A Vivid Tour of Manhattan’s 1960s Through Stunning Colored Photographs

The Manhattan of the 1960s was more than just a place; it was a pulsating entity, alive with artistry, ambition, and audacity. Every street had a story, every corner concealed a chronicle, and every moment was coloured with the hope and hustle of its inhabitants.

Streets Alive with Sounds

If you walked the streets of Manhattan in the 1960s, your ears would be treated to a symphony. From the soulful serenades wafting from Harlem’s jazz clubs to the psychedelic rock in East Village hangouts, the city was a sonic wonderland. It wasn’t uncommon to stumble upon impromptu performances on street corners or to get lost in the eclectic rhythms at legendary venues like The Fillmore East.

The Silver Screen Shines Brighter

The movie culture was booming! Vintage theaters like Radio City Music Hall showcased Hollywood’s golden era films, while avant-garde cinemas brought foreign films and indie projects to the masses. The likes of Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman graced big screens, while Manhattan itself played a starring role in countless films. From classic romances to thrillers, the city was every director’s dream backdrop.

The Culinary Kaleidoscope

As immigration surged, so did the city’s palate. Little Italy buzzed with pizzerias and pasticcerias. Chinatown expanded its borders, introducing dim sum and Peking duck to New Yorkers. And let’s not forget the classic American diners, where jukeboxes played the latest hits and patrons enjoyed hearty milkshakes and burgers. The city became a gastronomic playground, where traditional dishes met experimental cuisine.

Art in Every Nook and Cranny

Pop art exploded onto the scene, with artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Jasper Johns leading the charge. Galleries in SoHo showcased abstract expressions, while street artists turned blank walls into vibrant canvases. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) became a sanctuary for art enthusiasts, housing masterpieces from around the world. Everywhere you turned, art was in conversation with the city.

#1 Man and Woman Walk Side by Side in Downtown Manhattan, 1967

2 Points

Upvote Downvote

#2 Park Avenue and E. 49th Street, Manhattan, 1963

1 Point

Upvote Downvote

#3 Times Square at Night on Broadway at 45th Street, Manhattan, 1966

1 Point

Upvote Downvote

#4 CBS Television Employees Picket in Support of AFTRA Union Strike, Downtown Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#5 New York City at Night, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#6 The Criterion Theater on Times Square with Bond Clothes Behind, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#7 edestrians at the Intersection of Liberty & Greenwich Streets, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#8 Cinema-Goers Line Up Outside the Victoria Theatre in Times Square, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#9 Exterior Shot of Hotel Astor in Times Square, Manhattan, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#10 Construction of North Tower of the original World Trade Center, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#11 Distorted View of Traffic and Pedestrians on 42nd Street, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#12 Traffic on Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#13 Crowd Walks on 42nd Street and Madison Avenue, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#14 Vehicle Traffic Along 5th Avenue at West 43rd Street, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#15 Man Paints a Portrait of a Woman at Art Fair in Washington Square Park, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#16 View of Traffic on Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#17 Fans Gather at Sheep Meadow in Central Park for Barbara Streisand Concert, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#18 View of Businesses at the Corner of 7th Avenue and 42nd Street in Times Square, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#19 Twin Towers of the World Trade Center Under Construction, Manhattan, 1968

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#20 Elevated View of Taxis in Front of the United Nations Headquarters, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#21 NBC Television Crew Takes a Break Near the United Nations, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#22 Exterior Shot of a Small Grocery Store on an Unidentified Street, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#23 Two Men Wait to Cross at West 43rd Street and Broadway, Times Square, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#24 Exterior Shot of Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum on 42nd Street, Times Square, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#25 Crowd for John Glenn’s Ticker Tape Parade Along Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#26 NYPD Police Officers Patrol Crowds During Gordon Cooper’s Ticker Tape Parade, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#27 NYPD Police Officers Patrol Crowds During Gordon Cooper’s Ticker Tape Parade, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#28 People Walk Along 6th Avenue After Gordon Cooper’s Ticker Tape Parade, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#29 Huge Billboard for the Movie Spartacus at the DeMille Theatre in Times Square, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#30 Crowd Gathered in Front of the New York Coliseum in Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#31 Crowd on 6th Avenue for Gordon Cooper’s Ticker Tape Parade, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#32 Construction of Office Building at 1212 Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#33 Times Square, Huge Movie Billboard, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#34 Criterion Theater, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#35 Crowd on 6th Avenue for Gordon Cooper’s Ticker Tape Parade, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#36 Demolition Underway at the Polo Grounds, Upper Manhattan, 1964

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#37 Construction of the Sperry Rand Building at Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#38 Vanderbilt Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#39 Aerial View of Lower Manhattan, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#40 Hebrew National Hot Dog Billboard and Clothesline, Lower Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#41 Billboard for Movie “The Bible” in Times Square, Manhattan, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#42 Human Billboard on 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#43 Early Stages of Construction of Two World Trade Center, Manhattan, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#44 Pedestrians Outside Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#45 6th Avenue & West 42nd Street, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#46 Rowboat on Central Park Lake, Manhattan, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#47 Pedestrians at the Intersection of Broadway & 7th Avenue, Times Square, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#48 Crowds at the Intersection of East 46th Street and Lexington Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#49 People Outside Trinity Church at Broadway & Wall Street, Manhattan, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#50 Girls Wearing Striped Dresses in Times Square, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#51 Portrait Artist at Art Fair by Washington Square Park, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#52 Construction Site on West Broadway and Washington Square South, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#53 Washington Mews off of Fifth Avenue by Washington Square Park, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#54 Storefronts and a Volkswagen Bus in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#55 Susan Farrell Posing at Lincoln Center, Manhattan, 1969

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#56 Santa Claus on 5th Avenue & 49th Street, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#57 Park Avenue and E. 54th Street, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#58 42nd Street and Times Square, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#59 Night View of Times Square, Broadway and 7th Avenue, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#60 Spectators During Chinese New Year, Year of the Rat, Chinatown, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#61 View of Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#62 Buildings in Manhattan, 1963

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#63 Intersection in Midtown Manhattan During Rush Hour, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#64 Joe Cino on East 8th Street, View of American Theatre Producer Walking in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#65 View of the Empire State Building from 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#66 Third Avenue Manhattan Street Scene, Traffic and New Skyscraper Construction, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#67 Passengers Boarding a Bus on Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#68 Traffic on Broadway North of Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#69 Aerial View of Midtown Manhattan Skyline over the Hudson River, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#70 Pedestrians and Shoppers on 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#71 Couple Walking in Bryant Park, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#72 Street Scene in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#73 Cars Parked on Street in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#74 Aerial View of Manhattan and Queens from the Empire State Building, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#75 Ice Skating on Wollman Rink, Central Park, Manhattan, 1965

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#76 View of Americana Hotel, Later Renamed Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#77 People Skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#78 Chinese Lions in Chinese New Year Celebrations, Chinatown, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#79 Manhattan Skyline Across East River from Brooklyn, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#80 Pedestrians Crossing at 42nd Street and Third Avenue, East Side Manhattan, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#81 Signs and Flags on Broadway Near Lincoln Center Under Construction, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#82 Skyline of Downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan, 1960

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#83 NYC Aerial View Facing East Down 43rd Street to United Nations Headquarters, Manhattan, 1964

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#84 Street Scene on 101st Street, Spanish Harlem, Manhattan, 1967

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#85 Elevated Subway Station and #1 Train on 125th Street, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#86 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#87 Street Scene at Night, Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#88 Actors Rehearsing on Rooftop of Hotel Chelsea, Manhattan, 1966

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#89 Street Scene at 42nd Street & Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#90 Washington Square Park Arch, New York City, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#91 Street Scene in Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#92 Macy’s Department Store Street Scene, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#93 Pennsylvania Station Façade, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#94 City Hall, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#95 Grant’s Tomb, Riverside Park, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#96 Street Scene, Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#97 Street Scene, Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#98 Street Scene, Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#99 Wall Street and Trinity Church, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#100 Street Scene, Times Square, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#101 Street Scene, Park Avenue and Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#102 Pennsylvania Station, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#103 Washington Square Park, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#104 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#105 Park Avenue Looking South, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#106 Skyline with Chrysler Building, Midtown, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#107 Crowd Outside Booth Theater at Night, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#108 Wall Street and Trinity Church, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#109 Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1961

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#110 Traffic and Empire State Building, Manhattan, 1968

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#111 Crowd on 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1968

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#112 Junction of East 31st Street and Third Avenue, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#113 Crowd on 42nd and Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#114 Crowd Walks on 40th Street Between Madison & 5th Avenues, Manhattan, 1962

0 Points

Upvote Downvote

#115 Pedestrians on Wall Street During Lunch Hour, Manhattan, 1969

-1 Points

Upvote Downvote

#116 Partially Demolished Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan, 1963

-1 Points

Upvote Downvote