Discover how New York City changed between 1986 and 1989 in The Gods of New York by Jonathan Mahler. Explore the clash between working-class roots, global finance, and a shared civic identity.
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Could it remain a working-class hub that welcomed immigrants from every corner of the world?
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Could it still be the center of global finance without losing its civic soul?
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Could the rich and the rest of the city share the same idea of what it means to be a New Yorker?
By 1986, the city was one thing.
By the end of 1989, it had changed into something else entirely.
The gap between rich and poor was growing.
The wealthy were building a city for themselves.
Many New Yorkers were losing trust in the systems meant to protect them.
This book takes you inside that turning point.
It shows how politics, money, and culture reshaped the city in just three years.
It asks you to think about what kind of city you want to live in—and what it takes to keep a shared identity alive.
