Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: 1970s NYC, When 'Life Was Good'
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 15, 2013
Modified Nov 15, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 14
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 15, 2013
Modified Nov 15, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday we looked at one man's photos taken around Manhattan and Brooklyn in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Another New Yorker decided to share some of his photos from that time with us as well; click through for a look at Chris Protopapas's collection, which includes a sweet inside shot of McSorely's in 1974 (the year all the photos were taken), and plenty of musicians in Central Park. He tells us:
"I lived in the East Village, and still do. I covered most of Manhattan south of 110th street; I remember SoHo when it was deserted, and TriBeca when it was Terra Incognita. The city was wide open; you could get to the top of any tall building you wanted to, and explore amazing spaces, walk down into the railroad tracks below Park Avenue or onto the abandoned High Line. Beers were $0.40 at McSorley's, movies were $1.00 at the St. Mark's Cinema, and an Indian meal on 6th street cost $5.00.
Life was good. So the streets were dirty, and venturing east of 1st Avenue was dicey, but that was all part of the excitement.
I saw legendary bands at CBGB's, Patti Smith at the Other End Café with Mick Jagger sitting in the front row, I urinated next to David Bowie at the Mudd Club, went to the first rehearsals for Phillip Glass's 'Einstein on the Beach,' you name it. Wish I had taken my camera everywhere."
Please feel free to share your own photos from another era of NYC with us!
Tagged
1970s
Chris Protopapas
flashback
history
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .