Bob Dylan Said He ‘Came Alive’ When He Moved to New York City at 19
Greenwich Village and Bob Dylan are connected on a deep level. The New York City neighborhood, known for its poets, musicians, and all sorts of iconoclasts, is perhaps best known for being the on again, off-again home of the “Hurricane” singer-songwriter. But as New York as Dylan’s vibe is, it isn’t where his roots are.
The midwest native didn’t grow up in New York City. But his worldview shifted once he moved there — and he may not have become the iconic artist he is without making that change.
Bob Dylan didn’t find himself until he moved to New York City
Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941, grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota. Music was always a part of his life, starting with his childhood fascination with Elvis. He formed bands covering his favorite rock ‘n roll musicians, with Elvis covers at the forefront of his repertoire.
But his early knack for edgy, popular sounds wasn’t enough for the young artist to feel fulfilled. In a 2004 interview on 60 Minutes, now available on YouTube, the folk singer described how he felt growing up in Minnesota.
“Didn’t feel good or bad. I knew there was something out there that I had to get to,” Dylan said. “And it wasn’t where I was.” Dylan wrote in his book Chronicles that he “came alive” after moving to New York City.
His family didn’t pressure him to stay, but they didn’t understand his drive to leave. Dylan packed up and traveled to where he heard the other bohemians were: Greenwich Village.
1960s Greenwich Village was the perfect place for a budding artist
Dylan explained to his parents that he wanted to move to “the capital of the world,” New York City. His parents couldn’t relate. To them, no place could possibly be more important than their own home with their family. Their son felt differently.
The young musician was fascinated by the burgeoning counterculture of the early 1960s. From snippets on the radio, he gathered that ground zero for much of the best artistic output was in Greenwich Village. Many of the most famous new painters, beat poets, and new folk musicians called that NYC neighborhood home.
After a stop in New Jersey to pay homage to country legend Woody Guthrie, he found exactly what he was looking for in the bustling NYC neighborhood. He quickly made friends with other artists. Crucially, he ingratiated himself with the existing folk scene thanks to his deep knowledge of the genre, History reports.
Dylan lived primarily in NYC for years before relocating to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Even after the move, though, he found himself drifting back to Greenwich Village for extended periods. Even though he has spent most of his life in Minnesota and California, his most fertile artistic periods took place in NYC.
Fans still visit many of Dylan’s favorite Greenwich Village spots today
His mark on Greenwich Village is indelible. Allen Ginsberg, Bob Neuwirth, and Joan Baez were just a few of the great artists that the “Like A Rolling Stone” singer counted among his personal friends. Yet, in a neighborhood with no shortage of art history within its borders, Dylan still stands out.
The New York Times reports that Dylan fans still mill around Macdougal Street, a place once dotted by cafes where the singer-songwriter played his breakout shows to small crowds of his peers. One venue, Cafe Wha?, is still open under the same name today.
Fans also still mill around the locations where the legendary folk singer lived. His first apartment, at 161 West Fourth Street, is a reminder of his early days. And his return to the neighborhood, in a large brownstone at 94 Macdougal Street.
That return happened when his fame was at its peak; fans notoriously bothered him and his family while he still lived there. Today, it’s a serene — and prohibitively expensive — rental. Dylan still visits the area, but the Greenwich Village that inspired him is one of a bygone era.
