What Manhattan looked like in the 1970s Through Captivating Vintage Photos

The 1970s: a decade that stood out as one of Manhattan’s most emblematic periods, awash in neon lights and challenged by urban shadows. This era, pulsating with life and echoing with the sounds of change, saw Manhattan reshaping its identity. Amidst the disco fervor and gritty streets, the island at the heart of New York was reinventing itself, laying the foundations for the modern metropolis we know today.

From Vinyls to Dance Floors

The 1970s in Manhattan was a rhythmic revelation. The beats of disco dominated the airwaves, and nightclubs like Studio 54 became the epicenter of glamour, music, and an uninhibited nightlife. Glittering disco balls, bell-bottoms, and the soulful tunes of Donna Summer and the Bee Gees defined a generation. But it wasn’t just about the disco; punk rock was emerging from the gritty clubs of the Lower East Side, showcasing the city’s eclectic taste.

The Urban Landscape

Financially, Manhattan teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in the mid-70s. The famous Daily News headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead” captured the sentiment. Yet, adversity often births innovation. The urban decay led to a surge in grassroots initiatives. Communities banded together, creating iconic events like the first Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Artists found cheap rents and endless inspiration, and neighborhoods like SoHo witnessed a renaissance, turning old warehouses into galleries and lofts.

Cinema’s Gritty Golden Age

This decade was a golden era for film. With its textured backdrop, Manhattan was the ideal setting for movies that mirrored its rawness. Films like “Taxi Driver” and “The French Connection” portrayed the city’s underbelly, while romantic classics like “Annie Hall” captured the essence of Manhattan love stories. The juxtaposition of love and loneliness amidst skyscrapers and subways added depth to the silver screen.

A Time of Social Awakening

The 1970s in Manhattan were also years of activism and social change. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 ushered in a decade of LGBTQ+ rights movements. Women’s lib, anti-war protests, and environmental causes took to the streets, making Central Park, Washington Square, and other public spaces their rallying grounds. It was a decade of voices clamoring for change, and Manhattan was often at the heart of it.

#1 Trash Fire Burning on Crosby Street, SoHo, Manhattan, 1979

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#2 Feast of St Anthony Procession on Mulberry Street, Manhattan, 1975

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#3 Newsstand on 42nd Street, Times Square, Manhattan, 1970

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#4 The Rolling Stones Playing ‘Brown Sugar’ on Flatbed Truck, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1975

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#5 View of Trash Against Subway Entrance on E 14th Street Near Union Square, Manhattan, 1972

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#6 Trading Floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Record Pace Trading Following Nixon’s Economic Plans, Manhattan, 1971

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#7 Washington Arch in Washington Square Park, Manhattan, 1979

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#8 Isolated Building in Harlem, Manhattan, 1975

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#9 Exterior View of Studio 54, Manhattan, 1970s

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#10 Traffic on West 42nd Street in Times Square, Manhattan, 1978

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#11 Pedestrians Walking Past the East Side Bookstore, East Village, Manhattan, 1975

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#12 Patrons Line Up at Mom and Pop Pizzeria, Times Square, Manhattan, 1970

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#13 Shoe Shiner Waiting at Eighth Avenue, Times Square, Manhattan, 1970

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#14 Two Young Men Making Phone Calls Near Times Square, Manhattan, 1975

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#15 NYPD Arrest Anti-Nuclear Power Protesters, Wall Street, Manhattan, 1979

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#16 Crowd Waiting Outside Studio 54, Manhattan, 1978

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#17 Madison Avenue Closed for Earth Week, Manhattan, 1971

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#18 Mural on Pike Street, Lower East Side, Chinatown, Manhattan, 1975

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#19 Pedestrians Crossing 6th Avenue at West 51st Street, Manhattan, 1979

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#20 People Seated Outside the New York Public Library Main Branch, Manhattan, 1979

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#21 View of Lower Manhattan Skyline from Manhattan Bridge Overpass, Brooklyn, Manhattan, 1975

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#22 Apollo Theater at 253 West 125th Street, Manhattan, 1978

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#23 Times Square Protests in Wake of President Gerald Ford’s Speech, Manhattan, 1975

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#24 Man Waiting for a Bus on 42nd Street, Times Square, Manhattan, 1970

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#25 World Trade Center Under Construction, Manhattan, 1970

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#26 34th Street–Penn Station Traveller, Midtown Manhattan, 1975

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#27 Morning Commuters Waiting to Cross Washington Bridge During Strike, Manhattan, 1971

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#28 Unidentified Band Performing at Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan, 1979

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#29 Panhandler on 6th Avenue Between West 46th and 47th Streets, Manhattan, 1979

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#30 Exterior View of Mickey’s Place Bar and Restaurant, Tribeca, Manhattan, 1975

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#31 Ticket-seekers Line Up for “Chicago” Musical, 46th Street Theater, Manhattan, 1975

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#32 Night View on East 35th Street Past Lexington Avenue, Empire State Building, Manhattan, 1975

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#33 Nighttime View of Times Square, Manhattan, 1978-1979

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#34 Pedestrians Walk Under Adult Movie Theater Marquees in 42nd Street, Times Square, Manhattan, 1970

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#35 Power Failure Causes a Blackout in Manhattan, 1977

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#36 Night View Along Central Park West, Near 102nd St, Manhattan, 1972

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#37 Four People Walking on a Street in Harlem, Manhattan, 1971

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#38 Nighttime View of Two Young Boys on a Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, 1977

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#39 Aerial View of New York Harbor and Lower Manhattan Skyline with Ferry, Manhattan, 1978

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#40 Greenwich Village Townhouse Explosion, Manhattan, 1973

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#41 Onlookers Watch a Game of Chance on 57th Street, Manhattan, 1979

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#42 Pedestrians Crossing 7th Avenue at West 57th Street, Manhattan, 1979

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#43 Vendor Grilling Food During the Feast of San Gennaro, Little Italy, Manhattan, 1975

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#44 View Looking South Along Park Avenue at East 50th Street, Manhattan, 1972

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#45 Pedestrians Walking Along Nassau Street During Lunch Hour, Manhattan, 1972

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#46 View of Pedestrians at Church and Vesey Streets, Manhattan, 1971

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#47 Apollo Theater in Harlem, Manhattan, 1974

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#48 Man Pushing a Shopping Cart at West 36th Street and 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1979

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#49 Street Vendor Selling T-Shirts on West 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1979

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#50 People Relaxing in Bryant Park, Manhattan, 1979

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#51 NYPD Officer Patrolling Midtown Manhattan, 1979

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#52 Pedestrians on 6th Avenue Between West 48th and 49th Streets, Manhattan, 1979

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#53 Sidewalk Shopping at West 44th Street and 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1979

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#54 Pedestrians on 6th Avenue Between West 47th and 48th Streets, Manhattan, 1979

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#55 Pedestrians on the Sidewalk on West 42nd Street Near 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1979

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#56 Artist Selling Sketches on a Street in Midtown Manhattan, 1979

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#57 Street Musician Playing Saxophone on 6th Avenue Near West 46th Street, Manhattan, 1979

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#58 Outside Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, 1979

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#59 Pedestrians Crossing West 50th Street at Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan, 1979

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#60 Sidewalk Shopping at West 44th Street and 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1979

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#61 Men Washing a Car on the Lower East Side, Manhattan, 1974

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#62 Crowd Around King Kong on the World Trade Center Plaza, Manhattan, 1976

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#63 Haughwout Building at Broadway & Broome in SoHo, Manhattan, 1974

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#64 View of Lower Manhattan from the Empire State Building, 1975

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#65 Watching Opsail’s Parade of Tall Ships, Manhattan, 1976

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#66 Traffic Passing ‘Artist in Crisis’ Mural at Broome & Thompson Streets, Manhattan, 1977

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#67 Soho Residents Protest Against a Disco and Juice Bar, Manhattan, 1974

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#68 1970s Mom & Pop Stores, Subway Entrance in Manhattan, 1972

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#69 1970s Hot Dog Stand, Two Older Men Engaging in Conversation in Midtown Manhattan, 1972

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#70 Police Patrol the Disused West Side Highway Section, Headed Towards the World Trade Center, Manhattan, 1974

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#71 West Broadway Looking South From Houston Street, Manhattan, 1974

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#72 West Broadway Looking South From Houston Street, World Trade Center in the Distance, Manhattan, 1974

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#73 Nighttime View of Pedestrian Crossing a Snow-Covered Street in SoHo, Manhattan, 1974

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#74 Soho Watchers, Crowd of Onlookers in a SoHo Intersection, Manhattan, 1970s

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#75 Demonstrators at Marijuana Smoke-In March From Washington Square to Central Park, Manhattan, 1974

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#76 The Singer Building on Broadway in SoHo, Manhattan, 1974

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#77 View Looking West Along Prince Street During a Blizzard, Manhattan, 1978

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#78 Man Approaches Row of Pay Phones Near Bryant Park, Midtown Manhattan, 1970

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#79 Madison Avenue Closed for Earth Week, People Stroll and Play, Manhattan, 1970

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#80 Roosevelt Island Tram Providing Transportation from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan, 1976

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#81 Yankees World Series Parade, Fans Gathering on Broadway, Manhattan, 1978

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#82 ‘The War is Over’ Concert and Peace Rally in Central Park, Manhattan, 1975

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#83 Union Square Greenmarket, Manhattan, 1978

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#84 Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade, Manhattan, 1979

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#85 Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, 1975

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#86 Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade and Confucius Plaza, Manhattan, 1979

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#87 East End Hotel at 1 East River Drive, Manhattan, 1979

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#88 Empire Apartments, 71 Broadway with Trinity Church Visible, Manhattan, 1975

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#89 Looking South on Pike Street Towards Cherry Street, Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan, 1975

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#90 Helen Hayes Theatre, 210 West 46th Street, Manhattan, 1977

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#91 Union Square Greenmarket, Manhattan, 1978

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#92 Looking East on Broome Street at Intersection of West Broadway, Manhattan, 1975

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#93 People Shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket, Manhattan, 1976

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#94 View of the Sea Lion Exhibit at the Central Park Zoo, Manhattan, 1979

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#95 Looking North from Park Avenue and 41st Street, Pan Am Building, Manhattan, 1979

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#96 Nighttime View on East 35th Street, Empire State Building in the Distance, Manhattan, 1975

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#97 Looking South on Broadway Between Spring and Broome Streets, Manhattan, 1977

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#98 Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street, Manhattan, 1977.

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#99 View Looking North on Orchard Street from Delancey Street, Manhattan, 1977.

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#100 Underneath the Manhattan Bridge Overpass with a View of World Trade Center, Manhattan, 1978.

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#101 Pedestrians Walking Past Armen Jewelers and Sol Stein Jeweler on Eldridge Street, Manhattan, 1975.

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#102 Buildings on the North Side of Delancey Street Between Clinton and Attorney Streets, Manhattan, 1975.

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#103 Horse-Drawn Carriage on Fifth Avenue in Front of the Frick Collection, Manhattan, 1979.

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#104 Fish Wholesalers on South Street, Manhattan, 1975.

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#105 Looking East on Broome Street at the Intersection of West Broadway and Watts Street, Manhattan, 1975.

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#106 Aerial View of the TriBeCa Neighborhood, Manhattan, 1975.

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#107 Corner of Broadway and 14th Street, Manhattan, 1977.

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#108 Shoppers Walking on the Sidewalk on Essex Street in the Lower East Side Neighborhood, Manhattan, 1975.

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#109 Fifth Avenue and 26th Street, Manhattan, 1977.

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#110 Corner of Broadway and 14th Street, Manhattan, 1977.

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#111 Looking North on Fifth Avenue from the Empire State Building, Manhattan, 1974.

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#112 Corner of Spring Street and Broadway, Manhattan, 1977.

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#113 Looking East on East 86th Street from Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, 1974.

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#114 Central Park Zoo, Manhattan, 1979.

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#115 Corner of Spring Street and Broadway, Manhattan, 1975.

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#116 Looking South of the Flatiron Building, Manhattan, 1975.

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#117 Shoppers at the Union Square Greenmarket, Manhattan, 1976.

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#118 Vehicular Traffic at the Corner of East 14th Street and Broadway, Manhattan, 1975.

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#119 Pedestrians and Vehicular Traffic at Union Square, Manhattan, 1975.

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#120 People in Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1975.

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#121 Looking North from Park Avenue and 41st Street to the Pan Am Building, Manhattan, 1979.

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#122 Soho Area in Downtown Manhattan Shows Buildings on West Broadway from Canal Street to Houston Street, Manhattan, 1974

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#123 Protestors Carry Banner During Mass Demonstration Against New York State Abortion Laws in Manhattan, 1970

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#124 Line of People Waiting for Screening of ‘Nickelodeon Nights’ at Little Fox Theater in Greenwich Village, Manhattan

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#125 Exterior View of Women’s House of Detention in Greenwich Village, Closed and Slated for Demolition, Manhattan, 1973

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#126 The Apollo Theater in Harlem, Manhattan, Circa 1975

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#127 Twin Towers of the World Trade Center Loom Over Tribeca with Independence Plaza in Center, Manhattan, 1974

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#128 Women’s House of Detention in Greenwich Village, Closed and Slated for Demolition, Manhattan, 1973

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#129 View of Large Work of Art Carried Across Intersection from Broome Street, Manhattan, 1974

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#130 View Northeast Across Rooftops of Soho Showing Intersection of Canal Street and West Broadway, Manhattan, 1978

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#131 View South Across Rooftops of Soho, Street at Left Is Sullivan and at Right, 6th Avenue, Manhattan, 1977

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#132 View of Building at 644 Broadway, Corner of Broadway & Bleeker Street, Later Demolished, Manhattan, 1978

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#133 Earth Day Celebration on 5th Avenue with Thousands of People, Manhattan, 1970

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#134 Pedestrians and Traffic in Chinatown Neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1977

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#135 Pedestrians on Pell Street in Chinatown Neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1979

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#136 Group Around Statue of Confucius on Confucius Plaza in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1978

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#137 NYC Sanitation Police Vehicles During Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, 1974

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#138 People Outside Entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, Manhattan, 1977

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#139 Pedestrians Before North Facade of Fraunces Tavern Building on Pearl Street, Financial District, Manhattan, 1979

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#140 Low-Angle View of 1 New York Plaza, 50-Storey Office Building in Financial District, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, 1970

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#141 Entrance to Christie’s Auction House in Delmonico’s Hotel on Park Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, 1977

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