Steve Van Zandt argued that New York never recovered from the 2006 closure of CBGB, the influential Manhattan music venue associated with punk and new wave. The article presents the closure as a cultural loss, removing a vital space where emerging artists could perform, develop audiences and contribute to the city’s musical identity.

CBGB, located in the Bowery, had helped launch or support acts including the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith and Blondie before shutting after a dispute over rent. Van Zandt’s view reflects wider concerns that rising costs and redevelopment have made it harder for independent venues and underground scenes to survive in New York.