Vintage – New York In The 80s

By Peter Nitsch | January 25th, 2012 | Discuss

View from burned-out dock pilings in Jersey City

The set NY in the 80s by Steven Siegel contains beautiful photographs of the 1980s-era of New York and sets us back in a time before internet and mobile phones.

Siegel says, “I’ve been photographing the streets and subways of New York for the past 30 years. When young people today look at my shots from the 1980’s, they are aghast. To them, New York of the 1980’s is almost unrecognizable. And they are right.

Some older people are nostalgic for ‘the good old days.’ For example, they remember the Times Square of the 80’s … And what they remember is not so much the danger but the grittiness and (for lack of a better word) the authenticity. Yes, there was sleaze, but there were also video arcades, cheap movies, restaurants, and weird places. These same people resent the “Disney-ification” of Times Square and the gentrification of virtually all of Manhattan and many areas of the boroughs, and the loss of cheap housing and local stores everywhere.

Others’ reactions to these same photos could not be more different. If they’re over a certain age, they remember the high crime, the twin crises of AIDS and crack, the racial tension, the lurid tabloid headlines about the latest street crime. They say: It was a nightmare, and thank God it’s over.”

Of course, both views are right. ❚

© All copyright remains with photographer Steven Siegel.

About Peter Nitsch

Peter Nitsch has written 382 articles on this blog.

Designer, Photographer and co-founder of “Playboard Magazine” and "get addicted to ...", has won several international awards both as a designer and photographer.

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