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THROWBACK THURSDAY: GAMBLERS AND URBAN COWBOYS OF THE 1980’s

January 5, 2017 | 1:28 PM - Updated on March 23, 2017 | 9:50 AM
in HISTORY, NEWS
15

Stephen Harmon sent us more of his fine photos of the Upper West Side in the 1980’s. See if you can spot old landmarks, like the OTB and Argo Restaurant. And see more of his shots here, here and here.

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dannyboy
dannyboy
9 years ago

Argo and OTB gone?

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1
Reply
Steven
Steven
9 years ago
Reply to  dannyboy

i.e., Argo naught.

0
Reply
AC
AC
9 years ago

Nice Pics , , , brings back tons of memories. Referencing from Top to Bottom:
1 st Pic is of interior of OTB on 72nd street (the one that existed between B’way and WEA)
3rd Pic is of the NE corner of 72nd Street and Columbus Ave. Picture taken from sidewalk along Chase Bank towards Dakota Bar / Columbus Gourmet Food.
6th picture is the interior of a tiny diner that existed along Amsterdam Ave. between 73/74 Street (East side of Ave), near present day Jacques Torres Chocolates.

0
Reply
geoff
geoff
9 years ago
Reply to  AC

was that diner next door to vinnie’s pizza? i remember vinnie’s started as a one-store wide, then expanded to two-wide — did it expand into this diner?

0
Reply
AC
AC
9 years ago
Reply to  geoff

I remember it being near Vinnie’s, but can’t say for sure whether North or South of it.

0
Reply
Jerry
Jerry
9 years ago
Reply to  AC

Vinnie’s was on Amsterdam

0
Reply
BourbonBetty
BourbonBetty
9 years ago

I love These pictures.
they bring back so much OF THE HISTORY TO LIVE!!!!!

i love the Old Days.

Yippee!!!!!!!

0
Reply
manhattan mark
manhattan mark
9 years ago
Reply to  BourbonBetty

Every time I see these photos, I look for one of me…I forgot
what I looked like in the eighties or the seventies and sixties
for that matter. Keep posting, I’ll keep looking.

0
Reply
Jimbo
Jimbo
9 years ago

Great pics—my father was a steady in that OTB.

0
Reply
Martine
Martine
9 years ago

Was the woman pictured in front of OTB wearing a hat Margarita Pracatan? She had a cable show where she sang and played the piano.

0
Reply
William F
William F
9 years ago
Reply to  Martine

I think that lady in front of the OTB is Margarita Pracatan. I remember her well on a local cable station, sing and playing the piano and often saying “I Love You Baby”!! She was “Hoot”! Actually, I saw her recently walking on an UWS street, but of course she did not know me. She is someone from the past.

0
Reply
Mark
Mark
9 years ago

I miss this Upper West Side, so many of today’s residents would never fit in or survive in the old UWS. It was such a freaky and funky place, too bad everything was pushed out and away by the affluent “quality of life” crowd.

2
Reply
Mark
Mark
9 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Thank you “not the real Mark”.

0
Reply
manhattan mark
manhattan mark
9 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Who is the real Mark?

0
Reply
Anne Bard
Anne Bard
9 years ago

The photos of people taken by Steve Harmon are outstanding. They remind me of a more current
Family of Man.

Thank you for showing them.

0
Reply

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