Manhattan’s Iconic 1970s in Captivating Colored Photographs

The 1970s was a transformative decade for Manhattan. Like a canvas splashed with a medley of colors – some dark, some brilliantly vibrant – this borough navigated its challenges with resilience, setting the stage for the global icon it would become.

Music in the Air

The unmistakable rhythms of the ’70s echoed through the avenues of Manhattan. From the beats of funk wafting from Harlem’s vibrant clubs to the burgeoning punk scene of the Bowery, where CBGB’s opened its doors. This decade saw genres blend and communities come together, celebrating diversity in every syncopated note.

Subway Stories

If you wanted to witness the raw heart of 1970s Manhattan, you only had to take a subway ride. Graffiti-tagged trains became moving canvases, reflecting the spirit of rebellion and artistic fervor. Every carriage told a story, every station was a rendezvous of myriad lives converging from different corners of the borough.

Rise of the Street Festivals

Manhattan streets in the 1970s became arenas of celebration. Block parties, street fairs, and impromptu parades celebrated the unique cultural tapestry of the borough. Whether it was the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy or the Puerto Rican Day Parade, there was a constant, festive undercurrent, an affirmation of Manhattan’s vibrant multicultural identity.

Brownstones and Renovations

As the borough’s heartbeat quickened, so did its architectural pulse. Brownstones, previously seen as outdated, began to be revered for their charm. Many were restored, standing as symbols of an enduring Manhattan, even as newer, sleeker structures began to dot the skyline.

#1 Crowd at ‘The War is Over’ Concert and Peace Rally in the Sheep Meadow, Central Park, Manhattan, 1975.

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#2 Times Square 1970s Movie Theater Appearing on ABC TV Series, Manhattan, 1977

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#3 View of Book Stores, Employment Agencies, and Beauty Supply Shops Line 42nd Street in Manhattan’s Times Square, 1970.

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#4 Exterior View of Village Cigars at 110 7th Ave S. and Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976.

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#5 View of the Marquees of Cinemas on West 42nd Street Including the New Amsterdam Theatre, Cine 42, the Harris Theater and the Liberty Theatre in Manhattan, 1976.

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#6 Heavily Customized Pontiac Grand Prix ‘Pimpmobile’ on Seventh Avenue at West 135th Street, Manhattan, 1970s.

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#7 Night View of Broadway Avenue and Times Square in Manhattan, 1970s.

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#8 View of the Marquees of Cinemas on West 42nd Street Including the Victory Theatre, the Lyric Theatre, the Times Square Theater and the Apollo Theatre in Manhattan, 1976.

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#9 View of Several Adult Movie Theaters Showing on 42nd Street in the Heart of Times Square, Manhattan, 1971.

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#10 Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, Viewed from the Aft Deck of the Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2 Cruise Ship in Manhattan, 1975.

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#11 Boarded-up Apartment Building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, 1970.

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#12 Night View of the Empire State Building, Ships in New York Harbor, and Skyline in Manhattan, 1974.

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#13 Customized Lincoln-Continental Mark III ‘Pimpmobile’ on a Street in Harlem, Manhattan, 1970s.

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#14 View of the Corner of Canal Street and The Bowery, in the Chinatown Neighborhood of Manhattan, 1979.

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#15 Pedestrians Crossing a Road Lined with Shops in Upper Manhattan, 1975.

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#16 Times Square During a Blackout in Manhattan, Date Unknown.

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#17 People Enjoying Madison Avenue Closed for Earth Week Celebration in Manhattan, Date Unknown.

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#18 Pedestrian Passes a Pizzeria, Mike’s Pizza, and a Topless Massage Parlor in Lower Manhattan, 1975.

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#19 Pedestrians on the Steps Outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, 1979.

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#20 Chinese Dancers Usher in the Year of the Ox in Chinatown Neighborhood of Manhattan, 1973.

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#21 Exterior View of the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, 1979.

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#22 People Enjoying Madison Avenue as a Playground During Earth Week Celebration in Manhattan, Date Unknown.

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#23 Twin Towers of the World Trade Center Viewed from the Aft Deck of the Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2 Cruise Ship in Manhattan, 1975.

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#24 The Puck Building on Lafayette Street and Houston Street, Manhattan, 1970s

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#25 Anti-Nuclear Power Rally and Concert on Battery Park City Landfill Opposite the World Trade Center Twin Towers in Manhattan, 1979.

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#26 Manhattan Skyline Shows No Lights Due to a Power Blackout, 1977.

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#27 Exterior View of the Royale Theatre, Currently the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in Manhattan, 1977.

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#28 Exterior View of the 46th Street Theatre, Currently the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan, 1977.

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#29 Exterior View of Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, 1975.

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#30 Aerial View of Times Square in Manhattan on a Rainy Day, 1975.

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#31 Pedestrians Crossing a Road Lined with Shops in Downtown Manhattan, 1975.

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#32 View of the Marquees of Cinemas on West 42nd Street Including the Victory Theatre, the Lyric Theatre, the Times Square Theater and the Apollo Theatre in Manhattan, 1976.

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#33 View of 32nd Street and Gimbles Department Store in the Herald Square Area in Manhattan, 1976.

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#34 Intersection of 5th Avenue and E 34th Street, Manhattan, 1976

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#35 5th Avenue at 61st Street with The Pierre Hotel at Right, Upper East Side, Manhattan, 1976

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#36 Aerial View from Twin Towers Towards Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan, 1976

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#37 World Trade Center Under Construction in Lower Manhattan, 1971

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#38 Cargo Ships and Freighters at Hudson River Side of Manhattan Island, Manhattan, 1971

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#39 Christie Street at the Intersection of Delancey Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, 1976

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#40 Street View in the Garment District, Manhattan, 1976

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#41 Assembly Restaurant and Bar at 16 West 51st Street in Rockefeller Center, Manhattan, 1976

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#42 McGowan’s Bar and Restaurant at Greenwich Avenue and Perry Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#43 O. Henry’s Steak House Restaurant at 4th Street and 6th Avenue, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#44 Intersection of 6th Avenue Waverly Place, Greenwich Village, Twin Towers in Background, Manhattan, 1976

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#45 John’s Pizza Restaurant at Bleecker Street and Jones Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#46 Exterior of Bruno Bakery at 506 LaGuardia Place, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#47 Exterior of Village Produce Fruit and Vegetable Shop, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#48 Exterior of A. Zito & Sons Bakery at 259 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#49 Street Sweeper at Intersection of 6th Avenue Waverly Place, Greenwich Village, Twin Towers in Background, Manhattan, 1976

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#50 Palace Theatre and Nearby Attractions on Broadway, Manhattan, 1978

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#51 Intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue at East 23rd Street, Madison Square Park in Background, Manhattan, 1970

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#52 Times Square Looking North to Duffy Square, Midtown Manhattan, 1970s

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#53 Night Shot Looking North on 7th Avenue from Statler Hilton Roof, Manhattan, 1970s

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#54 Home With Honor Parade Honoring Prisoners of War and Veterans, Vietnam War, Manhattan, 1973

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#55 Aerial View of Downtown Manhattan with Bridges and World Trade Center Under Construction, Manhattan, 1970s

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#56 Man Addressing the Crowd at Washington Square, Manhattan, 1978

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#57 View of 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1972

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#58 View of 5th Avenue, Manhattan, 1973

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#59 Horn & Hardat Automat, East 14th Street, Manhattan, Early 1970s

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#60 Traffic, Taxis and Pedestrians in Times Square at West 45th Street, Midtown Manhattan, 1970

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#61 View of the Manhattan Skyline Including the Twin Towers, Manhattan, 1975

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#62 McGowan’s Bar and Restaurant at Greenwich Avenue and Perry Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#63 Orchard Street in Chinatown, Lower East Side, Manhattan, 1976

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#64 Exterior of Thrift Boutique on W. Broadway, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#65 Exterior of The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 5th Avenue and E. 82nd Street, Manhattan, 1976

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#66 A View of the Legendary Music Venue, Village Gate, on the Corner of Thompson and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 1976

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#67 A View of Wall Street and Federal Hall in the Financial District, Manhattan, 1976

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#68 New York Stock Exchange at Wall Street, Manhattan, 1975

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#69 Traffic During Peak Hours on the Sixth Avenue, Manhattan, 1978

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#70 Traffic on Park Avenue, Manhattan, 1970

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#71 View of Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, Manhattan, 1970

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#72 Richard Clayderman in New York, Manhattan, 1979

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