Text and Photographs by Stephen Harmon
The streets of the Upper West Side that I walked in the late 1970s and 80s were a delight to behold, awash with color and character attributable in great measure to the people who lived by them.
There were shopkeepers who sold flowers and fruit in front of their stores. There were shoeshine men who set up buckets of flowers on the sidewalk. There were jewelry and hat sellers hawking their wares in different places and ways. There were hot dog carts, ice cream sellers, and other food vendors. And there were the sounds of the buskers, singing and playing instruments, all on the street. What a wonderful time to live!
I hope you find something to enjoy.
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It’s interesting that street musicians aren’t much of a thing anymore. I wonder why? The only regular that I know of is in Verdi Square.
Far higher rents?
When I first moved to the UWS in 1980, there were numerous street musicians (many classical) up and down Columbus from Lincoln Center to the Natural History Museum. Summer nights on the street were glorious. No more.
I love these photos!
Hi Eric! I moved to the UWS also (from overseas) in 1980 !! Good for you that you are able to remember those wonderful days!! Such diversity.. Many musical venues..!
The thing that stands out most memorably for me was the awful announcement of John Lennon’s tragic death on December 8th 1980. ..
Now it seems that almost every building on Broadway is covered in scaffolding; … and so many of the smaller restaurants have turned into junk food venues!! .. Things have definitely changed but I still wouldn’t want to move to anywhere else!! Cheers!
Your sentiments and these photos are magnificent!
Thanks for these. It sure looks like a long time ago (how can I be that old?!!), except for the Adidas worn by the woman with the white umbrella bedecked with fuzzy pins–you can still buy the same soccer shoes. I guess that says more about the Adidas brand than the Upper West Side brand.
I had totally forgotten that it used to be called Chase Manhattan.
Outstanding. I live for Thursdays because of Stephen Harmon’s photos!
I love this so much
I also remember the booksellers on the street.
I am betting no more street musicians because so many of us have earbuds on.
I love the look-backs and throwbacks! Thank you for sharing those! We still have street sellers of jewelry and knickknacks and pins and books and vinyl records and whatnots on Columbus Avenue, especially on Columbus and 97th street – more on the weekend than on weekdays, but still. I think most of the musicians do their thing in the park – like the troubadour near The Pool and so on. Love these!
These are the best! No need anymore for people selling stacks of paper newspapers on the streets. There used to be a “news store” on Broadway and 77th where I bought the Times, then switched to delivery, then…”you know the rest.
Thank u so much. Great memories. Those were the days. Sad our neighborhood has deteriorated.
Yes!! I used to play the violin on the street on Broadway and 72nd St. and up the west side of Broadway. I feel like I remember all these people especially the jewelry vendors.
The ice cream vendor with the Yellow wagon would be stationed in front to the playground park on 83rd and Riverside. We’re talking mid 1970’s , , , fond memories of my youth growing up in the UWS. 57 years and counting !!!!
Man, I miss Weber’s! I bought my juicer from them. I also found hot sauce there that I had when I was in Colombia and thought I’d never be able to find here in the States. Bought a case of 24 bottles from them for just a buck a bottle!