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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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    15 Comments
    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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