A City in Decline: New York Seen in the '70s and '80s
Back when New York City was affordable.
Published 6 months ago
Today, New York City is considered a prime destination to live in, but in the 1970s it was considered a place to avoid.
The economic recession of the 1970s hit New York City particularly hard, with millions of city residents losing their manufacturing jobs to overseas competition. By 1975, New York was in a full-blown financial crisis, and the photographs from the time reflect that. The remains of demolished buildings sat untouched, the subway was rampant with crime, and vacant apartment buildings plagued the city.
Check out some pics that look less like the Big Apple, and more like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
1
Eagle and Westchester Avenues, Bronx, 1970
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On the way to Harlem, 1970
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East 167th Street, South Bronx, 1973
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East Harlem. 1970
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South Bronx in 1970
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Clinton Street, 1970
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Harlem from the ground, New York City, 1977
by Gilbert Millstein
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Harlem, 1970
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Bowery, New York City, 1977
by Gilbert Millstein
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NYC Subway, 1973
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Fifth Ave at 110th Street, East Harlem. 1970
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NYC Subway, 1973
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Honeywell at 178th Street. S. Bronx, 1970
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Bruckner Blvd, Bronx, 1970
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Cauldwell & Westchester Ave., Bronx, 1970
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Bronx River, 1970
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NYC Subway, 1975
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NYC Subway, 1975
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Bushwick fire, 1977
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Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1977
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Looking towards Manhattan from Bushwick, circa 1982
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Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1980s
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Bushwick, Brooklyn near Knickerbocker Avenue, early 1980s
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Knickerbocker Avenue, circa 1980
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Avenue C, Lower East Side, 1970
‘Old New York’ by Camilo José Vergara
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Police Officers on the NYC Subway, 1970s
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Entrance, abandoned building, 1970
