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This 8MM Footage Will Bring You Back To 1976 NYC

By

Jen Carlson

Published Jul 13, 2016

Modified Jul 13, 2016

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By

Jen Carlson

Published Jul 13, 2016

Modified Jul 13, 2016

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Ah, New York City in the 1970s, when Times Square was filled with XXX movie marquees, crop tops and cut offs were a sidewalk uniform, men weren't afraid of a big butterfly collar, and the lake next to Bethesda Fountain looked like the stage for a Dionysian orgy (thanks to all the music and loose joints). Here is some newly uploaded 8mm footage from 1976, bringing you to all those places and more:

The 1970s was one of the city's toughest decades, and tourists were being told to avoid subways in a "Fear City" pamphlet. Still, it had its charms, and in 1976 the NY Times released a list of 101 things to love about NYC—it included the below, some of which you may find on a 2016 list.

• "Being nostalgic about things in New York that never were so great."
• "New York's proximity to Montauk."
• "How no one takes the top newspaper off the pile."
• "Flipping the change tray in the plastic taxicab divider."
• "The coldest wind in the world on 125th Street and 12th Avenue."
• "Losing yourself in a crowd."
• "Imagining New York without anyone in it."
• "The Brooklyn Museum serving Nathan's hot dogs."
• "Looking for a place you know on the dirty restaurant list."
• "Bags of beer."
• "Subway cars with public-address speakers that don't work."
• "The apostrophe missing from DONT WALK."

Here are a couple more, shorter videos capturing the era:

Tagged

1970s

1976

8mm

flashback

history

original

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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