ru Paul is now the most awarded black artist in Emmy history with 11 wins. Nelson's videos are a such a treasure💜
AND STILL SERVING THE DEVIL.
PRAISE G*D NOT MAN.
RuPaul being young and free, so nice to see
Young Ru with his youthful optimism in contrast to the battle hardened and wise Ru of today. When he says it gets better, believe him, he climbed from the bottom.
Yes indeed!
Yeah, he's seen some very bad times. I don't ever criticize RuPaul. He's built an amazing franchise on his name alone which helped change the lives of the contestants. The queens who gripe later the he "doesn't care about them" are just like the Top Model contestants bitching because Tyra Banks didn't personally bail them out of jail.
Something tells me that building would be unaffordable for a few 20 something broke artists to rent today. To bad.. such energy and opportunity despite the old building , a place to start in a major city that isint a box. A scene ...all gone replaced by gentrified over priced small apartments Starbucks and people staring iPhones.
It’s been turned into multi million dollar condos.
Bleux Rogue I wonder if whoever paid for that multi-million dollar condo still has to climb up to the toilet! LoL!
Give it a few yrs and it'll be affordable again. New York is going to be just like Chicago due to the mayor chasing the rich people out, and keeping the business closed.
Casper Skitzo EXACTLYY. cannot praise this enough.
But also let’s be real, those places all had roaches and bed bugs. Legit. You can still live like that downtown on welfare cheque in downtown Vancouver. Which is 4000 for an apartment right next door in new buildings.
young, free & ambitious with a sense of fearlessness! must have been so much creative energy in the air!
These guys are fearless...
I don't know about you guys watching this video, but my heart just turned like a prune and shrunk with sadness...and Rupaul and the others had a big smile, lots of stories to tell and fearless of the world. One day at a time....
These videos are priceless.
I get the same feeling. I'm so grateful for these videos, but it pains me to think of what they went through...The stigma, the homophobia, losing so many friends
It sounds brutal - but ya get used to it, to a point. It's why long term torture just gives diminishing results. Your body and mind oft goes into siege mode.
Not to say suicide, depression, addiction of all kind wasn't RAMPENT or anything of the like - but it just explains why those false smiles happen and how people wake up.
I've found it's like a funeral. I live in Ireland so funerals work a lil different - we'd have the body in a casket for like a week, all the friends and family gather round and spend time just laughing and supporting each other. Despite everyone being broken inside. Then the burial takes place, the "Irish wake" and then boom. You wake up the next day with no.... thing to do. You don't have something to fight, something to arrange, something to distract, less people around.
RuPaul has such a kind heart and is such a loving person
Rupaul is so beautiful!! You can tell he's such a good person. I really admire him
What a life!! You can never say he didn't pay his dues and survived!!! He is now a drag SUPERSTAR!!!
Lived in Chelsea in ‘80’s, just blocks from here. Passed them on the street, went to the same clubs, I was shy but extravagant. Would have been fun to know them.
These videos have given my vague memories context and shows the gritty underground NY in the 80’s that I try to describe to people but can’t quite capture.
Thank you for posting these. I agree, a doc on Nelson and folks would be amazing.
I’m addicted to these videos. I miss the 80s in gritty nyc so much
It’s so crazy to see RuPaul when he wasn’t the professional, super focused business person. He is so human. Haha I know that sounds weird, but Mama Ru is 💯 otherworldly now. It’s really cool to see a glimpse of his roots and it makes him more relatable. ❤️
Ru has always been super-focused and business oriented. Every move he made was deliberate self-promotion. I grew up in Atlanta and knew him from when I was 14 years old, on the scene. He always knew where he was headed and every minute of his life was WORK. It's exactly no surprise he rose as high as he did. His brand is "relatable", he connected to every single human being he met in a genuine and lovely manner, there are few people like him... if any others at all.
You can tell Nelson liked Trade by the amount of screentime he got in this video! The last I heard was Trade was working as a massage therapist in South Lauderdale. Downtown New York has changed so much since this video. It would never be so empty and quiet now! Or be so cheap to live in either...
pobstrel Trade aka Frederick is my brother and now lives in Augusta.
@@janroro777 That's so interesting, does he ever talk about his time in NY?
they were dating actually!
@@janroro777 I hope he’s doing well!
@@janroro777 really ? Where is he now?
Love these grimy 80s NYC vids with RuPaul!
Also, huge, high-rise apartment with a riverfront view? Who cares if the doorless toilet is on a stand, What a find!
I love seeing NYC in those days, and Ru is such a lovely energy!
Nelson isn't ALIVE to see Rupaul's success. So sad...
I think it's more sad he doesn't see how these videos are touching people
The uploader died?
@@geymseksion Yes he died of a heart attack July 3 1989, you can find his last video on this channel by searching "Nelson's Last Video." He died just a few hours after the video was taken, shame.
@@BHalleyPhotos He died early on July 4.
@@mwmsjuly19 It's kinda debated, some say he died in a hospital early the 4th but RuPaul says he died in his house on July 3rd.
Since died of a sudden heart attack I always believed RuPaul's version.
such manners and grace, a timeless beauty.
Dude, that place was all kinds of weird feng shui; rooms with bathrooms at the entrance.
on a platform!!
I could live like that any day of the week!! Love those loft style buildings!
@@hannathompson7998 yes! The community showers on each floor had platforms! It was awfully dirty but at the time (1985) surviving NYC was the goal...I actually felt lucky to have a place to lay my head.
Today that octagonal room is a bar with the outdoor roof space. It's still the Jane St. Hotel.
Ru Paul is so genuine and full of life. I love his curiosity and his humor!
Loving this video RuPaul looks like such a young supermodel in New York City just starting out and that shirtless roommates. WOW😍👍😘
Love these. Back then you could live on next to nothing and get by. Life seemed so carefree and easy back then. Our biggest concern was what we were going to wear that night and a job was just something that got in the way of having fun.
He made it. HE FKKN MADE IT!! Just seeing him in his “raw” form before he became the Rupaul we know is everything!
I lived this lifestyle (albiet straight with a penchant for snorting everything under the sun) in NYC in the late 80's thru the 90's. I stayed at The Jane twice. I'm grateful someone was camcordering the city at that time because it was fricking GLORIOUS!
Watching this video 30 years to the day it was made! It's an amazing record of a time period and a group of amazing talented people that are so often marginalized. Thank you for preserving and uploading these priceless moments!
When are they going to give momma a Biopic? She deserves it! She’s fought so hard to be where she is, omg. One of my ICONS
I love this channel simply because it makes me feel more at home. I was never part of this scene Nelson and his friends were in, I just really miss the late 80s and early 90s and you can really feel the time period aesthetic in these videos from the way they speak and act all the way down to the vhs video quality.
Same. I was a teenager when this was filmed. Takes me back.
Wow. These videos are very powerful, indeed. With very little effort at all, one is taken back to a point in time, in history, in the past.. Long ago, but then not so. Nothing any of l the great directors, story tellers, could even come close to the impact these have, and especially considering the short timestamp on these particular pieces. I remember these people, as if they were me. I remember, now, knowing that I had forgotten. Thank you.
James Tucker yes these are awesome! I just stumbled across these videos by Nelson! Omg I can’t stop watching! So cool to see life back then as I was a teenager during this time. So very cool to see RU in the raw as a average joe back in the day. And who would of thought as to how far he has come! I wish Nelson was still alive though, who knows how far he would of come through the years with his videos. Maybe a director maybe photos and videos for runways. Maybe working with RU. I don’t even know this person (Nelson) and wished he was still around today. ❤️
i remember hanging out, walking aimlessly, smoking, drinking, drugs.......miss it all
Somebody should do a BIO of Nelson Sullivan. Hes a pioneer nd a legend among many. But more people should know he is and what he did for this community nd upcoming legends xx
In the Party Monster Shockumentary special features there is a feature about Nelson.
My favorite queen. Hes still the same person then and now. Beautiful inside n out.
I love seeing Ru back in the day!! 💜
I love reading into the history of buildings, apparently the Jane West housed the survivors of the Titanic when the inquest was being held!
What a VIEW from the roof!!
Ru is BEAUTIFUL! Destined to be a star 🌟
That elevated toilet at the entrance surrounded by mirrors and doorways .... the combination couldn’t lack any more privacy LMFAO
How do you mean?
musicaltheatergeek79 2:40
I was 44 days old! I love these videos. Rare captures of life of a soon to be superstar and his friends
Can I get an amen here? - Rupaul certainly has wurked her way up and deserves every ounce of her success, wonder where the others are now - Trade is a hottie
These videos comfort me when I’m feeling alone. Than you for keeping them up.
RuPaul is such a decent, warm person. I wonder does he know these videos are on here ?
He does know they are on youtube, he speaks about it on his podcast but I think he said that he doesn't like watching a lot of them
I hope so, I'm sure somebody in his circle has told him. IMO
@@chrissieconnolly8740 I read your comment after posting mine. Why do you think he doesn't like to watch?
@@freeleonardpeltier4148 maybe it makes him sad as friend died
@@sw_fit50s Which one of the friends past away and how? I was watching this and when they were up on the ledge and Ru got done, with a bit of fear, I had this eerie feeling about one of the other two passing away. Just an odd feeling I had. But I LOVE RuPaul and seeing him this sweet and humble in his youth, makes me love him even more!
These videos are cinematic gold! Thank you sooo much for sharing! Love you Nelson!!!!! 😘🍓💛
So many of these people have passed away. What we are seeing is the real grit of these people. They lived hard, you can see it. Yes, they were happy but make no mistake the world was kicking them in the teeth every step. I get why RuPaul doesn't like to watch them. Yet, I am glad there here for us to see that gold shines no matter what.
Break's my heart Nelson isnt here to see where RuPaul is today
I was born in 85 and let me tell you! I have loved RuPaul since I was super little! Like I have known and Loved him/her since I can remember! You see we had “Gays” in our family since forever and it was down south too, but it was always just normal to us! So we would be even more excited when we would meet or see anyone else whom was like our beloved family members! I was raised by a Cop and the product of immigrants from Poland! My Parents taught us nothing but Love, respect, tolerance, and Understanding! So someone like Ru was always all of our idols! And still is! Nelson Thank You so very much!
It has been a long time since Ru hasn't had a quarter! LOL
Love this so much. We need a biopic 👑👑
I went to HAIR SCHOOL with Freddie ("Trade"), danced with Ru and those kids... oh my god what a great collection of memories... THANK YOU.
RuPaul was undeniably a star even then. He's not like the other kids. So cool to see it before I think he saw it. What a beautiful soul.
OMG! I lived there in 85' when I first arrived in NY. Wow, this video brings back memories.
Ru had that spirit that just transcends time big personality yet humble ...even as a young kid I think I valued his mother hen nurturing ..always looking after everyone I'm so like that
How priceless is this video? So awesome!!
Nelson probably didn't know that these videos would be super valuable today.
I love this... A time when people was not only near other people but socializing with out cellphones and computers... What a time to be alive
Its so crazy with his freckles Ru looks like a modern high fashion model! Not to say ru doesn’t look good now but he was way ahead of his time.
I can't see a relation between having freckles and being ahead of one's time.
Manuel Enrique there was a trend a few years ago where people were tattooing freckles and using make up to put on themselves. And if you looked at ads from 2 years ago there were a lot of models with freckles. There an article from vogue about the movement to show your freckles instead of hiding them. So when i posted this two years ago i think i was saying that he was ahead of his time because he embraced something that people would try to hide.
www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/vogue-100-freckles-unexpected-beauty-marks-diversity-model-skin-tone
@@JL0ndon Wow. Interesting. Thanks for the info.
Manuel Enrique no problem :)
@@JL0ndon 💓
I just started watching all these videos I was around at that time I love these videos I'm so excited I get to revisit a time in life and they made The videos with fun and kindness and beauty in everything that New York is supposed to be
Ahhhhh youth. Was such a good time period. I had a blast in those days.
Going back in time through videos like this is deeply soothing!
Omg, I was literally a day old when this was filmed. I was bored on June 7 of 86'..trippy
Jennifer S I was born June 11th of 86, lol this is trippy to watch. I loved it though.
Jennifer S I'm using my hubby phone... he hates when I leave messages under his name.... none the less
... it looks unreal.....omg I can't imagine...looks are n gritty
Why were you bored?
I was a month and a day old.
Jennifer S I was a teenager and still pretty cool to see these raw videos of back in the day.
Love this! Clearly shows how a star began his journey in blessing us all
I ~Love~ these videos. I'm so glad Nelson recorded them.
Nelson is so awesome. He is so ahead of his time.
I'm amazed at the things they found amusing. If time travel were ever possible I think I wouldn't be able to live without Internet. Seriously. Amazing.
RuPaul is so handsome and beautiful. It's no surprise he'd be a star. 🌻
Ahhhhhh Trade was so handsome!!!!!!
Literally though
What a sweet kid. And to think I was around those places those same days, I was 22 and had just arrived from Cuba, back in 1980. And I was doing drag with a Cuban troupè called The Tutti Frutti Company.
Oh my goodness! I moved to NYC in 1985 a very naive Texas boy into the Jane West until I found my own place. There was an old resident there that hung out and smoked out front that I befriended named Lucy (long white hair). My room was only an 8x6 sleeping room (with my 2 suitcases crammed in a corner) with a shared community bathroom...it was disgusting! However I wouldn't trade the memory for a anything! That is the coolest thing that Ru passed through too!!! So enjoyable watching...thank you!
Nelson was so into that shirtless guy, I almost thought the vlog was about him 🤣🤣💙💙
Ru forgot all his friends that helped him back then.He never mentions them.
What annoys me about people is that (especially in the 80s) people treated LGBT people very rudely, giving them hell because they themselves were not yet comfortable with something that was different to them. Yet, look how sweet, kind and loving these people are. I don't get it. Humans are humans, with souls and feelings. Complex beings. It drives me insane how ignorant some people were/are towards others.
And now look at this whole group now. They uplifted & inspired each other so much to really go for it, that they all have earned their fame for something they're each special at, despite all the anti-gay hate they were taking on.
THIS is a perfect example of not paying those bitches no mind. If you needed a reason to keep going after everyone doubts you, just look at these guys. And surround yourself with people who uplift you too.
Did you know some of these people weren’t even gay? Did you know that a lot of different people were picked on and beat up back then?!?!
Being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood got you beat up back then, punks, and even carrying a skateboard. It’s the way the world has always been and it’s the way you are now to “other” groups that you term hateful etc.
if EVERYONE wasn’t judgmental it would be a better world. But I’ll bet you one thing, these dudes in the video were really good at letting dumb shit people say roll right off their backs.
The age of always being present and social.
Smartphones killed the last vestiges of it. 2013-15. It's never coming back, I'm afraid. Bummer.
Smartphones finished off the last vestiges of it. 2013-15. It's never coming back, I'm afraid. Bummer.
These videos are incredible. I’m so touched by them.
This is timeless. Ru is a big part of history. 💚💯💚💯💚
I have rewatched this numerous times and You can see at 2:23 why Ru became a world famous superstar of stage and screen. She makes sure, even in the middle of being filmed, to THANK the elevator operator, and not dismissively.
Trade shirtless is a fashion statement lol
I never knew there was so much film of early RuPaul! I'm really enjoying it.
Rupaul has always been soft spoken, kind and lovely... even through hardship.
Those 80’s were amazing. A lost time.
I just adore Nelsons videos - I’m addicted!! Love seeing RuPaul as well, it’s all so interesting and fascinating 😊😊
His mannerisms never changed lol. Xoxo
Unbelievable, awesome in every way. Love love love him.
RuPaul is so.......normal.
These videos highlight a really great person.
Imagine them thinking “I wanna know what life is going to be like in 2020”.........I’m here to tell you stay there 😂
It’s good they did not know
I think they wouldve been very happy to hear abt how much more accepting people are to drag queens, cross dressing, and lgbt people. But sure... the modern era is bad
You know people like the down the modern era of today but things have changed for the better. The LGBT community is much more excepted now, there’s way more representation because of people like Rupaul. We still have a lot to work and things are not perfect by any means. There may be terrible things that are going on in the world and some things have changed for the worse, but I’d like to say that it is a much better place for those who are outside of the norm. There’s more people who are willing to speak out and there’s more support.
This is fierce! The fact that he really came from “the life” especially for the lgbt community ... She’s lived it and has my respect. I ddnt like her at first but this shows ru on a different level. I’m from the 80-90s, being who you are was NOT easy. Ru got every right to be and say as she wishes !💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻💅🏻
I can't watch Nelson without tearring up. Such a treasure, placed exactly where he was to document lives that would one day be internationally known and admired. Just incredile how the universe works.
I remember existing before smartphones 😕 boredom lead to inspiration, ideas, innovation… so weird that I’m so busy doing nothing now😒
Back in the day, when Ru didn't have a quarter to make a call. I don't think he was buying the B.S , that the Guy didn't have Quarters...
This is Vintage Mama.... Yaaaaaz... beyond ICON🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Social media has had a major impact on our society. In the past, people hustled and pursued their goals without worrying about what others thought. They didn't feel the need to share every little thing or waste time posting.
I never want these videos to end
RuPul and his eye of the tiger spirit priceless...also priceless when he said to Nelson 'wow, you're in the middle of the beast' referring probably to the Meatpacking district, none wanted to live there in those days. Fantastic! With their pockets filled of dreams instead of bills they somehow owned the city...look at that view now.
RuPaul has always been destined for GREATNESS 💗
Ru is such an iconic person, love these old videos they are everything.
Ru..you were,are and will always be fab!!!