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50+ Fascinating Pictures Of New York City In The 1970s Show The Raw Life In Stark Contrast To Its Modern Glitz

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The New York of 1970s was quite different from the gentrified metropolis we know today. And the streets had a lack of name-brand chains as we see today. I mean, it’s New York! But not Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC, today they have completely replaced the regional and local stores. Now lined with luxury apartments, the Bowery housed much of the city’s illicit activities, while drug dealers and prostitutes worked openly from Park Slope to Times Square. Have a look at this amazing collection of amazing photographs that show street scenes of New York City in the 1970s. Vote your favorites, and if you have gritty memories about the 70s, let us know in the comments. Also check, the Rare historical photos of New York City from the late 19th century and how New York city looked in the 1900s.

#1 Delancey at Norfolk Street, facing East, early ’70s

Delancey at Norfolk Street, facing East, early ’70s

8 Points

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#2 Greenwich Village, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Greenwich Village, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

5 Points

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#3 Orchard Street between Stanton and Rivington, facing South, mid ’70s

Orchard Street between Stanton and Rivington, facing South, mid ’70s

4 Points

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#4 Park Avenue at 110th Street – Spanish Harlem circa 1974

Park Avenue at 110th Street – Spanish Harlem circa 1974

4 Points

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#5 Lower East Side, early ’70s

Lower East Side, early ’70s

4 Points

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#6 Northeast corner of Delancey and Bowery, c.1978

Northeast corner of Delancey and Bowery, c.1978

4 Points

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#7 23rd Street facing West towards Eighth Avenue, January, 1976

23rd Street facing West towards Eighth Avenue, January, 1976

4 Points

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#8 Fulton Avenue and Crotona Park South, facing Northwest

Fulton Avenue and Crotona Park South, facing Northwest

4 Points

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#9 Trinity Church, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Trinity Church, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

4 Points

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#10 79th Street and Broadway, facing East, 1972

79th Street and Broadway, facing East, 1972

3 Points

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#11 Lenox Avenue between 124th and 125th Streets, facing West

Lenox Avenue between 124th and 125th Streets, facing West

3 Points

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#12 68th and Broadway, facing Northeast, 1980

68th and Broadway, facing Northeast, 1980

3 Points

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#13 Chinatown, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Chinatown, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

3 Points

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#14 Charlotte Street, circa 1980

Charlotte Street, circa 1980

2 Points

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#15 Fourteenth Street between Ninth and Tentth Avenues, facing East, 1976

Fourteenth Street between Ninth and Tentth Avenues, facing East, 1976

2 Points

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#16 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, facing South, 1970

155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, facing South, 1970

2 Points

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#17 Mulberry Street at Hester, facing North, 1975

Mulberry Street at Hester, facing North, 1975

2 Points

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#18 July 4th, 1976 – Bicentennial celebration in New York Harbor

July 4th, 1976 – Bicentennial celebration in New York Harbor

2 Points

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#19 Kingsbridge – West 231st Street between Broadway and Godwin Terrace, facing South, 1978

Kingsbridge – West 231st Street between Broadway and Godwin Terrace, facing South, 1978

2 Points

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#20 Rivington Street at The Bowery, facing East – August, 1973

Rivington Street at The Bowery, facing East – August, 1973

2 Points

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#21 34th Street and 7th Avenue facing North, 1977

34th Street and 7th Avenue facing North, 1977

2 Points

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#22 Harlem, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Harlem, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

2 Points

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#23 Twin Towers, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Twin Towers, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

2 Points

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#24 West 59th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

West 59th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

2 Points

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#25 Third Avenue at 66th Street, facing Southwest, 1979

Third Avenue at 66th Street, facing Southwest, 1979

1 Point

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#26 Facing Southwest to Fourteenth Street from Third Avenue

Facing Southwest to Fourteenth Street from Third Avenue

1 Point

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#27 131 Essex Street (at Rivington), 1971

131 Essex Street (at Rivington), 1971

1 Point

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#28 Northwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 150th Street, 1970

Northwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 150th Street, 1970

1 Point

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#29 Eighth Avenue at 41st Street, facing Northeast, 1978

Eighth Avenue at 41st Street, facing Northeast, 1978

1 Point

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#30 Madison Avenue at 64th Street, facing South, 1979

Madison Avenue at 64th Street, facing South, 1979

1 Point

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#31 130th and 7th Avenue (A.C. Powell Boulevard), facing Northeast, 1978

130th and 7th Avenue (A.C. Powell Boulevard), facing Northeast, 1978

1 Point

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#32 Orchard Street at Delancey, facing North, 1978

Orchard Street at Delancey, facing North, 1978

1 Point

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#33 Sixth Avenue at 27th Street, 1978

Sixth Avenue at 27th Street, 1978

1 Point

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#34 Harlem, late 1970s

Harlem, late 1970s

1 Point

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#35 Northeast Corner of 14th Street at 7th Avenue, 1972

Northeast Corner of 14th Street at 7th Avenue, 1972

1 Point

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#36 Times Square night in 1970

Times Square night in 1970

1 Point

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#37 Park Avenue at 47th Street, facing South, circa 1974

Park Avenue at 47th Street, facing South, circa 1974

1 Point

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#38 Amsterdam Avenue, between 144th Street and 145th Streets, 1971

Amsterdam Avenue, between 144th Street and 145th Streets, 1971

1 Point

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#39 Harlem, 1971

Harlem, 1971

1 Point

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#40 West Side Highway, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

West Side Highway, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

1 Point

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#41 Dominoes, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Dominoes, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

1 Point

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#42 Empire State Building, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Empire State Building, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

1 Point

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#43 Opposite Radio City, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Opposite Radio City, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

1 Point

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#44 79th Street and Broadway, facing East, 1972

79th Street and Broadway, facing East, 1972

0 Points

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#45 Jackson Avenue at Eleventh Street, 1980.

Jackson Avenue at Eleventh Street, 1980.

0 Points

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#46 Seventh Avenue South at Perry Street, facing South, 1973

Seventh Avenue South at Perry Street, facing South, 1973

0 Points

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#47 42nd Street at Seventh Avenue, facing Northwest, 1970

42nd Street at Seventh Avenue, facing Northwest, 1970

0 Points

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#48 Second Avenue at 26th Street, facing Northwest, c.1972

Second Avenue at 26th Street, facing Northwest, c.1972

0 Points

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#49 72nd and Broadway, facing West, mid ’70s

72nd and Broadway, facing West, mid ’70s

0 Points

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#50 86th and 3rd, facing South, 1971

86th and 3rd, facing South, 1971

0 Points

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#51 Lafayette Street at Bleecker, facing North, 1976. Screencap from Marathon Man

Lafayette Street at Bleecker, facing North, 1976. Screencap from Marathon Man

0 Points

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#52 Second Avenue at East Seventh Street facing Southwest, late 1970s

Second Avenue at East Seventh Street facing Southwest, late 1970s

0 Points

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#53 The old New Yorker Theater. West side of Broadway 88th to 89th Streets, c.1977

The old New Yorker Theater. West side of Broadway 88th to 89th Streets, c.1977

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#54 Hell’s Kitchen, 1973

Hell’s Kitchen, 1973

0 Points

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#55 Southwest corner of 74th and Broadway, the storefront was located inside the Ansonia. Early 1970s

Southwest corner of 74th and Broadway, the storefront was located inside the Ansonia. Early 1970s

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#56 Lower Manhattan, 1972

Lower Manhattan, 1972

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#57 Sixth Avenue facing South from 59th Street

Sixth Avenue facing South from 59th Street

0 Points

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#58 Spring Street at Mulberry, facing West, 1976

Spring Street at Mulberry, facing West, 1976

0 Points

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#59 Ninth Avenue at 56th Street, facing South, 1979

Ninth Avenue at 56th Street, facing South, 1979

0 Points

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#60 West End Avenue at 79th Street, facing North, 1979

West End Avenue at 79th Street, facing North, 1979

0 Points

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#61 Greenwich Village, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Greenwich Village, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

0 Points

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#62 Financial District, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Financial District, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

0 Points

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#63 House, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

House, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#64 Market, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Market, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#65 Metropolitan Museum of Art, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Metropolitan Museum of Art, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#66 Plaza Hotel, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Plaza Hotel, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#67 Times Square, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Times Square, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

0 Points

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#68 United Nations, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

United Nations, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#69 Wall Street on Sunday, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

Wall Street on Sunday, photographed by Nicolai Canetti, 1976

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#70 125th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

125th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#71 Bowery, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Bowery, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#72 East 125th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

East 125th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#73 Harlem from the air, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Harlem from the air, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#74 Harlem from the air, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Harlem from the air, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#75 Harlem from the ground, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Harlem from the ground, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#76 Harlem from the ground, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Harlem from the ground, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#77 NW Corner Houston and West Broadway, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

NW Corner Houston and West Broadway, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#78 Opposite Radio City, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Opposite Radio City, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#79 Pike Street Mural, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Pike Street Mural, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

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#80 West 59th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

West 59th Street, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

0 Points

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#81

50+ Fascinating Pictures Of New York City In The 1970s Show The Raw Life In Stark Contrast To Its Modern Glitz

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#82 Drug deals in Harlem, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

Drug deals in Harlem, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

-2 Points

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#83 South Bronx, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

South Bronx, photographed by Bernard Herrmann, 1977

-3 Points

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Written by Aurora Hale

I am a blogger, entrepreneur and small business coach. I'm an introvert and cat lover. My favourite hobbies are breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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3 Comments

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Armin Salem says:

February 2, 2022 at 12:41 Copy Link of a Comment

The Deuce on HBO is an excellent portrayal of New York in the 70s

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Naive Cat says:

February 2, 2022 at 12:43 Copy Link of a Comment

life” is what everyday life is here with up dated cars

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Cliff Miller says:

February 2, 2022 at 12:43 Copy Link of a Comment

Well, at least the economic crisis has put an end to gentrification. All those sterile buildings in Long Island City and around Downtown Brooklyn/Flatbush Avenue?

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