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Can anyone recommend a good online or offline source of information about Times Square in the 70's and 80's? I know most of the usual suspects, like the more well known books, etc. (like "Tales of Times Square", etc.). I'm really looking more for photos or videos of the area, something that really gives a feel for what it was like. I grew up on LI during this time period so it's not like I didn't see the "old" Times Square, and I moved to NYC in '91 so I got a bit of a feel for it then as well. But I've always found this time period and this area to be fascinating...
Any info would be appreciated! If anyone wants to share stories as well, that would be interesting...
i don't know if flickr is one of your "usual suspects" but its a great site to see "the old ny."
for the record, the old ny > ny now IMO. it had character. something is missing right now in nyc...i don't wish for higher crime or anything like that but something is missing. the charm is lost, IMO.
its an unpopular opinion but i wish that graffiti on trains would come back.
Chillin like Matt Dillon... on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23038831@N08/3249240085/ - broken link)
Rusted Irt with Tp in tow... on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23038831@N08/3274306078/ - broken link)
80's B-Boys on 96th street. on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23038831@N08/2396793079/ - broken link)
CC line 1980's on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23038831@N08/2287224218/ - broken link)
Times Square — 7th Avenue at West 46th Street — June 8, 1985 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim-in-times-square/2296800642/ - broken link)
Flash + Debbie Harry+ Freddy etc. on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/149street/3705328325/ - broken link)
there's a few of old ny...i'm at work, so i'll try to find pics of times sq later.
It was a freak show. Lot's of pimps, hustlers, prostitutes, junkies and dregs of society. The streets were lined with porn theaters and the lowest forms of life imaginable. I remember walking down the street and being offered anything under the sun by the hustlers...switchblades, guns, girls, drugs, you name it. It was a scam, they didn't have any of these things they were offering. They'd ask for the money up front, then tell you they had to see a guy across the street for the goods and that you should wait right here. Then they'd take off with your money. What can you do, call the cops? Tell the cops you were trying to score some weed and the guy ripped you off? It was a perfect hustle, and the kids from Jersey and Long Island would fall for it every time. No offense OP. There were also the three card monty dealers and what I miss most is the small business's. Hole in the wall burger joints and seedy bars. I know a guy who used to work in a shoe store over there in the 70's and 80's. The store was robbed on a regular basis at gunpoint in broad daylight. A guy would walk in with a sawed off shotgun and stick it the cashier's face demanding the loot. A couple of times they shot the windows out for no good reason. It was a wild place back then. I remember almost getting robbed in the subway stop there in the early 80's, the one with that long walk to the exit. Good times.
omg.........those naughty 3 card monte guys and their girl "shill" that would ALWAYS be winning as the crowd grew....then some other piece-of-work would be picking their pockets...then some fool playing and losing would wake up and start screaming that this game is rigged..pimps dressed to the max/macdaddy/furs/platforms/GOLD chains, rings, teeth and all/ Lincoln or caddy pimp-mobiles with headroom for big daddy's hat-- omg---haven't thought about that for yeaRS !!! i'm from over that way and when some newbie "scout"dummie would hassle us to buy,or did we need cash ? wanna meet big daddy whatever,come and work--LOL ! remember the "minnesota strip"? /covenant house ?? my sister used to go off explosively--whaddawelooklike ? white jackasses ? tourists ? we're neighborhood you @$%^&*&^%$!!
something was always going on,so many people day and night.. and in-between it all was a neighborhood complete with their Church,parish school,small bakeries,butcher shop etc and kids whose parents weren't aware of any possibility of death and destruction happening in their nyc--letting their kids lose--LOL !!! had to be home at a certain time or ELSE -and there was always somebody "downstairs" waiting for you or a brother or sister,cousins etc--you were never alone and the old ladies spied on everybody waiting to give bad reports to your family---it was a neighborhood back then--was there till 1977.
today the area seems sanitized and sterile,soul less---
haven't been back for about 5 years now and the last time over that way was to visit an old friend still on 10th ave and I was amazed at all the new construction going on and as always--who were they building them for ?
but the direct area of times square looks like a disney land tourist spot,the neon signs remain incredible but.... something's really missing--the nitty gritty ?
even the port authority isn't the same--
remember only too well jumping on the bus to either Palisades or Bear Mt and the collection of weirdos and pimps inhabiting those ramps and waiting areas--
glad the area's safe for humanity but something got lost along the way.
Thanks all, this is just what I was looking for, but want more more more! Loved the links to the Flickr pictures (never thought to look there) and loved the stories too...
moved from bklyn to that area in 67,,,,,,,,,,,got a room in the hotel ashley on 47th st,,,,,,,paid weekly,,,,,,,,,,,,,stayed 6 months,,,,,,,,,,,,,used to just roam the night,,,,,,,,,,,,queens, hustlers, junkies, and thrill seekers,,,,,,,,,,tuinal, seconal,,,,,,,,,,drugs of choice,,,,,,,,,,,,,,played the murphy game on visitors from out of town,,,,,,,,,,tell em ya got girls in an apt on 49th st,,,,,,,,,,walk em over there,,,,,,,,give a key(used to have about 10, made in advance),,,,,,take the money, and send em up to the third floor,,,,,,,,,byeeeeeee,,,,,,,,,,,,,used to be a guy walking around with a shopping cart, filled with gypsy rose wine,,,,,,,,after the bars closed, he would sell for a buck a bottle,,,,,,,,,a true entrepenuer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it was a trip to be part of that scene at that time,,,,,,,,,,,,,,things were always moving,,,,,,,,,,,,childs bar,,,,,,,,,hustlers and tricks,,,,,,,,,, terminal bar,,,,,,,serious drinkers,,,,,,,,,run out of money,,,,,,,,,,sell some blood,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,its all gone now,,,,,,,,,,,,very transitional scene
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