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A Look At 1980s NYC Through The Lens Of A Teenager
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 17, 2016
Modified Oct 17, 2016
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 17, 2016
Modified Oct 17, 2016
Share
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Through the magical and bittersweet filter of nostalgia, it's possible to look back at photos of 1980s New York City—a decade that followed one of the toughest in the city's history—and think: ah, the good ol' days. Recent transplants will say it, speaking some pseudo-knowledge and pointing to the dearth of combination Chase Bank-Duane Reades on the streets back then. But those who lived it know exactly what they miss.
Native Ken Stein has just shared some of his old photos from the decade with us, taken from 1980 through 1989. Stein was a teenager when he took most of these, and tells us, "The city was different back then. I think it was quieter, the street lights were darker, there was more room to walk and more places to wander—often everything seemed new and the different areas of the city were just that; different."
1983. (Photo by Ken Stein)
Stein continued:
Most of those images were shot in 1982 and 83. I was 17 and 18 year old and was the staff photographer for a weekly community newspaper in The Bronx.
These images are part of a larger collection that were shot on slide film—a rare luxury for me because it was far more expensive than the black & white I could get and develop for free. Hugh Bell, the famous jazz era and commercial photographer who died after Sandy knocked out the electricity in lower Manhattan, was a huge influence on me.
Taking pictures was always thrilling and I loved the way it made me feel. It felt at times I was the only one taking pictures—I think that's why people let me take their photos. It was a rare occurrence and I was bold as fuck back then.
Click through for a look, and you can check out a few more on his Flickr page.
(Photo by Ken Stein)
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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